Nicki Minaj: ‘I really thought I was about to die’

TORONTO — Nicki Minaj told the crowd at the BET Awards on Sunday that she was close to death recently — an experience that has helped her be herself.

“The other day, literally I didn’t tell anybody this, I really thought I was about to die. Like, I was saying my prayers to die,” she said.

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“And I didn’t even want to call the ambulance because I thought, `Well if I call the ambulance, it’s going to be on TMZ.’

“And I would rather sit there and die,” she added, looking to the crowd. “And it made me realize I don’t care what anybody got to say. I’m going to do me.”

The rapper rambled onstage when accepting her fifth consecutive win for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, where she thanked Lil Wayne for his support, talked about writing her own lyrics and about getting the credit she deserves in the industry.