Minaj: "To adjust your philosophy and creativity in fashion to the time you're living in is the most important thing."

Minaj: "Refuse to lose, Refuse to be defeated, Refuse to have regrets."

Minaj: "I've always been intrigued by color and by interesting hair. I was one of those weird little girls doing my own hair at the age of 9. I was, like, getting weird gels and new brushes and cornrow holders. I would tweak and perm at the age of 13."

Minaj: "My goal in the beginning was to buy my mother a house. Now I realize, Okay, if I really focus and become a key player in business, then I can build an empire."

Minaj: "It's not hard to get your way when it's your way or the highway. People either follow suit or they're not around. I don't really like the sound of that, 'cause that sounds like a temper tantrum. I'm just very black and white when it comes to my business. There's really no gray area."

Minaj: "I want to show little girls that the possibilities are endless. That's my goal - to not only do it for myself, but to show them I can do whatever I put my mind to."

Minaj: "I happen to be a pessimist, and maybe that's a good thing because I don't stop to smell the roses - which is not a good personal thing. I don't stop and enjoy those moments. Always on to the next and never in the moment."

Minaj: "I don't promote giving up. I promote fighting and winning."

Minaj: "You should never feel afraid to become a piece of art. It's exhilarating."

Minaj: "I'm thinking of a legacy that I can be proud of and wealth that my grandchildren can use to go to college. So world domination - in terms of providing for my family - is absolutely my goal."

Minaj: "Sometimes I want to just pull the off switch, but you can't because if you go outside, you have to give people your all. You can't say, 'Oh, you know what? I'm not feeling good today.' No. No one's trying to hear that. When a woman comes up to you and says, 'Hey, my daughter's your biggest fan. Can we have a picture?' You can't say no."

Minaj: "When you're working and you're busy and you're successful, no matter what, something suffers, whether it's your relationship with your mother, your relationship with your whole family. Certain things suffer and take the back burner, not because they're on the back burner in your heart but because the world just moves so quickly. A lot of people, when they're chasing their dreams, they have to leave people they love."

Minaj: "I've always had this female-empowerment thing in the back of my mind - because I wanted my mother to be stronger, and she couldn't be. I thought, 'If I'm successful, I can change her life.'"

Minaj: "We all have insecurities but you have to know you’re beautiful."

Minaj: "I love to move around. I'm not a person who likes to stay in the same place all the time."

Minaj: "Regular people don't even realize how much artists mean to them. Artists represent a lot to the average person. People listen to music all day on their iPods, so as artists, we become a real fixture in people's lives. As an artist, you can't take it personal. It's like your big brother teasing you."

Minaj: "I am so territorial, that [from the start] I just felt like whatever I was gonna do I was gonna write it myself, it's my personal preference to always be in control of everything I do in life."

Minaj: "Every woman is a character - but people need to see I'm a regular human. It's like you wear a pink wig and you're no longer human all of sudden."

Minaj: "When you're a girl, you have to be everything, You have to be dope at what you do, but you have to be super sweet, and you have to be sexy, and you have to be this and you have to be that and you have to be nice, and you have to - it's like, I can't be all of those things at once. I'm a human being."

Minaj: “I am who I am, because I am who I am. You see, I don’t have to go into a room with a bunch of men to create my sound, my image, my anything, I am who I am, take it or f*cking leave it."

Minaj: "One of the first production deals I signed, the guy wanted my name to be Minaj and I fought him tooth and nail. But he convinced me. I've always hated it."

Minaj: "Just follow your heart and do not be afraid."

Minaj: "You know, your peace is the most important thing. And knowing that you're beautiful, knowing that you're great is extremely important. You shouldn't let anyone tell you that, you should just know it and feel it every single day."

Minaj: "I vowed that I'd never allow any man to control me or to be an alcoholic or anything like that around me, because I don't want my children seeing that."

Minaj: "Be you. Make sure that your art isn't being done to please anyone but you, because something magical happens when you do what you love."

Minaj: "When I saw myself with barely any makeup at, it was such a… like, I'm so, so attached to my pink lipstick, it's hard. I feel that it's become a part of me. To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol' crazy lashes — you know, nothing — I felt naked. It was scary!"

Minaj: "So, my happiness doesn't come from money or fame. My happiness comes from seeing life without struggle."

Minaj: "I want to tell y'all please do not give up on yourself, no matter what. I want to tell you to please make it your business to follow your dreams because one day, you will wake up and your dreams will be gone."

Minaj: "Every woman is multifaceted. Every woman has a switch, whether she's going to be maternal, whether she's going to be a man-eater, whether she has to kick ass, whether she has to be one of the boys, whether she has to show the guys that she's just as smart or smarter, she's just as talented or creative. Women suppress a lot of their sides."

Minaj: "My advice to women in general: Even if you're doing a nine-to-five job, treat yourself like a boss. Not arrogant, but be sure of what you want - and don't allow people to run anything for you without your knowledge."