Nicki Minaj's re-release, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up, dropped this past Monday, and the rapper/pop star has been on her grind doing promo for the album, American Idol, her new perfume and more.
While many hip-hop fans have been disappointed with Nicki Minaj's frequent pop-sound, YMCMB's First Lady spoke with MTV News on The Re-Up and getting back to her rapping side.
The eight new records on The Re-Up have quite a different feel than a single like "Starships," and as Nicki explains, she's back on her "rapping shit." "I am in a stage right now, where that's just how I feel," she said, "I'm on my rap shit — that's just how I feel right now. But I'm [also] saying that there's nothing wrong with being diverse. [But] where I am right now? I'm back to my popping shit!"
She explained, "The Re-Up is what I do naturally. It's what I came into the game doing. So I actually don't have the fears about it being critiqued. I guess when I started doing dance songs, then there was more like a question mark there, 'cause I had never done it."
She said she's not waiting for anyone's approval and hasn't even given the critics a thought, "But the songs I'm doing on The Re-Up," she continued, "I haven't even gone into it thinking about criticism. I've already mastered [rap]." She added, "When people hear it, they will hear stuff that Nicki Minaj has already mastered. I don't need approval on that."
Nicki also made a recent appearance on 106 & Park, stream that below.
Her album is out now.