Iconic rapper, and artist, Nicki Minaj has made a stunning appearance on the cover of Vogue’s latest issue.
In her interview with the fashion magazine, Nicki talks about various aspects of her life, from motherhood to her music career and personal growth.
Nicki welcomed a son with husband, Kenneth Petty on September 30, 2020. In the interview, 40-year-old Minaj posed with her three-year-old in the shoot.
She went on to share her experience with motherhood, which began during the isolating days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She discusses the challenges and joys of being a new mother, revealing how her son, whom she affectionately calls “Papa Bear,” has brought happiness into her life.
She also reflects on her initial belief that having a family might lead her to lose her desire to make music, only to discover that her passion for music remained strong even as she embraced motherhood.
Nicki said of her son:
“I look in my son’s face, and my whole soul lights up. You know that feeling when you unlock one of the secrets of life? For me the the idea of accepting what you can’t change – it just never clicked with me before.
You want to have control over everything, but that’s the easiest way to be unhappy. So now, if I find myself trying to control it all, I try to remember what’s really important.
I look in my son’s face, and my whole soul lights up. He has no clue how nerve-wracking it’s been for me to be a mother and an artist.”
For the cover image, Nicki donned a cream-hued satin dress with a ruched accent on one hip.
The dress featured a draped neckline, highlighted her ample cleavage. She shared further:
“I think that deep down inside, I believed that once I had a family, I would just lose the desire to make music. I would always tell people, ‘Watch, when I have a child I’m going to cook every meal for him and bake cookies every day.’
Maybe subconsciously I hoped my focus would just be on being a mother, and I looked forward to that idea. It felt like a relief. But what happens is that you find out you have to work.”
Nicki continued:
“I’m not going to lie, things got testy between us. Because of our history, I think we knew we’d get past it. But there’s no such thing as confidence in parenthood.
I kind of wish that someone had told me—although I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to understand it—that there’s a level of anxiety, and you think it’s going to go away, but in fact it gets scarier. So often you think: I don’t know how to do this!”
Nicki also sported a sheer yellow gown with lace floral accents; the low-cut number showcased her curvy figure.
The beauty also donned a burgundy turtleneck with coordinating underwear, adding black tights.
On Marriage
“Because I’ve known my husband for so long, there’s an ease we have with each other. We make each other laugh. We’re silly. And we’re always reminiscing about some old story.
If it was a guy that I met as Nicki Minaj, I think I’d feel like they liked me because I’m Nicki Minaj, and what if I don’t look like Nicki Minaj every day? And that, combined with pregnancy, would probably have made me crazy.”
On body positivity, and promoting mental health awareness:
“I just looked at a video that I posted on Instagram when I was 25, and I would fucking pay to look like that right now. But today I can say that I’m at peace with who I am and how I look. I have to say this as a Black woman, though.
I’ve made certain choices for my son, to not give him sweets and candy and juices, because of illnesses like diabetes that run in our community. I’m not in favor of body positivity if it means unhealthy bodies. That’s bull. It’s not believable, so let’s stop pretending.
Recently I had to get a breast reduction, and actually, I love it. I used to want a bigger butt, and now I look back and realize how silly that was. So—love your curves, and love your non-curves. There’s nothing wrong with any of it.”
Her husband, Kenneth Petty knew her before she was famous. The couple married in 2019 but he was previously a high school flame of hers, and grew up blocks from her in Queens, New York City.
Kenneth and Nicki lost touch for years and reconnected in 2018. They first met at LaGuardia High School and they dated briefly as teenagers.
Kenneth is a registered sex offender; he was convicted of first-degree attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl in 1995, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison.
He is considered a level-two offender in the state of New York, which equates to him being considered a ‘moderate risk of repeat offense.’
