(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Nicki Minaj refuses to rely on sex to prove she has star power.

The 26-year-old, who released her album Pink Friday last year, doesnt want to be a female artist who depends on sexualising her image. Nicki admits that when she first started out in the industry she felt under pressure to pen risqu lyrics, but now things thats quite pass.

If you listen to my album, compared to my early mixtapes, a lot has changed. I mean, I really toned down the sexual stuff, she explained.

There was no need for me to do it. I feel like in the past females have kinda relied on that because they feel like thats all they have to offer.

The Trinidadian rapper realises she was just copying female artists who felt the need to be overtly sexual to sell records. She blames the people she was mixing with at that time, revealing they made her feel self-conscious and afraid to be herself in public.

I was around people who were telling me, This is what you should be doing, she told NME magazine. When youre young and impressionable you feel like OK you know best. (C) Cover Media