Nicki Minaj: Music industry kills talent

Nicki Minaj thinks the music industry "kills" people.

The musician raised a few eyebrows at the BET Awards in June when she gave a controversial acceptance speech following her best female hip-hop artist win.

As well as seeming to mock Iggy Azalea for allegedly using ghost-writers, she referenced an experience where she thought she was dying but failed to call an ambulance because she didn't want to be "on TMZ".

"I was making a point to say that the business kills so many people and we don't even realise it," she clarified her comments to Fader magazine.

"I can only imagine how many people in this business have died because they may not have wanted to... to be embarrassed publicly. We care so much about what the world thinks that we don't live, really."

The 31-year-old left her family home behind to pursue her music career. Nicki - real name Onika Tanya Maraj - became teary when she spoke of her younger brother Micaiah, 16.

"One day he asked my mother, 'Do you ever think there'll come a time we all live in the same house again, and Onika will be back and she'll have her room, and I'll have my room?' And it just broke my heart," she sighed. "I don't want to get emotional... I just miss them. Every time I talk about them, I get emotional."

The star added that every time she does something she feels isn't the "norm" for a female rapper she gives herself a pat on the back.

However, not everyone thinks Nicki deserves recognition. Musical rival Lil Kim rewrote Nicki's track with Beyoncé Knowles, Flawless, in which the Super Bass singer refers to herself as the Queen of Rap.

"Queen of Rap, f**k outta here/ Queen's back, f**k outta here/ Time to get this rap b***h up outta here," the new lyrics read. "Damn, it's a shame I gave you the rope/ b***h I want you to hang."