With a number one album on Billboard, the cover of magazines and a recent memorable performance on American Idol, Nicki Minaj is everywhere. The "Starships" singer got the profile and interview treatment on ABC's Nightline news Monday night, and she opened up about growing up around an abusive father, her infamous nipple slip and comparisons to Lady Gaga.
In the interview, Minaj, who is popular with young girls, was asked if she considered herself a kid-friendly artist.
"I don’t want to offend moms or children, like when they come and pay their money to see a show," she said. "But I didn’t come in the game to be an artist that appealed to kids either — I’m a crazy lunatic.”
Nicki talked about growing up in a home with an abusive father and the pent up rage that it made her feel.
"We were afraid for [my mother's] life because whenever he would have a real bad outburst, he would threaten to kill her," she revealed. "I felt a lot of anger. I wanted to kill him. I wished he was dead."
Minaj also responded to comparisons people make between her and another outlandish female music star of the moment, Lady Gaga. She dismissed parallels between their over-the-top costumes and penchant for wigs, saying "every female artist in the game wears wigs."
"Am I offended [by the comparisons]? No. Does it irk me? Yeah," she admitted. "We are in completely different lanes. First of all, I’m a rapper. I’m from Southside Jamaica, Queens,” she said. "Gaga is an incredible artist and she's made her own lane for herself and I respect that, but I have my own lane, too, and we never cross paths! Ever!"
The Harajuku Barbie also addressed her infamous nipple slip while performing in the park for Good Morning America last summer. She apologized and said that any allegations of the incident being a stunt were off base.
“I’m so sorry about that," she said. "People are ridiculous if they think I would use that as a stunt. I would never, ever, ever — swear to God — do something like that on purpose. That’s ridiculous. I would never do that."
Minaj's just-released sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded sold over 250,000 copies in its first week.

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.

(Photos: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)