''I've Been Told 'No' A Billion Times''
9:00PM ET December 18th, 2012
Contributor : Stephen Willis
A Rocky Williform Company

Nicki Minaj is getting used to her role as judge on "American Idol," but the Young Money superstar says that it's still sometimes strange for her to be on the other side of an aspiring talent trying to break through. In a promo for the show, she recalls what it was like for her as she attempted to launch her own hip hop career.

"It feels pretty amazing to me to judge," she says. "I'm still getting used to it and it's inspiring to kind of feel like you're finding someone right before they become a superstar and hopefully you're gonna help to mold that journey and help to make them a better artist. I'm excited for the chance that I get to come here. I have an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. My journey began in New York City. I was on the underground circuit of hip-hop culture and doing everything I possibly could to get myself seen and uploading music online and I was doing a lot of writing, locking myself in a room for hours at a time. Eventually the right person came along and the rest was pretty history. I've been told 'no' a billion times and I think it's very important you have someone that knows what it's like to be disappointed and have to try again, and that's a big part of the audition process."