In this 11‑minute motivational video, Evan Carmichael presents a curated interview with rapper Nicki Minaj, highlighting her personal "rules for success." Nicki repeatedly stresses the importance of doing what you love, staying authentic, and working relentlessly, condemning laziness and excuses. She describes her journey from an underground, independent artist in Queens to a global star, emphasizing the value of grinding, patience, and quality control. She discusses personal growth, the need to evolve stylistically, and the necessity of demanding fair compensation, especially for women. Nicki also shares insights on handling criticism, maintaining a beast‑like mindset, and using influences from life and music to fuel creativity. The video ends with a call to viewers to reflect on which rule impacted them most.
Chapters
Something magical happens when you do what you love. I hate lazy people. I hate laziness. I just don't like procrastination. I don't like people that make up excuses. I was always like, when I do it, I'm gonna do it right. When I do it, I'm gonna do it big. In a way, I always felt like it was my calling to do something bigger than just be in Southside Jamaica, Queens, hanging out. I think that being an underground artist was the best thing I could have ever done in my life. You have to be a beast That's the only way they respect you. Everybody's not gonna like Nicki Minaj, you know what I mean? You know, everybody's not gonna like the way I look.
She's a Trinidad-born American rapper, singer, and songwriter. She was the first female artist to be listed on MTV's annual Hottest MC list. In 2016, she was listed on Time magazine's Most Influential 100 People in the World. She's Nicki Minaj, and here's my take on her top 10 rules for success. Number 10 is my personal favorite. I make sure to stick around all the way to the end for some special bonus clips.
Be you. Make sure that your art isn't being done to please anyone but you. Because something magical happens when you do what you love. Whether it's loved by the masses or not, there's magic in that genuine love that you have for your own art, and it could never be taken away. Taken away. And then little by little, people start catching on. So just, just follow your heart and don't be afraid. Really, I just kept at it. Um, I, I work, work, work, work, work. I don't, I don't believe in— I hate lazy people. I hate laziness. I just don't like procrastination. I don't like people that make up excuses. Just get it done. And I've always taken that approach with my life and my career. And I guess that's why, you know, I guess that's why I've been around. And I haven't just gotten around, you know. I've been here for a minute, you know. Well, you guys probably know. Yeah. So I've been trying for a long time, and it just goes to show you, like, you know what, if you really want something, you work hard at it, you know what I'm saying? Eventually people will come around. It's just up to you to stick with it. I think the problem is a lot of people just give up because it's so difficult, you know? You want to go and, you know, it's like you got bills to pay, you can't keep on going to the studio, you got to do this. So a lot of people just give up, but I just didn't. I just kept working. It's a ladder. You want to climb the ladder to success, and some people don't appreciate the first 2 or 3 steps, you know what I'm saying? They just want to get to the top. And I always said I didn't want to rush an album. I didn't want to rush anything. I was always like, when I do it, I'm gonna do it right. When I do it, I'm gonna do it big. And a part of that is that grind, is the blood, sweat, and tears. Even though, you know, it doesn't feel too good at the moment, I know that one day I'm gonna look back and say it was all worth it. Because there's nothing better than staying grounded and appreciating what you have. 'Cause even though I'm not a multi-platinum artist, I know I'm still better off than a lot of girls that have been trying to do it for so many years and they haven't gotten their foot in the door. So I'm their voice, you know, they probably hate me, but I got love for them. And don't ever give up. I mean, I could have given up a million times and, you know, there's always something, you know, I guess in the back of my head that just says, not yet, you know. You should always listen to that voice that tells you not yet. Don't give in just yet because there's always a billion people waiting to take your spot. And, um, on another note, you don't know who— whose life you can touch, you know, when you do what you do, you know what I mean? So just keep on doing, doing your thing.
Dream Team Minaj says, I love you, but I'm curious, why did you change your rapping style from the come-up days to today?
I love both. I don't think I changed my rap style. I think you guys were just starting to hear me, and you didn't hear all of me yet. That's it. I've always been into being weird a little bit. But I think what people really mean is that they think that I've changed my persona. And life is about growth and change, and I don't want to remain the same for my whole life. I want to be able to change and, you know, I respect the people who loved, you know, '07 Nicki and I'm definitely gonna give you some stuff on Pink Friday. Like, I'm not forgetting anybody, but I just also have to be true to me. And the truth is, I started seeing different things, I started going different places, I started eating different things. I can't— I, it would be fraudulent to rap the same way and look the same way and act the same way because I am not the same, period. I don't know how to. Yeah, when I think about where I came from, sometimes it is surprising. I guess in a way I always felt like it was my calling to do something bigger than just be in Southside Jamaica, Queens hanging out. But I guess every now and then I do feel like, wait a minute, is this really my life? Like, I can't believe I've impacted a culture, you know, the hip-hop culture. Sometimes that is surreal for me because I didn't even set out to be a rapper, you know what I mean? Like, you know, sometimes you have like that dream when you're little. I didn't think when I was like 10 years old, I'm gonna be a rapper one day, you know? It just happened. But the other day I realized like, even when things are bad or, you know, going crazy, like I have so much to be thankful for. Those little tiny things that, you know what I'm saying, that I have like those people in my life that I can count on. It just makes everything, you know what I mean? Like, I can reflect now and, and be super appreciative of everything. I think that being an underground artist was the best thing I could have ever done in my life. Being independent and not signed to a major label was amazing because, you know, it teaches you to be your own boss. It teaches you to have drive when you don't have a machine behind you. That's when, you know, that God-given drive comes out. And sometimes when you have a machine too early, you just kind of, you know, become dependent on it. And then when that machine goes away, then you find artists that don't even know how to live or function without a major backing. So I cherish the independent days. I'm about to embark on a new journey with a major, and I'm excited. I think it's time. Do you read the blogs? I don't read them. I don't read anything about me, really. I don't read them. Even if there's an article somewhere about me and people call me and tell me, I won't read them. It's too— it puts you in the mind frame of a victim. Too much. And when you— when you're a powerful person, you can't play victim, you know. Victim has to go out the door. So sometimes when you read negative things, it's like you feel sorry for yourself, and there's no room in life to feel sorry for yourself. It's just like, yo, let's go. You have to be a beast. That's the only way they respect you. I came up under Wayne, and Wayne has his way of doing things. When Wayne walks on the set and say, don't talk to me, have my music ready, get the fuck up out of my face, and I'm gonna blow this shit in your face all day. It's cool. But every time I, every time I put my foot down and stand up for myself, it's like, we've heard about Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj shut down a photo shoot. Oh my God, everybody's doing this to work with Nicki Minaj. I'm glad you heard. Now, when I come to a photo shoot, let it be of quality. You know why? Because I put quality in what I do. So if I turn up to a photo shoot and you got a $50 clothes budget and some sliced pickles on the fucking board, you wanna know what? No, I am gonna leave. Is that wrong for wanting more for myself, wanting people to treat me with respect? But you know what? Next time they know better. But had I accepted the pickle juice, I would be drinking pickle juice right now. When people see there's one person that's getting a lot of shine or notoriety or whatever, it makes them feel unhappy with themselves. I mean, you know, the small-minded people feel unhappy with themselves, you know, but the But the intelligent girls just take, you know, the things that they like from me and my journey and they apply it to their journey. And I think if I had it my way, that's what they'd all do. I mean, everybody's not gonna like Nicki Minaj, you know what I mean? Everybody's not gonna like the way I look and, you know, what I do. But I think if you're smart, you would take from me and, you know, figure out why everybody's talking about me. I mean, that would be the smart thing to do. And I think they don't know how to express that, so they express it with anger and jealousy and hatred, and then that consumes them, and you know, and I'm still here.
Thank you so much for watching. I made this video because Sean asked me to, so if there's a famous entrepreneur that you want me to profile next, leave it in the comments below and I'll see what I can do. I'd also love to know which of Nicki Minaj's top 10 rules had the biggest impact on you and why? Leave it in the comments. I'll join in the discussion. Thank you so much for watching. Continue to believe, or whatever your one word is, and I'll see you soon.
One thing I learned along the way in business is the necessity for you to be unapologetic about asking for how much money you deserve. At a very early stage in my rap career, I was making 6 figures for shows. If I heard there was another rapper making that, I thought, "You know what? I get out there and command a crowd. I get out there and make my fans happy. I want that too." And I think women have the tendency to feel that they shouldn't ask to be compensated as much as a man doing the same exact thing. If you know you're great at what you do, don't ever be ashamed to ask for the top dollar in your field. Definitely pull inspiration from your influences. I think we all have influences. I don't care what anybody says, you know, we all have musical influences. Pull inspiration from them and pull inspiration from your life. You know, it's funny, you don't have to be like on some somber shit, but your regular life is filled with so many colors that you can pull from.
