Nicki Minaj Is Black + White on Complex Cover

Justin Bieber is beaten to a pulp on a pair of covers for the 10th anniversary issue of Complex. However, he’s sharing the nod with Nicki Minaj, who also has her own set of covers that lands on April 3, the same day as ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.’

The mag is going all out for its celebration of a decade of existence, recruiting the pop landscape’s biggest and brightest. Speaking of brightest, Miss Minaj brings her signature dose of color to the magazine in a whole new way. Forget pink. She’s rocking black and white and all sorts of background prints.

She is topped off by a white blond, blunt-cut bob on both covers. In one image, she is suggestively licking a striped lollipop and making her signature rubbery face a la Jim Carrey. On the other, she is staring straight ahead, all serious and hard.

The images inside the issue are blacklight style, featuring Minaj’s voluptuous lips painted white and shades of lilac. It’s one of her most artful spreads, without sacrificing any of her signature boldness.

The things Minaj said in the feature are just as bold and revelatory, including the fact that she never rehearses those exaggerated, animated facial expressions.

She shared her goals (‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’ selling five million copies, touring every country on earth) and her other business ventures (a fragrance and apparel line). The latter excites Minaj, who has become a fashion icon for her outrageous attire. “They took stuff that I’ve worn, focused on what I like, and then they started doing sketches,” she said of her collaborators. “They’re pretty amazing. I was like ‘Oh my God, the kids are going to love this.’ It’s not gonna get done overnight, but I know that it’s something they’re going to love.” Quality over quantity, Nicki. We love that approach.

The ‘Super Bass’ singer also revealed that when she is offstage, she is “the biggest homebody.” She hasn’t changed since her star went on the rise, and she sometimes thinks her shyness is misconstrued: “But I’ve been like this. Nothing about me has changed since I got fame. I never liked to go to clubs. I never liked to go out. I don’t know where that public craziness came from. I was always like a comedian to my friends and family, but in a lot of ways, I’m shy. I think people read my shyness as being mean. They misinterpret it.”

Minaj also revealed that her mortal enemy is the camera, which is surprising since she always looks gorgeous in photos. “I hate cameras. I hate cameras and I hate camera phones,” she said. “The camera’s my worst enemy and my best friend. It’s the way I convey my emotions to the world without saying a word, so I use it. People always say, ‘You come alive as soon as the camera’s on!’”

Despite those compliments, Minaj disagrees, saying, “I can’t rock with that theory.”

In keeping with Complex’s anniversary celebration, Minaj pondered where she will be in 10 years. In 2022, she’ll be more domestic. I’ll definitely be married and I’ll definitely have my two children,” she proclaimed.

She said she will be working but is not sure if she’ll be rapping at that point. She said, “What will I still be talking about? But now that the public has given me this opportunity to do all types of music, I might have more longevity. As long as I can continue to experiment, then I might be doing music in 10 years. I know that I don’t feel like I need to be doing music in 10 years to feel fulfilled. And I don’t want to be one of those people who doesn’t know when to call it quits.”

Watch Nicki Minaj Talk About New Album in BTS Complex Video