If there was ever any doubt that Nicki Minaj would continue her impressive career sprint in 2012, look no further than the newsstand nearest to you. The Young Money rapper has already covered Paper, New York, Vibe and Allure in the first three months of the year (and she got a feature in Vogue too). And now, she's on the cover of Complex.
Complex unveiled their feature with Minaj on Tuesday (after rolling out Justin Bieber's story from their April/May double cover on Monday). As to be expected, the 29-year-old rapper is done up in eye-catching colors, sporting a white wig with shades of purple, white and pink lipstick and some added graphics just to push it over the top.
The feature backtracks on her astronomical year, which included a Super Bowl performance, a Grammys performance, an OPI nail polish line and a MAC cosmetics deal and looks forward to a coming year that will include a fragrance line, a fashion line and a world tour.
"If I wasn't doing it, I wouldn't believe it's possible," Minaj told the magazine about her success. "I happen to be a pessimist, and maybe that's a good thing because I don't stop to smell the roses — which is not a good personal thing. I don't stop and enjoy those moments. I'm just [snaps fingers] on to the next. Always on to the next and never in the moment."
Despite her catalog of achievements, the Queens rapper says that she's laser-focused on achieving that much more, especially with her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which is due out on April 3. "Doing the Super Bowl with Madonna doesn't really change Nicki Minaj's personal goals," she says. "My goal right now is still to put out Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, sell 5 million copies eventually, and tour every country in the world."
"I came out with Young Money, the biggest hip-hop label in the world at that time. And then it was, 'How do I branch away from Lil Wayne?' " she continues. "One of my biggest records was with Drake, 'Moment 4 Life.' Even with the Super Bowl, it's Madonna's moment. I'm just sharing in that moment. It's not Nicki Minaj's moment. Nicki Minaj at the Grammys — that's my moment. I've just been constantly on this quest to stand alone."
After dropping Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki will set out on a 15-date European tour, which will kick off in early June. What has been your favorite Nicki Minaj magazine cover so far? Leave your comment below!