I don't mind being called a weirdo. There are a lot of people in hip-hop who are probably never going to get what I do. But, by just being myself, I end up touching a lot more people who might never have paid much attention to a female rapper.
Interpretation
Embracing one's uniqueness can have a positive impact on others.
In this quote, Nicki Minaj expresses the idea that being authentic and true to oneself, even if it means being seen as different or a 'weirdo,' allows one to connect with a broader audience. She highlights the importance of individuality in her journey as a female rapper, emphasizing that her unique expression resonates with those who might overlook conventional expectations in hip-hop.
In practice
This quote could inspire young artists to embrace their unique styles during a motivational talk.
When you're a girl, you have to be everything, You have to be dope at what you do, but you have to be super sweet, and you have to be sexy, and you have to be this and you have to be that and you have to be nice, and you have to - it's like, I can't be all of those things at once. I'm a human being.
But, by just being myself, I end up touching a lot more people who might never have paid much attention to a female rapper.
I want to show little girls that the possibilities are endless. That's my goal - to not only do it for myself, but to show them I can do whatever I put my mind to.
As a little girl growing up in Southside Jamaica Queens, if anyone would've told me I'd have my own perfume one day, and be able to inspire young black girls everywhere, to go into Macy's or Nordstrom's and see their face staring back at them - I wouldn't believe them.
I am not ashamed of my past; I am not ashamed of my humble beginnings.
I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible; to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance, to live so that which came to me as seed goes to the next as blossom, and that which came to me as blossom, goes on as fruit.
It is not easy to be a pioneer - but oh, it is fascinating!
May each of you live lives of immersion. They won't necessarily be easy lives. But in the end, it is all that will sustain us.
The element of discovery is very important. I don't repeat myself well. I want and need that stimulus of walking forward from one new world to another.
If there are kids who want to follow in my footsteps, I'd say that my shoes are too big for them to fill! But their shoe size is just perfect.
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