Nicki Minaj Talks Foxy Brown + Jay-Z Inspiration, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded Goes Platinum

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There's no question that Nicki Minaj's Barbz (aka her fans) idolize their queen. They go heavy on Twitter for her and are front and center at every show, so during an interview with U.K.'s Kiss FM, the Harajuku Barbie was asked who she idolized growing up in New York.

"Foxy Brown. I loved her, she's a dope female rapper," she says. "I was really interested in her mind and her aura. As far as guys, I was really, really into Jay-Z. Me and my best friend in high school we were, like, reciting all the Jay's lyrics his words were our words in our conversations all the time."

Elsewhere in the interview, Minaj talks about the importance of rocking the mic correctly and making sure her fans hear her words clearly.

"If people can't understand what I'm saying, that bothers me," she says. "It's only you and that microphone on that stage. And the more you connect with the microphone the more they connect with you. The key to that is having the ability for them to truly understand everything that you're saying. You can't be muffling and screaming and being crazy."

certified platinum for 1 million copies shipped in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Since its release in April, sales of the album have been slow but it looks like its gaining some traction.

This bit of good news comes as Minaj is set to perform at the 2012 BET Awards, which airs live from Los Angeles on July 1 at 8pm ET. In addition, Minaj will kick off her Pinky Friday Reloaded tour on July 16 in Chicago.

Watch Nicki Minaj Talks to Kiss FM (U.K.) Video

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