Monday, April 25, 2011 7:18am ET by  
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Nicki Minaj motivated by her mother

Nicki Minaj has revealed that one of her greatest motivations is making a better life for her mother, who she looks up to as a role model. 

When the 'Roman's Revenge' rapper was 5, she was moved from Trinidad to the U.S, but grew up being exposed to her father's drug and alcohol abuse, which inspired her to change the family's situation:

"My father fell victim to drug and alcohol abuse, so it was an uphill battle for a very, very long time. He was really, really addicted. My mother had to make ends meet the best way she knew how."

She added: 

"What motivated me was that I wanted to get my mother out of her situation, so I always wanted to kick ass at whatever I did."

When asked about her unusual delivery of rhymes in her music, with her multiple vocal personas and often aggressive attitude, she explained that her upbringing still influences her:

"It has made me a very aggressive person. I always heard lots of yelling, fighting and cussing. It made me a very reactive person.

"I've been learning how to tone that down a bit. I've been learning how to say, 'OK, cool, I gotta think things through, I can't always react.'"

Watch footage from Minaj's unveiling of her Britney Spears remix below: