If every great artist travels through different periods of expression, Nicki Minaj’s explosion into the mainstream may have been her “Barbie” phase. But sitting in a cramped Indianapolis hotel room two days before the Superbowl, Nicki is going through a “Marilyn” moment. In “Marilyn Monroe,” a song off her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki sings of the Hollywood starlet’s tortured beauty. “It’s like all the good things,” she says. “They fall apart ”
Months after recording that song, when Nicki shows up at Madonna’s “Gimme All Your Luvin’” video set, she’s faced with three Marilyn wigs and dresses for Madonna, M.I.A. and herself. (She celebrated her 29th birthday at the December 8th shoot, complete with champagne, cupcakes, and a kiss from Madonna). It’s enough to rock even the most self-possessed chick in rap back on her heels.... Check this out-take from our exclusive Nicki Minaj cover story Q&A.
Interview by Miss Info (@MissInfo)
Miss Info: How was that "Gimme All Your Luvin" video shoot?
Nicki Minaj: It was kinda trippy ’cause I didn't know that was the plan. I definitely didn’t realize all of us were going to be dressing up as Marilyn... Madonna kept on calling it the bar scene... I just didn’t think it was that shot with us three dressed as Marilyn, like I didn’t mentally prepare for that.
When I saw Madonna, she really to me was Marilyn Monroe and it was very surreal because it’s like, I almost felt like I was doing a video with my two idols at the same time.
When I walked on set and saw Madonna, I literally gasped because I felt like I was looking at Marilyn Monroe and I’m so obsessed with Marilyn Monroe… Like, I have Marilyn Monroe pictures all over my house.
When I saw Madonna, she really to me was Marilyn Monroe and it was very surreal because it’s like, I almost felt like I was doing a video with my two idols at the same time. It was like, very very strange.
She had these distant, sort of like very dreamy eyes like Marilyn, like kind of distant but very there and very in charge—but almost like in their own world. And it was just so surreal, you know, just to walk downstairs and see her standing there. I was just like, Wow.
Did you learn anything else from working with Madonna?
I think that when she started, she was mentally where I am now. Feeling like, “if people would just leave me alone and let me do me, they’ll see the great things that I have to offer.” Right before I met her, I watched her documentary Truth or Dare, and because of that, I felt so connected to her when we got in the studio. Madonna’s the only humongous artist I ever worked with that actually sat with me in the studio.
Everything else these days, all these big collaborations are all done via email… No face time, right?
Madonna had me in the studio writing my rap, and she really listened to it and said, “Hmmm, you know what, is there a way you can incorporate such and such and such?” And I really changed it, and she loved it.
Yeah! Madonna, she’s so hands-on and she’s so… confident. She knows what she wants but she does it with this crazy poise. She will diss you with poise. [Laughs]. We were drinking this champagne that I really love and she was like, “No, sweetheart, that’s dessert wine... In that glass? No.” We’re cracking up laughing because, “Wow, I’m being schooled by Madonna on what champagne to drink and what to drink it in.” But we had so much fun.
Madonna had me in the studio writing my rap, and she really listened to it and said, “Hmmm, you know what, is there a way you can incorporate such and such and such?” And I really changed it, and she loved it.
It’s not on “Gimme All Your Luvin,” this is on another song for her album. We’re like toasting to it, and I’m just looking at her like, “Yo, this lady is freaking amazing,” I mean outside of her being an icon. I’m talking about how...
Involved she was? And present?
100,000 percent involved. Did not leave the studio until it was done. I mean her children even came by after school. I was just like, that’s the epitome of who I want to be. If I can balance family and career then I win. Because I love children so much—I can’t hide that.
I used to think, how do people go through life and they’re like 50 years old and they didn’t have children but they’re still pursuing, they’re still trying to tour? So I saw that and I’m in awe of her.
