Nicki Minaj has been pretty much unrecognisable in recent months after ditching the wigs and outrageous red carpet outfits for a sleek and natural look and the rapper turned actress admits that she was "running out of ideas" for wacky looks which is why she maintained her stripped back image.
The 31-year-old has been turning heads while promoting new movie The Other Woman alongside Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann, looking flawless in a number of designer gowns and her once pink, green and blue hair toned down for simple black tresses.
Nicki Minaj flaunts her stunning new look (FayesVision/WENN)
While the majority have been pleasantly stunned by Nicki's new image, the 'Lookin' A*s' rapper says that her longtime fans will remember that she opted for the natural look before becoming a global superstar.
Nicki told E! News: "It was [a] conscious [decision] at the beginning of my career. I felt like I would do this crazy stuff and then I would come back.
"Before my first album I used to have a natural look, only my underground followers really knew that side of me. And then I think mainstream only knew the wigs but I wasn't always looking like that when I started doing underground raps."
Nicki continued: "So I always thought it would come full circle eventually and I thought, 'well, what else can I do by the time my third album comes out?' I'm just going to have to go back to the basics because what other colour wig am I going to put on my head?
"I was running low on ideas and people just reacted really well to the natural look."
Nicki also admits that she embarked on somewhat of a complete overhaul, even focusing on her weight after filming The Other Woman, her first major movie role.
"I was pretty chunky in that movie and when I was watching interviews back I was like 'Oh my God!' But when I go to New York I eat so well," Nicki explained.
"I didn't focus on that like I should have, like a seasoned actress would have probably focused on their weight in the movie but I didn't and then afterwards I was like, let me get it together. I just started eating more healthy."
The Young Money starlet recently revealed that her upcoming third studio album, 'The Pink Print,' will go back to basics with a raw hip-hop sound, ditching the pop songs which propelled her to global fame.
"The tracks on Pink Print are back to my hip-hop roots. And I don't think it's something that I'm necessarily trying to do," Nicki told MTV News.
When asked if songs like 'Starships' and 'Superbass' will make an appearance, Nicki replied with a straight: "Hell no."
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