Nicki Minaj opens up on The Bryce Crawford podcast about powerful music figures making talented artists βalmost invisible,β herself included, if they donβt play by their rules:
βIn the beginning, it was a lot of fun, honestly. We had so much fun rooting for each other [and wanting each other to win]. I thought thatβs how it would always be. I started realizing people are really vindictive in this industryβ¦βOh my gosh, what did I sign up for?β [β¦] It started to feel like everyone was staking their claim to human beings, like, they were property. And if you donβt abide by their rules or put money in their pocket, they would actively try to stop you from making money to feed your family, or from prospering in the industry you love [β¦] It was constant spiritual warfare. I wish I kind of knew sooner that this music industry was such a spiritual experience because I felt like I brought a knife to a gunfight.β