Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Nicki Minaj has shed her over the top persona for a more demure look for next month’s ELLE magazine. There are no colorful wigs or “out to there” lashes, its just NICKI raw and we absolutely love it!
The American Idol diva is literally “unzipped” on the cover wearing a Tom Ford leather jacket. Inside, Ms. Minaj is rocking designs by Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo and Jeremy Scott for Adidas.
Take a look at the hot pics and excerpts from her interview:
On being your own boss: “My advice to women in general: Even if you’re doing a nine-to-five job, treat yourself like a boss. Not arrogant, but be sure of what you want — and don’t allow people to run anything for you without your knowledge. You want everyone to know, ‘Okay, I can’t play games with her. I have to do right by this woman.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
Her plot for world domination: “My goal in the beginning was to buy my mother a house. Now I realize, Okay, if I really focus and become a key player in business, then I can build an empire. I’m thinking of a legacy that I can be proud of and wealth that my grandchildren can use to go to college. So world domination — in terms of providing for my family — is absolutely my goal.”
On being bullied as a child: “I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell. We had come to America from a different country. My brother and I had accents. It was very tough. So I’ve always put up this wall — it was a self-defense mechanism growing up — because I was almost expecting people to attack me. And I still have it. It’s sad.”
On feeling naked for the shoot: “When I saw myself with barely any makeup at, it was such a… like, I’m so, so attached to my pink lipstick, it’s hard. I feel that it’s become a part of me. To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol’ crazy lashes — you know, nothing — I felt naked. It was scary! So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes.”
Elle‘s April issue will hit newsstands Monday, March 18.
