Nicki Minaj Causes Stir with NY Times Interview

By: Antoinette Alston, contributing intern

Nicki Minaj went back to her ‘wild style’ roots on the cover of New York Times Magazine when she wore a blonde wig, latex royal blue top, and pink lipstick, with a splash of bright yellow backdrop.

In the cover story, Nicki was interviewed by New York Times Magazine writer Vanessa Grigoriadis, whom asked some alarming questions about Nicki’s personal feelings regarding her VMA argument with Miley Cyrus and the beef between  Drake and Meek Mill.

However, the interview was cut short when Nicki felt she was disrespected by a particular question Grigoriadis asked her. Read the Q&A highlights below:

Miley Cyrus argument:

Addressing Cyrus, she told me: ‘‘The fact that you feel upset about me speaking on something that affects black women makes me feel like you have some big balls. You’re in videos with black men, and you’re bringing out black women on your stages, but you don’t want to know how black women feel about something that’s so important? Come on, you can’t want the good without the bad. If you want to enjoy our culture and our lifestyle, bond with us, dance with us, have fun with us, twerk with us, rap with us, then you should also want to know what affects us, what is bothering us, what we feel is unfair to us. You shouldn’t not want to know that.’’

Drake/Meek beef:

It was getting dark outside when I asked about Drake, Meek, Wayne and Williams…‘‘They’re men, grown-ass men,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s between them.’’ How does it make you feel, I ask? ‘‘I hate it,’’ she said. ‘‘It doesn’t make me feel good. You don’t ever want to choose sides between people you love. It’s ridiculous. I just want it to be over.’’

End of the interview:

This leads into the interview’s termination, with Grigoriadis asking, “Is there a part of you that thrives on drama, or is it no, just pain and unpleasantness—” and Nicki replying, “That’s disrespectful. Why would a grown-ass woman thrive off drama.” She continued, “What do the four men you just named have to do with me thriving off drama? Why would you even say that? That’s so peculiar. Four grown-ass men are having issues between themselves, and you’re asking me do I thrive off drama.” It didn’t stop there, “Women blame women for things that have nothing to do with them. I really want to know why — as a matter of fact, I don’t. Can we move on, do you have anything else to ask? To put down a woman for something that men do, as if they’re children and I’m responsible, has nothing to do with you asking stupid questions, because you know that’s not just a stupid question.”

Wow!