Nicki Minaj has blasted new artists who rip off established musicians.
The 39-year-old singer told Jada Pinkett Smith in the new issue of Interview magazine it is “irking the c***” out of her and said times have changed when she started out and feels artists had originality.
She said: “What I’m seeing now is that so many new artists are trying to become the person they looked up to instead of giving us a new flavour, and it’s irking the c*** out of me.
“I know I could see so much talent in some of the new artists but they lose me when I’m seeing the person who they are trying to be like, or sound like, more than I’m seeing who they are.
“So if I’m hearing too much of that artist who already has hits out, when I’m finished listening to your song or watching your performance, I’m going to play that artist.
“And so if I’m hearing too much of that artist who already has hits out, when I’m finished listening to your song or watching your performance, I’m going to go and play that artist. I’m not going to go and look more into you, because you’ve just reminded me so much of the other person. Now you just woke up all the other hits that they had in my head, and it’s later for you.”
She said about starting out in music: “When I started falling in love with rap, I felt like everybody was their own unique thing. Whether it was the Jay-Zs and the DMXs or the Wu-Tang Clans or the Nases or the Pacs or the Biggies.
“Even the female rappers, whether it was Eve, MC Lyte, who I’ve always loved, even Left Eye’s voice was so unique, to Salt-N-Pepa. (Lil) Kim and Foxy (Brown) never even sounded alike to me. Everyone had their own thing.
“You had to! Because think about it, we had a magazine that we might see our favourite person on. We couldn’t just go and binge mad photos on their Instagram and see their personal life and see this and see that. So you had to stand out. You might be in one photo in the magazine for the next couple of months, you know?
“I don’t know what’s happening, but I want to urge all the new artists to just believe in yourself, trust that you are that superstar that you loved coming up, and get that something special! Please! For god’s sake!”