It was always my dream to be part of MTV and make history.
Nicki Minaj is a very strong woman who knows exactly what she wants. As an artist, I understand her, and I could see how she could be misunderstood by a lot of people, but she is really passionate about her art, and that's something I really admire about her.
What I like about the EMAs is that you will never know what happens.
For mascara, I'll just use whatever I have in my bag. I'll use anything. I feel like, from drugstores to a Saks, they are all the same to me.
My favorite artists are Kanye West, Jay Z, the Fugees, Lauryn Hill, Destiny's Child.
Anytime there was an award show, it was a ritual where me and my mom would sit around and watch with my friends. We would make desserts and buy chips and popcorn and see what our favorite performances of the night were.
I think in a lot of situations I had got songs stolen from me, or treated badly.
I just don't let music genres define me.
The world can be very small. That's why you have to be very careful, whoever you meet.
I never wanted to take the easy way, and I was always willing to hustle.
When I first was a part of 'The Monster,' I really wanted to put it out under my name, but no record label thought it was good enough - until Eminem liked it.
I played the trumpet for nine years, and then I joined the choir after that, and then I was in musicals in high school.
I try to photobomb as much as possible.
I want to show every part of me and every color of me. And I think, growing up Albanian, I wanted to bring that to light.
I turned sadness into an anthem for not letting anything or anyone slow you down.
I think what people get confused about is that they want to label me as this EDM girl, but a lot of this stuff is genre-less.
I remember starting out and covering songs.
If you can't find dry shampoo, baby powder is great.
The most important thing to me is that it's all really raw.
I'm definitely inspired by old hip-hop.
I've had situations where producers would be like, 'Could you meet me? Take the train; don't tell your parents.'
I'm very tomboy, and I'm inspired by hip hop artists.
I just want us to all have a good time and to party and enjoy this life, because it's too short. It's too short.
It's one thing if you write a song and somebody else sings it because you give the OK. But if your voice is on something and you don't get the credit, it's kind of hard.
When I was 16, I had a really big hit in the K-pop world. It was a hip-hop/R&B/pop song. I kinda strayed from that because of the writers I was hanging out with.
I'm constantly hydrating my hair.
If you're in a dark place, you're there for a reason. And the only way to get through to those kids or to other people going through the same thing is really to meet them in that dark place and then slowly bring them to the light.
It all started when I was 4. I was watching a lot of 'The Little Mermaid,' and I loved that movie. I was going around the house singing - I wanted to be on Disney and everything; I wanted to be a princess.
I was very obsessed with my music, and I think that, as a young girl, I really wanted to get into this business, and I don't think my parents really knew how to protect me.
We don't walk around wearing candy stuff all day or colorful stuff. It's like, I walk around wearing black.
I'm not one to be like, 'What is everybody doing? Let me do that!' I just do what I want.
I want to release six songs, let people listen to those, let them chill for a second, do a tour, release another six songs, chill for a second and then take my favorite four, put them on the album, and add some more.
Life is hard. It is. And it's like, I don't want anybody feeling any pain.
I want to be Kanye and do what he does musically. I'm very fearless.
I don't judge people on their personal lives.
We don't wake up happy and looking absolutely perfect and feeling amazing every day, you know? We're only human. So I think, with me, I'm not really scared to let people see that - because it's real.
I have never spoken to Eminem. I've never even spoken to him once.
I never thought of myself as a songwriter. I was just an artist writing songs, and they just happened to get placed.
My music is a little dark, and my lyrics are a little darker. Every day, I'm fighting towards the light.
I'm proud of my work and how far I've come, and I'm proud of the way that I did it.
I was a Versace perfume girl at Saks Fifth Avenue, and Rihanna actually came up to the counter and asked for something. And she wouldn't even take her sunglasses off! She was so mean to me. Not mean, but, like, guarded. I don't blame her, though.
What you start learning is that to get over a breakup, you kind of have to live through the emotions and not run away from it because then it lasts longer.
Donatella Versace has been a renegade. Just an incredible, artistic person.
'Straight Outta Compton' was such a great movie, and obviously, I'm in the music business, so getting to see that piece of history was amazing, and it was an incredible movie.
I don't really want to make this sound depressing, but I will say that I didn't really have my first kiss until really, really late.
I'd love to work with Kanye West. He's gone through a lot of stuff in the public eye, but his music is genius. He always takes risks.
I've been in the room or watched artists walk in who don't write, and you can't figure out what they really want.
I think, especially in pop culture, we're brought up to think that a normal pop star is this pretty, well-kept-together girl.
I have a lot of respect for Eminem and Rihanna. They are both very real in their music.
