''I Was Afraid To Be A Solo Female Rapper''
5:00PM ET September 2nd, 2010
Contributor : Stephen Willis
A Rocky Williform Company

Nicki Minaj is positioning herself as the torch-bearer for female MCs everywhere. With so few femcees making any major noise in the hip hop industry, Minaj feels that her debut album's success will mean more than just a hit for the self-proclaimed 'Barbie,' it will be a victory for female rappers as a whole. She even admits that her own label will probably be hesitant if Pink Friday flops.

"[Young Money] won't look to sign other female rappers if the project doesn't do well, because they're going to say, 'Well, her buzz was so crazy, and if she couldn't do it, then no one can do it,' and I don't want that to happen. So I'm doing this as well for all the girls...I hope it will open doors for all girls everywhere who ever wanted to pick up a mic and rap and who have been kind of afraid to do it."

"For a long time in my life, I was afraid to be a solo female rapper, because everyone told me, 'It doesn't work. It's not going to happen. Record companies are never going to invest in you just to get it. Just be part of a group.' ... Even as far as I've come now is already a testament in my mind, so I hope the female rappers understand how big it is for our culture that the album does well."