Nicki Minaj: I’m daring

Nicki Minaj is proud that she "dares to be different".

The controversial pop star is promoting her new album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded the Re-Up.

As well as featuring eight brand-new tracks, the record includes seven songs from her album Roman Reloaded which was released earlier this year.

Nicki's latest offering has been crafted to appeal to fans of her hip-hop roots, so she won't become labelled as a strictly mainstream artist.

"You wanna know what's crazy about people who take risks?" Nicki asked MTV News. "They don't always get the praise but in the long run, they get the respect because most artists in this business are so petrified of thinking outside of the box that they will remain in one little box for their whole careers. And to each his own, but I feel like as women, we gotta dare to be different."

Nicki has also launched a successful fragrance and joined the American Idol judging panel while recording her new tracks. Nicki's return to rapping simply marks where she is at this point in her life.

"I am in a stage right now, where that's just how I feel," she revealed. "I'm on my rap sh*t - that's just how I feel right now. But I'm [also] saying that there's nothing wrong with being diverse. [But] where I am right now? I'm back to my popping sh*t-!"

Nicki doesn't need approval to know she has made a record to be proud of. The multi-platinum star made it clear that any criticism she receives for re-releasing previously heard tracks doesn't bother her at all.

"The Re-Up is what I do naturally. It's what I came into the game doing," she firmly stated. "So I actually don't have the fears about it being critiqued. I guess when I started doing dance songs, then there was more like a question mark there, 'cause I had never done it."