(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Nicki Minaj admits her youthful fan base has taken her by surprise.

The 26-year-old is one of the most talked about artists in the music industry following her debut album release last November. Pink Friday was one of the most highly-anticipated records of last year, and despite being in the industry for a short time Nicki has garnered a substantial fan base, with the majority in their adolescence. The star concedes she was taken aback by the age group of some of her fans.

[My adolescent fan base] has taken me by surprise. I kinda thought theyd all be in school! They probably dont know what Im doing up here. Theyre probably like, Why isnt she coming out to play? she told Q magazine.

With her new found popularity, Nicki acknowledges that she now has less control over her private life than she would like. To counter this, she often delves into the social networking sites in order to give her fans what they want.

I am outgoing, but Im also very private. Having to be an open book has taken a lot of getting used to. Im trying to embrace it with Twitter you cant fight the machine, she added. (C) Cover Media