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Rapper Nicki Minaj shared her career advice to young Americans entering the workforce and fiercely defended her support of President Donald Trump during an exclusive interview with “The Ingraham Angle” on Friday.
The music mogul opened up about her journey to the top, explaining how she hustled her way from serving biscuits at Red Lobster to dominating music charts around the world and collaborating with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
“I did customer service for telephone companies. I was a telemarketer. I sold fire extinguishers. I did everything,” Minaj shared with Fox News.
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Minaj has supported the Trump administration’s efforts to stop Christian persecution in Nigeria. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images via Getty Images)
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“What I would tell young people is: This is not the best part of your life, but it is probably one of the most important parts of your life,” she said.
Minaj said the lessons she learned, as well as the values she developed while doing “nitty-gritty” work, before money and international success, remain central to how she conducts business today.
“The things that I learned during that time in my life, it still helps me today,” the rapper explained. “All the people skills, and the communication skills, and all the problem-solving that I learned then, it still applies now when I’m around superstars or rich people.”
“All of those skills, they carry over into the rest of your life. So don’t look at that part of your life as something that you can’t wait to fly by because… you might not be making the biggest money, but you’re doing the real nitty-gritty work that is going to help you for the rest of your life,” Minaj added.
Trinidadian-US rapper Nicki Minaj speaks during the panel discussion “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria” at the US Mission to the United Nations in New York City, on November 18, 2025. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
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The “Super Bass” and “Starships” singer, who has an estimated net worth of $150 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, also advised young Americans to save money, saying that “no matter how little” she made, she would always set aside funds for a rainy day.
Minaj also discussed her support for President Donald Trump after emerging as one of his fiercest allies in Hollywood.
The rapper recently partnered with the Trump administration on the Small Business Administration’s Million Dollar Pitch Competition, serving as one of the celebrity judges.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Trinidadian rapper and singer-songwriter Nicki Minaj during an event on “Trump Accounts” at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 28, 2026. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)
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The competition brought five small business owners before a panel of judges, including Minaj and Airbnb’s co-founder, to give their best pitch for a share of a $1 million cash prize pool.
“Small business represents the heart of the country…,” said Minaj. “You don’t have to be a huge household name to be recognized by the president and to be recognized by us.”
Minaj, whom Trump has called a “fantastic person,” addressed the grief she receives for supporting the president, telling Fox News that she has “absolutely nothing” to say to critics and adding that she is “honored” to work with the administration.
“[Trump] is fun,” the rapper said. “He’s not just smart and he’s not just the president, but he’s also someone that I can relate to.”
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“He’s very grounded. It’s easy to connect with him, it’s easy feel like he heard you, he understands you,” she continued. “And I just love him, and I’m not going to ever make excuses for that.”
Minaj was also asked when her fans, whom she fondly refers to as “Barbz,” can expect her next tour following a hiatus after her Pink Friday 2 World Tour in 2024.
She urged fans to give her some time as she embraces what she described as her “businesswoman era.”
Nicki Minaj performs onstage during her Pink Friday 2 World Tour – New York at Madison Square Garden on Sept. 07, 2024 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Live Nation)
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“Who set you up to asking this question? Is one of the Barbz back there?” she asked host Laura Ingraham. “I’m gonna go out as soon as I present the Barbz with this next body of work, whenever that will be.”
“Barbz, I love you very much if you’re watching, and I don’t want any more questions about concerts. I’m in my businesswoman era,” she added.