I had so much going against me says Nicki Minaj as she speaks on the hurdles she overcame

Nicki Minaj is on the cover of New York Times’ T Magazine.

The record-breaking rapper channels Sade in the cover shot by 

Patrick Demarchelier.

She tells the magazine in the accompanying cover story that she believes in her gift wholeheartedly. She goes on to explain that there are days when she’s doubted herself.

‘Sometimes I wake up and say, ‘I don’t know if I can do this anymore,’ you know? I’ve had those times. I’ve had those years where I’m just like, ‘Am I good enough?’

But she believes in her ‘ability to withstand what would break the normal girl,’ she says.

And her success is not accidental, she’s had to scale through hurdles to get where she is today.

‘I kind of love that I’ve had to go through so many hurdles to get where I am because I feel like I deserve it. I had so much going against me in the beginning: being black, being a woman, being a female rapper. No matter how many times I get on a track with everyone’s favorite M.C. and hold my own, the culture never seems to want to give me my props as an M.C., as a lyricist, as a writer. I got to prove myself a hundred times, whereas the guys that came in around the same time as I did, they were given the titles so much quicker without anybody second-guessing.’

When asked who she thinks she’s influenced, she recalled that around 2 years ago, Kanye West said to her, ‘Every girl I hear rap, I can hear Nicki in her rap.’ I didn’t ask him who, but that was such a great compliment. Because sometimes you think you’re the only one that can hear those types of things.’

The 34-year-old is currently working on her 4th studio album, and even though she refuses to disclose what it will be called, she tells T Magazine that ‘sonically, I know what the album’s about to sound like. I know what this album is gonna mean to my fans. This album is everything in my life coming full circle and me being truly, genuinely happy. It feels almost like a celebration. The last album, ‘The Pink Print,’ was almost like my diary, closing the chapter on certain things and not knowing if I was happy or sad about beginning new chapters. I was really writing about feeling unsure. Now, I can tell you guys what happened for the last two years of my life. I know who I am. I am getting Nicki Minaj figured out with this album and I’m loving her.’