Nicky Minaj Covers Vogue Arabia September 2018 As 'Queen' Hits #1 In 85 Countries

Platinum-selling rapper Nicki Minaj lands her first Vogue cover ever, gracing the September issue of Vogue Arabia. Minaj, with more than 90 million followers on Instagram, has dropped her fourth album 'Queen', after a hiatus of nearly four years. 

Within a few hours of the album’s release, 'Queen' had reached number one in more than 85 countries, including the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, writes Vogue Arabia. . The success was met with high-profile acclaim, with Naomi Campbell and Kim Kardashian sharing enthusiastic support ahead of the artist’s August 20 performance at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. 

“The fashion industry has been successfully collaborating with rap artists because they appeal to young luxury consumers and global influence. In 2018, we’re not just obsessing over their lyrics, we’re taking their style notes, too,” explains editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut of Vogue Arabia’s 17th cover. “For us, Nicki Minaj embodies everything that makes the industry crossover a success. She’s the author and producer of most of her material, is a platinum-selling rapper, a successful businesswoman with clothing, fragrance, and beverage lines, and has appeared on Time’s 100 most influential people list. Put simply, she’s the ultimate girl boss.”

The covers and fashion editorial were shot in New York a few days before May's Met Gala by an all-female team. Photographer Emma Summerton was behind the lens, with styling by Anna Katsanis and Vogue Arabia fashion director Katie Trotter. Kim Kimble worked on hair with makeup by Sheika Daley. 

Arnault interviews Minaj, with the rapper talking about quitting social media, healing her heartbreak and coming back stronger than ever to reclaim her crown. 

“I think anybody who says they don’t care about horrible things being said about them or lies being spread about them are not being truthful,” says Minaj. “I’m a human being and of course it bothers me when I read lies or horrendous things about myself… I took time to create something for my fans that I knew was going to be perfection.”

Discussing her latest success and her struggle to the top, Minaj also reveals, “In the restaurant where I was a waitress, I would go to someone’s table to take the orders and before I got their bread, I’d write raps on my order notepad about what they said or what they were wearing… I always thought, I’m going to get the hell out of this joint, stop waitressing, and become a big superstar.”