Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) on The Cover of Billboard Magazine

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“People don’t know how heavily involved I am in my own career,” Nicki says in a no-nonsense tone. “I’m on 15 to 25 conference calls every few days strategizing with my team. I think a lot of artists sit back and have it done for them. Sometimes as women in the industry — if you’re sexy or like doing sexy things — some people subconsciously negate your brain. They think you’re stupid.”

Nicki on her Idol experience:

“Once I did Idol, a lot of people would come up to me and say, ‘Oh, you’re smarter than I thought,’ ” she recalls. “What does that mean? Was I making weird faces [that made you think] I was stupid?” Viewers also saw Minaj’s combative side, in a leaked video that showed her arguing with Mariah Carey, another new judge at the time, during the show’s auditions segment. Both women eventually exited. Still, says Minaj, “Thank God I did that show. At least I was able to show my true self, speak and have a mind.”

Nicki on Anaconda:

“Everything we see that’s labeled as beautiful is very skinny,” she says about Anaconda. “In the song I kind of say, ‘F— them skinny girls.’ But it’s all love. I consider myself a skinny girl.” She adds, “I went overboard with the video to show that I’m not going to hide. And those big-booty dancers I have, they’re not going to hide. Black girls should feel sexy, powerful and important too.” Famed fashion designer Robert Cavalli calls her an “ambassador” for the growing acceptance of a shapelier female silhouette: “She inspires women to embrace their curves, and to be more confident.”

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