My first guest, one of the most popular singers in the world! She is the first solo artist to have seven singles on Billboard's Top 100 chart at the same time. She's now a judge along with Keith Urban, Mariah Carey on American Idol and she will begin the 12th season this Wednesday on Fox. Please welcome Nicki Minaj!
It's good to see you again!
Same to you.
I like that look, that's fantastic.
Thank you, you look nice too.
No-not as nice as you. I like that jacket, it's very pretty.
Oh well you know, I've got to look sexy today
Well it works, it works. Hey, congratulations on this new gig on American Idol, that's pretty cool!
That's a cool gig, thank you!
So tell me so why, I know you're touring all over the world so you gotta kinda stop to do this, why decide to be a judge?
Um, well, I knew I had done two tours last year and I knew that I would have to come back home and sit down for a little bit and, uh, record that third album so i figured, you know, I might as well have a day job and I could balance that and stay some sometimes and American Idol is such a big deal
It is
I didn't want to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity
Cos, I was reading your bio before you were singing and rapping and all this you trained to be an actress - is that right?
Yes.
Ok. So, where d'you study? Where did you...
I studied at La Guardia High School, which is the famous school in Manhattan, New York.
Well, that's the, that's the same high school, right? Sure.
Yeah. It is, yeah.
Did you have to audition to get in?
We had to audition, I auditioned for singing and acting. I got a call back for acting and they just kept giving me more and more call backs and eventually I got the gig.
Well now, wait - so you auditioned singing and acting but you got it for your acting. What did you say?
Yes, yes. For acting.
So what did you act, what did you do?
I had to do two thirty-second monologues, and I do not remember for what play, I don't remember the scene, nothing.
Really?
No. I'm, I'm upset with myself 'cos I wish I would have memorised that in my brain. Like that's good information that you should have.
Now, did they, did they give it to you or did you pick thirty seconds?
I picked it.
So you don't remember what you picked???
No. But I remember, uh buh, I said polynesius, in it, in it.
Polynesius?
Yes, it was like... No, I'm serious, it, it... No, I'm serious, in the play there was a name, a person's name was polynesius.
Ok. But you were good enough to get in but you can't remember...
No.
See that's, see that's amazing [I know] that you would forget that.
I, I'm sorry guys.
So, so, how did... No, no... So how did you fit in with the other students? Did you feel like this is a place where you belonged? [inaudible]
I felt I was at home [Yeah] because while the other kids weren't crazy like me but I was only like the only black girl in the school. Like there was like two black people in the whole drama class. Ha, and I was one of them.
So you were the other one.
I was the other one. And I'm still friends with the other black girls.
Really?
Yes, hey Cindy.
And how's she doing? She's doing ok?
She's doing fine. She's out here, going to school and studying film.
Ok, very good, ok. So, you, you're in this, you're doing great in school - what was your first paying gig? Do you remember?
Yes. Ehm... ehm, I did a show in Brooklyn, New York, I made some 750 dollars.
That's a lot of money for you.
That's a lot of money (for your first show) that's a lot of money.
That's like huge money for your first show.
That's a big thing.
Wow, ok.
Yeah, and I got there, I so excited, I came there, you know, I was there with my friends, I thought it was going to be all about me and they had booked another person, ehm, who seemed to get all the attention... I guess it was because she was a porn star.
So, it was porn star.
Yeah, and so like at one point I looked over and I just saw anyone lining up to take pictures with her and I was like, 'Well, hello--, I'm here, remember, you guys?' So I went in the middle of the dance floor and started {farting???} by myself.
Alright, and did you get the attention away from the porn star?
No, ha, ha!
No, no, no. Was it, was it all guys, was it women there too?
I guess it was guys [oh, it was guys, yeah, it's hard] now that I think about it.
Yeah, it's hard to get, guys... guys can be somewhat shallow.
Very shallow, very.
Yeah, alright, ok, now I read an article that said that when you were 8 years old you wanted to be a bus driver.
Yes, don't we all want to be bus drivers?
Ehm, I don't know, I don't if I ever wanted to be a bus driver. Maybe racecar driver, never... Why bus driver?
Well, that's similar like bus driver, racecar driver. I mean I, I just liked driving [ok] and I was jealous that all the bus drivers got to drive all day.
So they get to drive all day, you were jealous of it?
Yeah.
Are you a good driver? You have your license, right?
I have my license [yeah] I'm a very aggressive driver.
'Aggressive' driver? Now what does, now what does that mean 'aggressive driver'?
It just means that you get irritated by people driving slow, or, or... yeah, ehm... And my biggest pet peeve, and since I've moved to LA, I have to tell you guys, no disrespect, but I'm a New Yorker, but you guys have this issue with making illegal U-turns and there's nothing wrong with making illegal U-turns, like please get over it. You don't have to drive to the next block to do it at the light. Just do it in the middle of the road.
Ok, but, but, ok but you...
Please!
What you're saying... You're not saying, you're not saying there's nothing wrong with making a U-turn, you're saying there's nothing wrong with making an illegal U-turn.
Illegal!
So it's ok to make illegal U-turns, is that what you're saying?
Yes!
Ok, ok.
Don't you agree? Thank you. If I was the President of the United States that would be the first thing that I would do. I would, I would legalise, illegal U-turns.
So they would then be legal U-turns.
Yes.
Alright, with more [inaudible] right after we come back.
*music*
Are you fans of her music?
Yeeeees, I'm one of her biggest fans in the world, darling.
So you guys work well together?
You see where I'm going with this.
Yes we're best friends.
Okay, well no, well see there've been reports and they've been leaking footage that you guys have-.
Is this a true feud or just a quick blowup or what was it?
Well it definitely isn't a big feud, that, that I can say for a fact. But umm, yeah, it's just one of those weird things. You gotta see it to get it. I mean cuz, it starts off we're just joking and we're passionate and we're both crazy and you know um and then sometimes it just goes "reorw" and you can't really stop it.
No, I gotcha. I mean, do you think that because it's two women, the press makes it like ooh- into a catfight? You think it's a little bit of that.
Yeahhh, yeah. I mean, you've been in a feud before with a guy.
I'm feuding every day of my life.
What would your advice be Jay?
You just ignore it. You let the other people feud and you're a musician, you do what you do.
Believe that.
We just do our show. I don't... like... I don't say bad things about anybody.
Yeah.
People do what they do. And that's what it... Do you have a temper though?
Mmm... I like how you threw that over here. Um, well, I wouldn't say I have a temper. Well, I don't know.
Do you? I mean, do you get... That's OK. There's nothing wrong with having a temper.
Last year I did.
Last year you had a temper, but you lost it somewhere? You were on the road and it got lost?
In 2013, Baby, I'm on the road to recovery.
Wow, that's great. Well that's good. I'm very happy. That's very good. OK, so when you are judging Idol what do you look for? Because you're so different than anyone out there. What do you look for?
I look for that wow factor – that thing you can't really explain in words. Um... And when someone walks in with it, you just kind of feel it. People ask me all the time, "What is it?" You can't really write it down. It's not in a dictionary. It's just that you'll know it when you see it.
Sure.
You know, and I'm pretty sure you guys are feeling good about your favorite artist. It's like just something you connect with about the person. And it's so important to be able to stand out, especially in this time, you know, where celebrities are so accessible with social media. You get to see everybody. You know there's a smorgasbord of everybody. So in order for you to really stand out, you really have to have something special.
Well Idol is kind of known... People love the bad auditions. That's kind of what...
I do to.
Oh you like?
Yeah.
I mean, how do you handle that, when it's just like fingernails on a blackboard?
Sometimes I laugh. But, you know, I feel like I laughed more when I was just a viewer. Because when you're in front of someone's face it's kind of hard to, like, just be busting out laughing like, "Ha ha ha!" Like, you know, it's just like... [Be]cause they're putting their all into it. And they're, like, going in like they're so passionate. And you're just like, "Why are you doing this to me?" Like I feel like... Like I really feel offended. Like, "Why are you doing this to me? Because you knew I was going to laugh when you came in here." But...
We have some audition footage. Take a look at this.
(singing the U.S. anthem)
Yo.
Yes, ma'am.
What is going on in Oklahoma?
Yes. I love you. I am obsessed with you.
Me too.
???
Now, tell me now, did you... did you really like her?
I love her. I am obsessed with her. I am not kidding. I am obsessed with
No, tell me why.
You guys will see it when you watch the show.
Ok.
I mean she just has this thing that draws you to her. It's magnetic. It's not, it can't be taught. She has something. You guys- Barbs- that's the one I named Big Crazy Barb. Like when, when you guys see her, like in action, it's like she knows who she is. And that's one of the most important, you know, not that everybody has to know who they are as soon as they come in the business, but when you, when a person knows who they are, it's like they can do no wrong. It's almost like, you know what, I want to learn. It intrigues you. You want to like really stare and focus on them. And to me she can sing. Like I don't know anybody that can do that.
Well you know what's interesting, cuz, do you remember a comedian named Andy Kaufman?
No.
Andy used to be on "Taxi," a very weird guy, and he would come in and do comedy so different from everybody else, and sometimes there'd be no laughs.
Right.
And all the comics in back would watch and go (shakes head yes).
He had something. It's just that regular people hadn't discovered it yet. I know exactly what you're talking about, and it's true.
Absolutely.
Look, all right, well, Nicki thank you very much.
Thank you, Lenny.
It was great seeing you, and you were terrific, baby.
???
Nicki Minaj.
