Darling Nicki

Kanye thinks Nicki could become one of the all time greats. See what other superstars are saying about the industry's new darling | Nicki Minaj.

Nicki Minaj on Getting Fired From Her Day Job - "That's when I went to my mother and said, 'Look, I'm not going back to work.' I'd been fired like 15 times because I had a horrible attitude. I worked at Red Lobster before that, and I chased a customer out of the restaurant once so I could stick my middle finger up at her and demand that she give me my pen back. I swear to God I was bad."

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Darling Nicki - Nicki may have some haters, but they pale in comparison to the A-List cosigns she’s received in the past year. Here, BET.com takes a look at what Nicki’s most famous admirers have to say about Young Money’s First Lady.

Jay-Z - Word is Jay-Z suggested Robin Thicke collaborate with Nicki. Thicke promptly featured Minaj on “Shake It 4 Daddy” off his “Sex Therapy” LP.

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Jay-Z - Word is Jay-Z suggested Robin Thicke collaborate with Nicki. Thicke promptly featured Minaj on “Shake It 4 Daddy” off his “Sex Therapy” LP.

Queen Latifah - Latifah has been vocal about the lack of female presence in hip-hop in recent years. She's happy Nicki has finally arrived to fill the void. “I like everything I’ve heard from her so far,” Latifah shared. “God bless her, I hope she blows up, because that’s what we need right now. We need that female energy in the game.”

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Queen Latifah - Latifah has been vocal about the lack of female presence in hip-hop in recent years. She's happy Nicki has finally arrived to fill the void. “I like everything I’ve heard from her so far,” Latifah shared. “God bless her, I hope she blows up, because that’s what we need right now. We need that female energy in the game.”

Ludacris - While she was featured on Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” Remix first, Nicki’s stock skyrocketed when she appeared on Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad.” To let Luda tell it, the track was a match made in heaven. “My chick bad is just one of those records, you know, where every female wants to be that bad chick,” Luda explained to BET's 'The Deal.' “As far as everything from the personality down to the attitude to the clothes that she’s wearing and the swag all these different things.”

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Ludacris - While she was featured on Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Chick” Remix first, Nicki’s stock skyrocketed when she appeared on Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad.” To let Luda tell it, the track was a match made in heaven. “My chick bad is just one of those records, you know, where every female wants to be that bad chick,” Luda explained to BET's 'The Deal.' “As far as everything from the personality down to the attitude to the clothes that she’s wearing and the swag all these different things.”

Shawty Lo - L-O likes Minaj's music, but he’s especially noticed the Harajuku Barbie’s image. "I think she's working very hard," Shawty told Vlad TV. "For Nicki to have a straight single of her own and it's bubbling and to be the hottest thing out there, man, it's great. I think it's just her image that captured the whole thing she do. The whole Barbie, that whole image. That girl is going wild right now. Big shouts to Nicki man, keep doing your thing.”

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Shawty Lo - L-O likes Minaj's music, but he’s especially noticed the Harajuku Barbie’s image. "I think she's working very hard," Shawty told Vlad TV. "For Nicki to have a straight single of her own and it's bubbling and to be the hottest thing out there, man, it's great. I think it's just her image that captured the whole thing she do. The whole Barbie, that whole image. That girl is going wild right now. Big shouts to Nicki man, keep doing your thing.”

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Jacki-O - Miami’s madame stresses that she’d rather encourage Nicki than be baited into dissing her like some of her peers. "A lot of people ask me about [Nicki] and I think they wanna see if I'm gonna take shots... I've never been a hater,” Jacki told XXL. “I seen her bubblin' from the beginning. She reached out to me a couple times. We never got to a chance to work, but I always had words of encouragement for her, like, ‘Keep doin' ya thing, and just do you.’ "

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Jacki-O - Miami’s madame stresses that she’d rather encourage Nicki than be baited into dissing her like some of her peers. "A lot of people ask me about [Nicki] and I think they wanna see if I'm gonna take shots... I've never been a hater,” Jacki told XXL. “I seen her bubblin' from the beginning. She reached out to me a couple times. We never got to a chance to work, but I always had words of encouragement for her, like, ‘Keep doin' ya thing, and just do you.’ "

Salt-N-Pepa - While Pep thinks Nicki still has a long way to go, she thinks Nicki shows promise. "I'm not mad at Nicki," Pep recently told Vibe. "I think she's talented. I love her style. She has a lot of attitude, she has a lot of things she wants to express so I wouldn't be mad at that. I was there at that age, so I don't expect her to be like ‘Oh let me start being this way.' This is what she's feelin'."

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Salt-N-Pepa - While Pep thinks Nicki still has a long way to go, she thinks Nicki shows promise. "I'm not mad at Nicki," Pep recently told Vibe. "I think she's talented. I love her style. She has a lot of attitude, she has a lot of things she wants to express so I wouldn't be mad at that. I was there at that age, so I don't expect her to be like ‘Oh let me start being this way.' This is what she's feelin'."

Missy Elliott - While Nicki has mostly drawn comparisons to Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown due to her sexy image, the Queens MC was clearly influenced by Missy Elliott’s quirkiness. “She reminds me of myself the way she says whatever she wants however she wants on record, like riddles or funny sh*t,” Missy told New York Magazine. “Nicki makes rapping fun again.”

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Missy Elliott - While Nicki has mostly drawn comparisons to Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown due to her sexy image, the Queens MC was clearly influenced by Missy Elliott’s quirkiness. “She reminds me of myself the way she says whatever she wants however she wants on record, like riddles or funny sh*t,” Missy told New York Magazine. “Nicki makes rapping fun again.”

Michael Vick - Despite being at the receiving end of one of Nicki’s best punchlines to date, Michael Vick is a big fan. Last year, Minaj said, “I’m killin’ these b*tches, Mike Vickin’ it up” during the BET Hip Hop Awards’ cipher. "That’s a crazy punchline, Nicki," Vick told BET.com. "That’s hot. But, it’s got to be used in the right sense. But yeah, I’m a big fan of Nicki Minaj."

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Michael Vick - Despite being at the receiving end of one of Nicki’s best punchlines to date, Michael Vick is a big fan. Last year, Minaj said, “I’m killin’ these b*tches, Mike Vickin’ it up” during the BET Hip Hop Awards’ cipher. "That’s a crazy punchline, Nicki," Vick told BET.com. "That’s hot. But, it’s got to be used in the right sense. But yeah, I’m a big fan of Nicki Minaj."

Trina - Don’t hate, congratulate. That’s usually Trina’s motto, especially when it comes to new blood in the femcee realm. “I love her,” Trina told BET.com about Nicki Minaj. “I think that she’s dope. I think that she’s talented. I think that she’s fly and I want to see her succeed, I want to see her, you know, get that bread that we got in this industry.”

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Trina - Don’t hate, congratulate. That’s usually Trina’s motto, especially when it comes to new blood in the femcee realm. “I love her,” Trina told BET.com about Nicki Minaj. “I think that she’s dope. I think that she’s talented. I think that she’s fly and I want to see her succeed, I want to see her, you know, get that bread that we got in this industry.”

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50 Cent - Fif calls it like he sees it. The G-Unit general recently weighed in on Lil' Kim's recent jabs at Nicki. "It's obvious ... she was inspired by some of Kim's [style],” he told MTV. “But that's not bad. There's not a whole lot of female artists that you can make reference to, so you'll see those little influences even stronger. I think she's hot — I think she's got a good little thing going right now, as far as Nicki Minaj is concerned."

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50 Cent - Fif calls it like he sees it. The G-Unit general recently weighed in on Lil' Kim's recent jabs at Nicki. "It's obvious ... she was inspired by some of Kim's [style],” he told MTV. “But that's not bad. There's not a whole lot of female artists that you can make reference to, so you'll see those little influences even stronger. I think she's hot — I think she's got a good little thing going right now, as far as Nicki Minaj is concerned."

Diddy - While sources close to the deal have confirmed that Puff now manages Nicki, the Bad Boy mogul has yet to admit it publicly. “Me and Nick, we just cool,” Puff said in a YouTube clip this year. “I like her style. Rick Ross, that’s my brother. There’s no management announcements or none of that so everybody just worry about what you’re worrying about. It’s all right for people to know each other and have an admiration toward each other and you know, maybe pick each other’s brains for advice."

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Diddy - While sources close to the deal have confirmed that Puff now manages Nicki, the Bad Boy mogul has yet to admit it publicly. “Me and Nick, we just cool,” Puff said in a YouTube clip this year. “I like her style. Rick Ross, that’s my brother. There’s no management announcements or none of that so everybody just worry about what you’re worrying about. It’s all right for people to know each other and have an admiration toward each other and you know, maybe pick each other’s brains for advice."

Chris Brown - Add C. Breezy to Nicki’s long list of admirers. Brown recently put his own spin on the rapstress’s “Your Love.”

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Chris Brown - Add C. Breezy to Nicki’s long list of admirers. Brown recently put his own spin on the rapstress’s “Your Love.”

Drake - Drizzy has shown a different kind of interest in Nicki. On “Miss Me” off “Thank Me Later,” he jokingly professes his love for Minaj. He also told MTV he had a crush on her, saying, “Me and Nicki have a really playful relationship. When I was on tour ... I saw Nicki for the first time and, like, literally fell in love. She had this snap-back hat on that said 'Minaj.' She used to wear that every single day. She was like a theater student and she was so cold at rapping.”

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Drake - Drizzy has shown a different kind of interest in Nicki. On “Miss Me” off “Thank Me Later,” he jokingly professes his love for Minaj. He also told MTV he had a crush on her, saying, “Me and Nicki have a really playful relationship. When I was on tour ... I saw Nicki for the first time and, like, literally fell in love. She had this snap-back hat on that said 'Minaj.' She used to wear that every single day. She was like a theater student and she was so cold at rapping.”

Gucci Mane - Nicki’s often referred to Gucci Mane as her family. The two were both managed by Debra Antney, Waka Flocka’s mother, at some point. Gucci took Nicki under his wing when she first relocated from New York to Atlanta— providing her with the platform she needed to get her buzz started.

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Gucci Mane - Nicki’s often referred to Gucci Mane as her family. The two were both managed by Debra Antney, Waka Flocka’s mother, at some point. Gucci took Nicki under his wing when she first relocated from New York to Atlanta— providing her with the platform she needed to get her buzz started.

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Lil Wayne - Wayne’s helped Nicki cultivate a buzz way before he officially inked her to Young Money. Still, her fan base has grown considerably since Wayne’s been locked up in Rikers Island. The YM boss acknowledged it during a recent letter to his fans. "Congrats to Drake and Nicki for all their recent success," Weezy wrote. "Those 2 are going to have me retiring early. I love my team."

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Lil Wayne - Wayne’s helped Nicki cultivate a buzz way before he officially inked her to Young Money. Still, her fan base has grown considerably since Wayne’s been locked up in Rikers Island. The YM boss acknowledged it during a recent letter to his fans. "Congrats to Drake and Nicki for all their recent success," Weezy wrote. "Those 2 are going to have me retiring early. I love my team."

Kanye West - Nicki has gotten love from some of hip-hop’s finest in the past year, but Kanye West may have recently provided the biggest cosign yet. Speaking with Hot 97’s Angie Martinez, ‘Ye said Nicki is poised to become one of the all–time greats. "This is gonna be such a big statement and such a big thing to fill, but I think the scariest artist in the game right now is definitely Nicki Minaj, and I think she has the most potential out of everyone to be the number two rapper of all time [behind Eminem].”

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Kanye West - Nicki has gotten love from some of hip-hop’s finest in the past year, but Kanye West may have recently provided the biggest cosign yet. Speaking with Hot 97’s Angie Martinez, ‘Ye said Nicki is poised to become one of the all–time greats. "This is gonna be such a big statement and such a big thing to fill, but I think the scariest artist in the game right now is definitely Nicki Minaj, and I think she has the most potential out of everyone to be the number two rapper of all time [behind Eminem].”