Nicki Minaj covers Elle.+interview

 

 (Thomas Whiteside/Elle)In addition to tardiness, Nicki Minaj – who showed up nearly 15 minutes late for Wednesday's "American Idol" live show – is known for her colorful, often outrageous looks that feature everything from hot pink hair to multicolored bustiers to retro makeup.

But in the new issue of Elle magazine, the Pink Friday singer undergoes a dramatic makeunder that has her wearing more neutral colors on her body and face. She's even without her signature pink pucker!
"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," the 30-year-old admits to the mag. "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."
The "American Idol" judge bares a lot for the interview, too, as she talks candidly about adjusting when her family relocated from her native Trinidad and Tobago to NYC when she was just 5. more pics after the cut...



"I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell," she shares. "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."

(Thomas Whiteside/Elle) 

(Thomas Whiteside/Elle)

Nicki Minaj's Most Outrageous Looks Ever
Minaj is doing just fine today, though, thank you very much. Not only has she consistently broken records on the Billboard charts with songs like "Super Bass" and "Starships," she's also a judge on one of TV's biggest shows — though a judge with a little lateness problem, as we witnessed Wednesday when arrived 13 minutes into the "Idol" broadcast when performances were already underway — and her own clothing line will soon be available at Kmart.
Still, she wants to do more — a lot more.

"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."
Omg