Nicki Minaj attends the BET Hip Hop Awards on October 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia
.jpg)
The Jamaica, Queens native draws her influence from Japanese street fashion, Barbie dolls, previous female rappers, and the tough edge from the 1980's. In one photo shoot she wore a dress very similar to that of the "Sweet Lolita" Japanese design.
Special attention is paid to the ruffles of the skirt here, although Minaj is known to add edge to the sweetness by switching the flats for a pair of pumps and the pigtails for a straight weave.The "Barbie" connection is obvious, as she used their font in her promotional advertisements, as well as the Barbie dreamhouse setup and doll-like gestures. Minaj has borrowed poses from Lil' Kim's albums and videos in the past as well. Lastly, Minaj's style is reminiscent of past trends from the 1980's. In this picture, she pays homage to the big hair, rugged leather jackets, cutoff denim shorts and fishnet stockings that were popular during that era.
Nicki Minaj performs at BET's "106 & Park" New Year's Eve special in December 2009 in New York
Nicki Minaj hosts BET's ?Rip the Runway? on February 27, 2010 in New York CityNicki Minaj performs at the 2010 BET Awards on June 27, 2010 in Los Angeles, California