Photo: WENN.com
Nicki Minaj has revealed that she taught herself to speak with an English accent by copying the dialect of well-known English rose, Mel B.
The strongly-accented Leeds lass provided inspiration for Minaj's alter-ego Roman Zolanski - who is gay, male and British.
When asked who she based her accent on in an interview with The Guardian, Minaj replied: "There are so many, but one person was Scary Spice. I used to listen to her all the time and try to make the same faces she'd make when she was talking.
"Oh, and Hermione from 'Harry Potter'."
However, despite creating a number of identities during her career, Minaj admits struggling when people critise her work.
Mel B (Scary Spice) - as parodied by Leigh Francis on Bo Selecta
"It's better to realise that they're not talking to you, they're talking to your image. I'm not Nicki Minaj," she adds. "I have to remind myself of that, I really do. It gets tough."
The outspoken rapper (in whichever dialect she is speaking) is currently serving as a judge on American Idol and feels her experience will serve her well when it comes to mentoring young pop wannabes.
"I just tell people - don't even come in the business if you think it's going to be peaches and rainbows and unicorns. It's not for the faint of heart. It's for fighters," she says.
Photos: Nicki Minaj lands her 'Starships' at Manchester MEN Arena
