Nicki Minaj Teased By Lil Wayne During First Studio Session [Watch]
Video showing Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne in the studio together for the first time has leaked online and it’s a fun watch to see young Onika Tanya Maraj working with her mentor Weezy. Check out the blast from the past video below, which shows the two Young Money makers recording Minaj’s single “Big Spender (Ft. Lil Wayne),” off her mixtape It’s Barbie B—! released in 2009. There’s even a cute moment of Wayne making fun of Nicki’s New York accent.
The over 13-minute video mostly shows Lil Wayne spitting bars in the booth before returning to the studio to listen to his work and get notes from the producer and Nicki. In between takes, the two rap stars reveal their easy-going and playful relationship that involves plenty of teasing.
After Minaj was discovered by Wayne in August, 2009, she signed with his Young Money Entertainment. Her debut studio album Pink Friday dropped in 2010 and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. During that time, Nicki became the first female solo artist to have seven singles simultaneously charting on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. She was also the first female artist included on MTV’s Annual Hottest MC List, with The New York Times’s editor Brent Staples saying that some consider her “the most influential female rapper of all time.”
Nicki’s image might push people out of their comfort zones, and that’s exactly what she wants. As the Huff Post reported, back in 2012, Nicki caused a bit of controversy when she appeared to endorse Mitt Romney in a song on Wayne’s Dedication 4 mixtape. When President Barack Obama was asked about the surprising lyric in an interview with Orlando’s Obie and Lil Shawn, he wasn’t the least bit phased by it, and Minaj took to Twitter to thank him for understanding her sarcasm.
Ha! Thank you for understanding my creative humor & sarcasm Mr. President, the smart ones always do… *sends love & support* @BarackObama
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) September 10, 2012
The rapper/business mogul has always been vocal about solidifying her image as an opinionated woman in a male-dominated business. In interviews she rarely holds back from sharing her insightful thoughts on sexuality and feminism.
“I always feel it’s important for me to show females that they can be in charge of their own situation,” Minaj told V magazine. “When I win and when I lose, I take ownership of it, because I really am in charge of what I do. There are a lot of strong male rappers, who’ve influenced me a great deal in terms of my skill, my flow and my business-savvy side. But at the end of the day, I still want to inspire women.”
Nicki Minaj has endorsed and been affiliated with a number of products during her career, including MAC Cosmetics, OPI Products, Nokia, and Adidas. She is the only woman to be featured on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, making her fourth consecutive appearance on the list in 2014, earning $14 million from June, 2013, to June, 2014.
[Image via Jason Merritt/Getty Images]
