With only three months until she is released from prison, Remy Ma has a "new outlook on things." The former first lady of the Terror Squad has been locked up for the last seven years for shooting friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph in the stomach. 

Now 32, Remy has a different perspective on life and talked to Billboard about the transformation she has made behind bars. "I have a new outlook on a lot of things," she shared. "I'm ready to see the world with these new pair of eyes of mine. Everyone says I'm not missing anything but I think they're just saying that so I don't feel bad. I'm excited to get back into the game and make it a little bit more interesting."

In 2007, Remy, born Reminisce Smith, reportedly shot Barnes-Joseph over money the rapper thought she stole. Authorities say that after firing on her onetime friend, Remy rifled through the victim's purse for the funds, which she never found. The next year, Remy was convicted of assault, illegal weapon possession and attempted coercion. She has long maintained her innocence. "You can't believe everything that people say about someone. I'm a strong believer that things happen for a reason," noted Remy. "I'm not the type of person to bring someone down to save myself. I'm always one to take one for the team. Sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself to make sure everything else is right. At first when I went through what I went through, people said, 'Why didn't you work out a deal?' I never took the stand. I let people say what they wanted to say, and I just took the decision. That's the person I am."

Once she gets out, the Bronx-born rhymer can look forward to a better relationship with Terror Squad Crew leader Fat Joe, who finished a fourth-month prison stint of his own last November. The two had a falling out before Remy went to prison, but recently smoothed things over. "I just recently spoke to him and we had a wonderful conversation. It started off a little awkward," she admitted. "We're both like, 'Just say what you want to say.' We were both holding on to our egos. 'Well what do you want to say?' 'No, what do you want to say?' We finally let it go. We ended up talking about things I want to do when I get home. He said, 'I still think you're the dopest female rapper ever.' I'm like, 'Really?!' When you put egos and pride aside, and be the real people that you are it works out… I told him that when I do go home I'm going to make it my business that we talk more."

Looking forward, Remy said she is excited to "get dolled up" for husband Papoose, and to work on new music. Rick Ross and Meek Mill are two of the rappers on her collaboration wish list, she said.

She is scheduled for release this July.  

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(Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid /Landov)