Watch A Young Nicki Minaj Rap

Becky Bain | February 20, 2012 11:52 am

It’s nearly impossible to think of Nicki Minaj without associating her with schizophrenic facial contortions, ambitious (but not always successful) theatrics and eyebrow-raising outfits that accentuate her “ass ass ass ass”. But the rapper wasn’t always garnering attention for such superficial things – sometimes she had people’s heads turning just by rapping. A previously unreleased video of the MC from her early days back in Queens surfaced online, and the flashiest thing about her is her oversized earrings. Watch below.

“They say I’m too pretty to be spittin’ sixteen / I should be on the screen, posing for Maybelline.” Well, she’s a currently a spokesperson for MAC cosmetics, so close enough.

Nicki, at an incredibly early stage of her career, obviously hadn’t yet developed her commanding stage presence or the unwavering confidence she has in spades today. (Though she does add at the end of the clip, “I only rap because I’m good at it.”) But it’s refreshing to see a performance by the rapper where the focus is on her flow instead of her posterior.

[Via Buzzfeed]

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