Nicki Minaj’s Favorite Musical Artist Isn’t Who You Might Assume It Is
Nicki Minaj is one of the most successful rappers in the music industry. With an array of hits and millions of album sales to her name, she’s proven to be a generational talent. And while Minaj has been a dominant force in hip-hop for several years, her favorite artist doesn’t even rap.
Believe it or not, Minaj’s favorite artist makes music that falls under the New-Age music category.
Nicki Minaj loves listening to Enya
Minaj revealed who her favorite artist is during a 2018 interview with Stephen Colbert.
“Every time I tell people this, they think I’m kidding, but I love Enya,” Minaj said. “I listen to her the most, out of everyone,” Minaj said.
Minaj explained that Enya’s vocal ability and range of harmonies help give her ideas for her own records. Whenever she’s looking for inspiration when she sings on her records, she thinks of Enya.
“You know what, it’s so peaceful, and it helps me with harmonies, and just like, sounds and stuff,” Minaj said. “So when I go in there, I don’t—I’m not a singer, but I’m a rapper, so I don’t like to call people, singers in to do harmonies and backgrounds, so I just tap into my Enya, my Enya knowledge and I do my little harm—my inner Enya.”
Minaj expressed a desire to connect with Enya in the future.
“I know she’s a recluse too, I would love to meet her … I love her so much,” Minaj said.
Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and Notorious B.I.G are in her top 5 rappers
In a separate interview with Joe Budden, Minaj also opened up about who her top five rappers were. Understandably, she put Lil Wayne—the artist who initially signed her—at the top of the list.
“Definitely Wayne, Jay … Biggie … You see and it’s weird for me because I’m one of those people that do like … people that may not be big as HOV, or whatever, but I could tell their skills, like Jadakiss, I always talk about,” Minaj said. “Or Fab … People that I feel like may not be those type of rappers or whatever, but lyrically, because I know how difficult it is to actually sit there and write raps and consistently have them sh*ts be raps that it’s like, ‘Oh sh*t.’
She noted that she tends to rank skilled rappers that may not be as popular at the top of her list.
“I am one of those people that will put people like that, you know, high up there in that top 10,” Minaj. “But I definitely would never have a top-five without Wayne, that’s for sure.”
Nicki Minaj doesn’t like Rick Ross very much
Minaj also made sure to note that she doesn’t like Rick Ross, the rapper who signed her ex-fiance Meek Mill to his label imprint, Maybach Music Group.
“Ew, don’t bring up that p—” Minaj said while pretending to retch. “Don’t get me f*cking started.”
She and Ross have a personal vendetta regarding Mill that she hasn’t quite gotten over.
“Anybody that name drops a female to sell 250 albums, don’t ever bring them up to me again,” Minaj said.
