Nicki Minaj is speaking out on women's rights while taking a seat on two completely nude men.
The 33-year-old rapper uses male models as furniture in a provocative photo shoot for Marie Claire magazine's November issue, and reveals how she became a self-sufficient woman -- a goal that she hopes young girls will aspire to have in their own lives.
"Nowadays, I feel like [young women] see marrying into money ...I think that's a big thing now," Minaj says. "I don't want that to be a woman's goal in life. I want your goal in life to be to become an entrepreneur, a rich woman, a career-driven woman."
Thank you, @ninagarcia 👑 Shot by @kaizfeng styled by @edmondalison @marieclairemag November Issue
A photo posted by Nicki Minaj (@nickiminaj) on
November issue of Marie Claire Magazine in #BALMAINFW16
A photo posted by Nicki Minaj (@nickiminaj) on
I promise if u trust me, I'll lead you to greatness. Close your eyes & trust 💟
A photo posted by Nicki Minaj (@nickiminaj) on
She adds, "You have to be able to know that you need no man on this planet at all, period, and he should feel that, because when a man feels that you need him, he acts differently."
While Minaj is proud to be an independent woman, she does credit Jay Z as being an inspiration in helping her "pinpoint the dos and the don'ts" in her career. "He did such a great job being an authentic street guy and a businessman," she explains. "And I was like, 'Why aren't there women doing that, taking the success from rap and channeling it into their empire?' I felt like anything he could do, I could do."
A photo posted by Marie Claire (@marieclairemag) on
A photo posted by Marie Claire (@marieclairemag) on
The outspoken artist also feels there's a double standard for women of color in the entertainment industry, and uses the media's reaction to Kim Kardashian's nude selfie as proof of such discrimination. "When Kim Kardashian's naked picture came out, [Sharon Osbourne] praised it, and my fans attacked her for being such a hypocrite," Minaj notes. "So, it wasn't trashy and raunchy when a white woman did it, but it was when a black woman did it? It's quite pathetic and sad, but that is my reality, and I've gotten accustomed to just shutting it down."
The "Anaconda" rapper says that working with Beyonce is one way she hopes to influence and encourage her fans. "Every time Bey and I do something together, I see how women are inspired, and it has nothing to do with how we look," she says. "It has to do with how we are owning who we are and telling other women you should be the boss of your own career and the brains behind your life or your decisions or your art. I just love that feeling."
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Like Kardashian, Minaj has been known to share a sexy selfie or two. Here's one of her lingerie-clad looks:
