Nicki Minaj was always seeking to keep her relationship with Safaree on the down-low, however the recent break-up has for sure been extensively publicized. In an interview released with Power 105.1 the Fly emcee revealed her deepest thoughts on the situation which is clearly a touchy subject.
Playing the part as Nicki’s hype man over the years, the two appeared almost inseparable, well… this seems to be the underlying issue here:

If I wasn’t a rapper, we would have children, be married, and be living happily ever after. That’s what we’re both sad about because we know that this is what did it.

Breaking down in the interview, the Pills N Potions rapper explained:

I don’t think people realize, it’s not just a relationship or break-up. That was a humongous part of my life. This is not some person I picked up off the street. This is somebody I grew up with. Like I don’t even know how I’m gonna function without that person in my life.

She continues:

I’ve never lived my life as a famous person without him. It is something that I am dealing with publicly and it’s not easy. I’m also not gonna joke about it or try to disrespect him, and try to act like he didn’t mean the world to me, and still doesn’t mean the world to me. I’m just figuring it out.

Nicki seems to be reflecting her thoughts through new music, while Scaff Beezy wrapped up his feelings in a single sentence:

We will always love each other no matter what. Peace n that’s the last I’ll say ’bout it.

The post Nicki Minaj ‘Happily Never After’ With Safaree appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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Last week, Lil’ Wayne shocked fans when he tweeted out that he felt he was being held captive by Cash Money Records and its’ founder/mentor of his, Brian “Baby” Williams.  His growing frustration with the only record label he has ever called home is a result of Cash Money Records not pushing the release his long-awaited Tha Carter V album. Ever since Wayne’s outburst on Twitter occurred, he had decided to remain silent on the social media platform, until last night that is.

Yesterday, Weezy tweeted out ” YM! That’s it. Nothing else.” YM, which stands for Young Money, the division of Cash Money Records that Lil’ Wayne founded. It is usually shouted out by him on tracks, before he goes onto say Cash Money as well. He obviously left the Cash Money part out on purpose, which shows a ugly spilt between him and Baby is on the horizon. It’s also coincidental that Lil’ Wayne decided to send this tweet out yesterday; the same day that “Truffle Butter,” which features all three of Young Money’s superstars (Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Wayne and Drake) on it was leaked.

Hip-Hop fans will just have to wait and see if the feud is for real. Are the longtime friends/ business partners really on the outs or it is being brewed up to help create more of a buzz surrounding various Cash Money/ Young Money  projects, such as Nicki Minaj’s third studio album (The PinkPrint) which is set to drop next week.

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Nicki Minaj is set to bring us her new album The Pinkprint on December 15th. After hearing singles like “Pills And Potions” and “Only” it’s looking like Nicki is going to wrap up her strong year with a great album. Today she takes to the internet to reveal her 16 song tracklist which carries some big name features. With Meek Mill making two appearances, Beyonce & Ariana Grande making appearances, & Jeremih making an appearance, The Pinkprint sounds promising! Check it out and pre-order the album HERE.

The post Nicki Minaj Reveals The Tracklist to “The Pinkprint” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Next month, rapper Nicki Minaj will grace the cover of Complex Magazine in promotion of her upcoming album, The Pinkprint. In the exclusive interview, Minaj talked about a lot of things—from her multiple personalities to having babies to being compared to Jay-Z with the title of The Pinkprint. As the author Lauren Nostro puts it, “No one is going to tell you what Nicki Minaj is doing except Nicki Minaj.”

While Minaj discussed how The Pinkprint is going to be her most personal album yet and how being on the road has had a damaging impact on her relationship with her family, perhaps the most intriguing concession was that the chart-topping hit, “Anaconda,” which samples Sir Mix-a-Lot‘s “Baby Got Back”, was created as a joke.

“I wanted to create a song that embraced curvy women. I wanted to be sexual but be playful with it. And I wanted it to be so melodic that even if you don’t understand English you could still go along with the melody and you would have no idea about all the raunchy shit I’m saying—I get a kick out of that. It was simple to write. I just created the melody and then I let the words happen. I started laughing when I said, “Boy toy named Troy.” [Laughs.] That whole song, I was just being dumb. It was a joke. My biggest thing was seeing how my girlfriends Sherika and Thembi were going to react. If they don’t like a song, they’ll be like, “No.” As soon as they walked in the studio, we were laughing and having fun. I thought, if we’re doing this, then everybody is going to have fun with it.”

Even the artwork came about unplanned. Minaj said:

“The artwork was not premeditated. I was shooting the “Anaconda” video and I had my photographer there taking pictures. When I was about to shoot my next scene, I asked to see the pictures he’d taken. He went through five or six and that one came up, and I was like, ‘[Gasps.] Oh my God. Yo, that picture is crazy!’ What made me excited about it was that people hadn’t seen me do a picture like that in years.”

The artist cited the reason for foregoing such revealing shots as professionalism—she had to prove herself in the industry as an artist and a lyricist before doing any sort of shoot that might damage the professional, Boss Girl in the Boys’ Club image that she has worked over the past four years to create. Even the sexy-dancing and hand-slapping when Drake tries to touch her in the “Anaconda”, according to Minaj, were totally impromptu.

Though Minaj has not been playing in the Little Leagues for quite some time now, “Anaconda” is definitely a reclamation of independence in the industry:

“I’ve proven that I’m an MC. I’m a writer; I’m the real deal, so if I want to take sexy pictures, I can. I’m at the level in my career and in my life now where I can do whatever the hell I want to.“

The post Nicki Minaj’s chart-topping “Anaconda” was just a joke appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Nicki Minaj further exposes why she needed those pills and potions on her latest track “Bed of Lies” featuring Skylar Grey. The song was first performed on the MTV EMA’s last week. On the 4:30 minute studio track Minaj and Grey tell a tale of betrayal and deceit against a piano-driven instrumental.

Unfortunately for Minaj, the tale isn’t one of fiction, “I just figured if you saw me if you looked in my eyes, you’d remember our connection and be freed from the lies,” she raps about her ex. Listen to  the heart-felt track in full above, and look for it on The Pinkprint come December 15th.

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