''You Were the Most Influential Female Rapper To Me''
6:00AM ET August 17th, 2012
Contributor : Erica Moore
A Rocky Williform Company

Nicki Minaj brought out hip hop veteran Foxy Brown as a surprise guest earlier this week during her show at Roseland Ballroom, much to the delight of her fans. In a recent interview with MTV, Nicki opened up about what Foxy's music has meant to her.

"I never really told Foxy how much she has influenced me and how much she changed my life, and you've gotta tell people that when they're alive to even be able to take the compliment, instead of paying tribute to them when they're no longer here," she said. "I never really knew how she felt about me — in the industry, with women, you kinda just tread lightly — and I'm glad I was able to finally come out and say: 'You were the most influential female rapper to me.'"

"For her to be on my stage, it was emotional, and she was emotional," she continued. "This is what this is really about. When you get where you have arrived to, you give thanks to people who opened those doors and triggered something in your mind. When I found out Foxy Brown was from Trinidad, that did something to me. In my mind, I felt like I could be proud of where I'm from."