On Her Love Of Language And Intelligence In Hip-Hop:
Being an acting student at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (the “Fame school”) really opened her mind. “I saw gay kids, I saw white kids, I saw grunge and pink hair and piercings,” she recalls. “I think because of that, I didn’t put limits on myself or what I was going to put in my raps. I really just wanted to be diverse.”
School also taught her the power of language. She recalls a particularly revelatory assignment reading Othello. “The line was, ‘Tis monstrous’–period. And the second line was, ‘Iago, who done it’ — question mark. Then we read it without punctuation. ‘Tis monstrous Iago who done it,” which basically gives the story away. The fact that punctuation can change what you’re saying, I guess that’s why I love hip-hop — being able to say the same thing but it meaning a different thing,” she says.
Even as a young girl, Minaj recalls, “I remember having my older cousin keep repeating Slick Rick’s ‘Children’s Story’ so I could learn it. I wanted to know Left Eye’s rap on ‘Waterfalls.’ When Jay-Z rapped about ‘calling an audible,’ I knew what he meant. That’s what excited me about rapping. We’re talking about our hood, but you can be intelligent and witty with it, you can do whatever. I just like when people show their intelligence within hip-hop.”
This is probably the best interview Nicki has had yet, she’s no Lauryn Hill but Ms. Minaj is far from the dinky pink loving dingbat she makes herself out to be sometimes.
More On Bossip!
THICKER!: Beyonce’s Whitney Houston Halo Intro Tribute For “Live At The Revel” Performances [Video]
Road Rage! Celebrities That Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Drive
Turning In That V-Card: When Did Your Favorite Celebrities Lose Their Virginities?
Dirty Dog Diaries: A Gallery Of Men That Left That A$$ For A White Girlllllll
Rumor Control: Did Trey Songz Smack One Of The Kardashians?!
