via @nickiminaj
Nicki Minaj may be dubbed the “Queen of Rap,” but that didn’t stop her from having a moment of admiration for a woman who helped pave her way in hip hop. Minaj met the one and only Ms. Lauryn Hill at a Tidal concert in Brooklyn, NY over the weekend, and her reaction was touching, and I’ll admit, a little funny. She bowed down to the fellow artist, stating that she’s “in love with her spirit and everything about her.” The exchange was posted to Nicki’s Instagram:
I think one of the cutest things about this is that Nicki said she even quoted Lauryn in her high school yearbook. Minaj also further detailed the experience on a call-in to The Breakfast Club:
“Oh my god. Such a surreal moment. I couldn’t control myself. I was at a loss for words, and she was super sweet and gracious, and I was not expecting that. She was in the room right next to me the whole time, and I was kind of nervous to even run into her in the hallway. Then all of a sudden, I literally said the words, “Do y’all realize my idol is right there?” and within 30 seconds of saying that, she walked into my room.
“Shout out to Ms. Lauryn Hill for being epic, and I told her, ‘I want you to know this, that you changed everyone’s life.’ Everyone who I know feels like their life was a little changed by Lauryn’s Miseducation [of Lauryn Hill album].”
Nicki Minaj has gotten flack before for not paying homage to other women rappers who have come before her, like Lil’ Kim, but this certainly wasn’t the case. It’s wonderful to see black women appreciating one another and simply letting their emotions go in the moment, even if it may look a little silly to the rest of the world. We love it!