Nicki Minaj reveals she ensures her paychecks match her fellow rappers

'One thing I learned along the way in business is the necessity for you to be unapologetic about asking for how much money you deserve,' says Minaj

Born and bred in a rough area of Queens in South Jamaica Minaj has become one of the world’s most prominent female rappers

World-renowned rapper, business mogul and outspoken feminist, Nicki Minaj is not one to suffer fools gladly. In yet another display of her valiantly headstrong attitude, the Trinidadian-born American artist has revealed she ensures her paychecks match those of her fellow rappers.

Minaj who was recently announced as one of Time magazine’s 1000 most influential people of 2016 urged women to be “unapologetic” when asking for more money in the world of work.

“At a very early stage in my rap career, I was making six figures for shows…” she said in a short video for Time. “If I heard there was another rapper making that, I thought, ‘you know what? I get out there and demand or command a crowd. I get out there and make my fans happy. I get out there and give a real show. I want that, too.’ And I pushed myself to be better with my showmanship, but I also decided, you know what? I want to be compensated well.”

Offering no-nonsense, forthright advice for young women trying to make it, Minaj addressed the much-discussed issue of equal pay. “One thing I learned along the way in business is the necessity for you to be unapologetic about asking for how much money you deserve,” the 33-year-old continued.

The singer whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj said women should be upfront about asking for money and understanding their worth and their brand. “If you know you’re great at what you do, don’t ever be ashamed to ask for the top dollar in your field,” she went on to say. “If I’m great at what I do, I can’t be denied. Some things may be overlooked but no one can deny my brand”.

Minaj also spoke of her joy at seeing women of all skin colours excel in their industries and inspiring women who are younger than them.

Born and bred in a rough area of Queens in South Jamaica, Minaj has become one of the world’s most prominent female rappers. As well as garnering a following of 51.2 million on Instagram, the self-made star has gained ten Grammy nominations and is the first woman to be included on MTV’s annual hottest MC list.