Nicki Minaj in Bathing Suit is "Body Goals"

Nicki Minaj has been one of the most successful rappers out there since the late 2000s. This has given her the title of “Queen of Rap” by her fans. Minaj has never been afraid to show off her figure and wear unique outfits. In a recent Instagram post, the rapper wore a red swimsuit and matching long hair. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Nicki Minaj stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. She’s Grown

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Minaj opened up about becoming a mom in an interview with Interview Magazine. She says that she feels that having a child has helped her grow as a person. “I see myself as a baby in my son and because of that, it reminds me of moments that I had probably forgotten over time, just of me being a toddler in Trinidad. First of all, being a mother is the biggest freaking blessing on planet earth. I’m so happy that god allowed me to experience this. I’ve always loved children and I’ve always been great with children, but in the last few years I started thinking, I know it’s going to be a huge shift for me because I’m used to going wherever I want, whenever I want, and I knew having a baby was going to change all that.”

2. She Wants To Have Fun

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Minaj tells Interview Magazine that she wants to release fun songs. She says that this is how she approached recording “Super Freaky Girl.” “This song came along and because I didn’t approach it in a sexual way, I approached it in a fun way, it’s like I tapped back into who I was. People might not get this from me, but I was never trying to be sexy, I always was laughing. I think that I can look sexy, but I don’t think of myself as a person that is.”

3. She Doesn’t Let Things Get To Her

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Minaj opened up about being in both the music industry and in the public eye in her Interview Magazine piece. She says that she is working on not letting things get to her. “As women, people always assume that they can play with you, for lack of a better term, and I just can’t have that. I have to leave something behind because we work hard. Yo, this industry, it takes so much out of you mentally, man. And to do all of this and then not have anything to show for it? I refuse.”

4. She Takes Breaks

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Minaj has a busy schedule. For this reason, taking breaks is something that is important to her. “I started taking my little hiatuses from the internet where I just disengage,” she told Interview Magazine. “Because you can’t read everything, you can’t respond to everything. And guess what? There are people in your home who actually love you. And sometimes you just have to say, ‘Do you know what? Goodbye, I’m going to give back the love to the people that’s actually really giving me love, and that’s going to be there for me in real life, and bye to everyone else.’ For young artists, just know that there are no rules. You can take time for yourself and for your mental health.”

5. She Wants To Inspire Others

Minaj wants to use her celebrity status to encourage other women, specifically black women. “There’s always been a lack of representation for Black women,” she told i-D. “As soon as you start becoming famous, you owe it to the entire culture to say things that other Black women can repeat to make themselves feel great. When you grow up and you’re only seeing people that look a certain way on the covers of magazines, in the movies and on TV, you can start feeling, ‘Am I not good enough?’ It comes from performing as well. Once you see the look on people’s faces when they’re singing your lyrics back to you, and the confidence and happiness they’re having, it makes you want to always empower girls to feel, ‘Yo, I don’t need a guy for anything. I can put my mind to anything I need to do, and do it just as well as the men on my own.’”