Nicki Minaj thinks women face a double standard in the hip-hop world.
Nicki Minaj
The 34-year-old rap star ranks among the best-selling artists on the planet, but Nicki claims she's had to overcome more "hurdles" than her male counterparts in order to reach the top of the industry.
Nicki shared: "I kind of love that I've had to go through so many hurdles to get where I am because I feel like I deserve it.
"I had so much going against me in the beginning: being black, being a woman, being a female rapper. No matter how many times I get on a track with everyone's favourite M.C. and hold my own, the culture never seems to want to give me my props as an M.C., as a lyricist, as a writer.
"I got to prove myself a hundred times, whereas the guys that came in around the same time as I did, they were given the titles so much quicker without anybody second-guessing."
The 'Anaconda' hitmaker admitted she has experienced moments of self-doubt during her rap career.
But Nicki now feels more confident in her abilities as a rapper, having established herself as one of hip-hop's most popular acts.
Speaking to the New York Times newspaper, Nicki explained: "I believe in my gift wholeheartedly.
"[But] sometimes I wake up and say, 'I don't know if I can do this anymore,' you know? I've had those times. I've had those years where I'm just like, 'Am I good enough?'"
Meanwhile, Nicki previously confessed to having focused on her career to "the point of insanity".
She said: "It's important that at some point in your life you really focus on your career, almost to the point of insanity. You'll never get this time back.
"You have to want it so bad that you wake up in the morning and you think about it, live it, breathe it, eat it, and see it all day."
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