Rap-Up.com || Nicki Minaj Transforms Into 18th Century Work of Art

Nicki Minaj shows off her latest work of art in a new photo shoot for W Magazine. Hip-hop’s reigning queen graces the cover of the publication’s “Art & Fashion” issue. The Young Money raptress transforms into an 18th-century courtesan courtesy of Francesco Vezzoli, who is known for linking contemporary icons such as Courtney Love and Natalie Portman with historic representations of women in art.

“I wanted to play with the public image of a female hip-hop star,” said the Italian artist. “During my entire career, I have always been fascinated by powerful women in history. I have spent a lot of time researching the ways they were represented in art and how their images were used to mold the public imagination—and to convey aesthetic and philosophical ideas about beauty and sexual desire. My main interest has been to link the historical artistic approach to female representation to contemporary icons of the media era.”

Madame Barb takes on the role of some of the most famous courtesans in history: the Marquise de Montespan, Comtesse du Barry, Madame de Pompadour, and Madame Rimsky-Korsakov. “My idea was to reproduce four iconic portraits of some of the most fascinating females of the past in a series starring an American pop-culture role model,” explained Vezzoli.

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78 Comments

Trina
October 14th, 2011 at 11:50 am
Lol she looks a mess

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Teenay Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
@Trina, Thank Yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou.

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Renaye Reply:
October 16th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
@Trina, she didn’t sit down and pose for this, an artist painted her from looking at her pictures in magazines and photoshoots… yall just love to log in to yo computer to hate on nicki don’t yall….. smh nothing better to do with yall day

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rob
October 14th, 2011 at 11:50 am
pretty :)

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bedstuyfly
October 14th, 2011 at 11:52 am
This tacky bitch swear she white, smh. I cant wait till these other females come out of the wood works, & just RAP. No gimmicks, or tricks. I could care less what Lauryn Hill & Missy Elliot are wearing, as long as they deliver sum excellent music.

Nicki needs to go away for a year, reinvent herself, they come back, cuz rite now shes just washed and looking like a basic bitch, trying too hard.

*i dare the nicki stans to say something about lauryn, not kim, but lauryn*

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Jane Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 11:57 am
@bedstuyfly,
honey…an artist was inspired by her and painted this? Ain’t NOOOONEEE checking for Lil’Kim or Laurn ecept about 100,00 people…which will literally get you nowhere. These “Other females” are practically non-existent in mainstream which is where the money is…why do you think nicki does this? FOR MONEY. She’s still getting money. End.Of.Story. And what does being white have to do with anything? Since when where blacks and whites seperated based on what type of clothes we where? BLacks cause segregation more then whites now a days because of biased people like you!

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Stacy Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
@Jane, So as long as Nicki making money it’s all good.I feel sorry for y’all Nicki fans.Nicki going to lead y’all to the path of destruction.

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RDK Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
@Stacy,lock your da-mn mouth with your crab in a bucket mentality,and time a black is doing there thing,always one of you around to be trying to drag them down.

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Holtz Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
@Jane, Am- fucking -en

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MrUnhateable Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
@Jane, Oh so lil Kim never took over the top creative pictures? Bitch please lil Kim was the biggest gimmick of all time! Bitch went to the MTV awards with a tittie hanging out! I love how people call nicki a gimmick because she’s animated. What the hell has nicki done to garners so much hate? The wigs? Lil Kim to Katy perry has done that too. The crazy voices and animated characters? Um slim shady, busta rhymes anyone? Fact is, at the end of the day ur a hater that can’t stand to see nicki win. If u don’t like her fine. I don’t care for a lot of rappers but u dont see me going to theirs posts and hating. How about u go listen to ur fav femcees

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MrUnhateable Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
@MrUnhateable, That was directed towards bedstuyfly, not jane

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Jessica Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
@MrUnhateable, Thanks for proving how unoriginal Nicki is.

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bedstuyfly Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
@Jane,

Girl Bye!!!! Only a person born in the 90′s would say shit like ‘ No one checking for Kim or Lauryn’. Funny cuz their names are still constantly brought up on the blogs. Kim just signed to universal recs, & Lauryn is planning her comeback.
I have respect for people who have paved the way for anything. Clearly you dont. & Nicki has made it obvious she doesn’t either. She turned the female rap game into a joke. No integrity or morals… jus fat ass this, big titi’s that, sum tacky spray painted hair, and BAM! The new rap empress??? At least when kim & foxy did it, they had consistent lyrics to back up their actions.
Having a verse on ‘Monster’ & then releasing an album of catchy hooks but mediocre lyrics,… that just dont make sense, like really tho….

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Queen Bee Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
@bedstuyfly, Girllll Let These Hoes AKA DelusBarbz & Kenz Know The FACTS !

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dummy Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
@bedstuyfly, wait did u say universal records & kim haha im guessing its caus kim wants to be nicki…. Caus last time i checked nickis goin on 4 years there..hmmn …kim talkin bout i love pop music…..since when fake bitc

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Layla Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
@dummy, Kim going on 17 years so shut your dumb@ss up.

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jj Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
@bedstuyfly, i love lauryn but yall got to stop acting like she had her shyt together she was preaching but she never lived the lifestyle she was rapping about
a lot of the things she did could be seen as hypocritical
so next time you better double dog dare because any artist can be called out on their shyt regardless of how great their music is

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LOVAIR Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
@jj, Please tell me, oh genius one, what exactly did she preach that was hypocritical?? If you’re talking about her relationship with Rohan Marley, he released the divorce certificate that showed he was divorced BEFORE he even dated Lauryn. So what now, pumpkin?

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Jane
October 14th, 2011 at 11:53 am
I love thisss! these are all painted? He’s an amazinggg artist!

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Spencer Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 11:55 am
@Jane,
No they did this in a re-touching program like Photoshop… pretty cool tho

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spikey
October 14th, 2011 at 11:55 am
Very nice art, go nicki!

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Kyley A.
October 14th, 2011 at 11:56 am
Cool

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C94B
October 14th, 2011 at 11:57 am
Indeed, 18th century’s femmes fatales all had that bulging eyes. Come on man.

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Winning
October 14th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Oh, well these are pretty!

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LMAOOOOOOO
October 14th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
I can’t breathe! Is this a joke? lmao look at her face

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RDK Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
@LMAOOOOOOO,i didn’t expect to hear anything different from a crying ignorant like you.

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Husky
October 14th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
WORK OF ART INDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED

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Nathan
October 14th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Illuminati.

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Destined Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
@Nathan, exactly! This is a mind control theme photo depicting the puppet she is in the industry like many of her fellow artists as well, hence the dismembered mannequin on the floor and the core of her image being a brainless barbie. Not to mention the focus of the “eye”….smh very creative Nicki, yeah right.

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Maria
October 14th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
She’s bleaching.

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Jordan Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
@Maria, no thats Lil Kim who bleaches hunny.

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lapresha's mother Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
They aight. but the last pic I LOVE.

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Brionna
October 14th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
I love this too!!! Cute Nicki!

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Gia
October 14th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
She looks like a damn fool.

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Nicki Minaj Covers W Magazine 18th Century Style | I Need My Fix
October 14th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
[...] These depictions are courtesy of Francesco Vezzoli who says: [...]
Onika Carter
October 14th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
She looks gorgeous as usual

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wow
October 14th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
she’s white now, sweet.

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Jey
October 14th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
I Just wanna read one post without hearing lil kim name in it, damn, how old are ya’ll? get off yo asses and off Nicki’s Dick im a fan 2 but yall take shit 2 da heart do yall defend yall family da way yall defend theses rich ass muthafuckas u probably never met?

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Daisy Minaj
October 14th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
So many haters nowadayss ! SMH ! All yall ever gonna do is sit around all day HATING ! No money , no nothing !Dont be a hater all yahh life , it will get you NOWHERE ! Nicki looks gorgeous as usual ! <3 . I love it ! btw , Nicki is the one thats encouraging us to go to school ! So how TF she goin lead us to a path of destruction ?! SMH ! Haters … KILL YOURSELVES ! :D .

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RDK
October 14th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
this is a work of art nicki is doing her thing..i might make a stanley move and hang this portrait on my wall,the more nicki wins the more these haters be getting depress having nervous breakdowns and sh-it hate overload,don’t be surprised people if they start killing there selves if they haven’t all ready.

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jj
October 14th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
i know what im tired of folks trying to tell black people and female rappers they all have to act and do the same thing..when nicki does something different she is a gimmick and weird when she does the same rap shyt other rappers been doing sense the beginning of time she is a clone…nick already realized that she will be damned if she do and damned if she don’t that’s why she does WTF she wanna do regardless of what spiteful broads have to say
stop trying to classify people and box them in she ain’t trying to act white just because she not bent over in a thong with her middle finger up
the magazine had an idea and she went with it..simple

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kiki
October 14th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
That eye thing coming from her eye.. doesn’t look right. Am i dreaming?! O.O

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RDK Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
@kiki,it,s a tear of eye water with a picture in it,art….

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>U Mad.
October 14th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
this is art right here,Nicki is so versatile,she always try,s to steps up to any challenge they give her learn as she go,s along and comes out with straight A,s..these portrait are so beautiful,nicki isn,t letting the gern of music she do,s are certain circle of people box her in..,she is leaping boundaries,and promoting her self to all demographic,keep doing you nicki.

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Kira Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
@>U Mad., You and RDK are the same person.You aint fooling nobody.

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Nicki Minaj Cover “W” Magazine « mrLdavis – BRINGING COUTH TO THE COUTHLESS
October 14th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
[...] out more about the shoot courtesy of Rap-Up.com below. “I wanted to play with the public image of a female hip-hop star,” said the Italian [...]
kb
October 14th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
lol these pics make me laugh, why does she look so creepy??

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bedstuyfly
October 14th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
like i said before, this bitch is a fool. the female Flavor Flav… embarrassing african americans & shit, like bitch stop it!

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Renaye Reply:
October 16th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
@bedstuyfly, bitch you embarrass yourself putting ignorant comments like that on the internet…. haters be on nicki shit more than the fans do…. yall been a fan.. SMH

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alisha
October 14th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
dang nicki i u be doin the most but i still love u gurl do wat u do

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Latonya
October 14th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
I think these pictures are classics. The barbz are the only ones who can appreciate this. hiphop is always gonna love her for her music. Nicki perfects her craft for the listeners and but everything she does is for the us.

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bkbrom
October 14th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
She looks out of place in each of these pictures, not natural at all. This is not art everything around her is but her face. It’s like they superimposed her Weird creepy face onto the original. She looks uncomfortable and forced. Art should be natural even weird art, dark art or just abstract art. This looks for lack of a better word. Like FART! Fake ass ART!

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okay
October 14th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Go Nicki!

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AsheyB
October 14th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Nicki Can Take a Picture On front of A “Cereal Box” and yal Basic Asses Would Think its HOT Im done Im not even hating it looks Tacky

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Renaye Reply:
October 16th, 2011 at 7:24 pm
@AsheyB, this is a painting bitch, nicki didn’t sit down and pose for this read carefully before you run and try and put people down (ON THE INTERNET)

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FuckYouCunts
October 14th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Nicki is so pretty ; Who MAD?

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Henry
October 14th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Love it. Love it. Love it.

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Royaleeeee
October 14th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Why can’ ppl just respect her hustle! Why is it so hard 2 admit that Nicki Minaj is doing things other Female rappers could NEVER do!Shes more than just HipHop,she is Pop Culture! Stay Mad cause at the end of the day Nicki Minaj is WINNING!

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Jasmine
October 14th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
I <3 Nicki Minaj (:

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Boreas
October 14th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@bkbrom i agree with u COMPLETELY! I understand this may be her translation, but its just not working. It looks very forced, uncomfortable and creepy…not in a good, alluring way. The cover is the best if anything.

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Anon
October 14th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
I’m sorry, but she looks like a damn fish. But nice work though I will give her that.

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EllaBrinx
October 14th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Nicki looks like a different person without bangs.

Anyway, I appreciate the idea and concept behind this, but I don’t think she executed it very well. Her facial expressions look very stiff and uncomfortable; I assume she’s more used to doing crazy expressions.

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Jellybean485
October 14th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
This wouldn’t be bad if her eyes weren’t popping out her face….I don’t know why they told her it was fine and then published it…..this would’ve been extremely hot, just less with the eyes

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Tamar
October 14th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
This should say “ILLUMINATI” written on the front page. lol (dont diss my beliefs or my opinions)
Oh, and stop hating.

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bobbyknowsbest
October 14th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
wow the last one actually looks good , just look at the last one she look like a fucking princess,or belle from beauty in the beast ,the rest idk about lol

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Ann
October 14th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
I thought Nicki was a black girl.

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Devin
October 14th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
The artist did an awesome job at the end of the day, isn’t this what this is all about “ART” lol

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bbmonstah
October 14th, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Beautiful Nicki! <3 Bitch is on another fuckin' level. Regal, stunning, & bitch. :)

#TeamMinaj

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nicki won
October 14th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
why do u people hate so much why? nicki keep gettin your money love because u taking this s##t to the next level long as the money coming in f##k the haters nicki u stay winning at the end of the day respect the queen hoes!

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Kira Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
@nicki won, It’s because she’s wack.

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RDK Reply:
October 15th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
@Kira,you are contradicting your self,because you are the wake one.

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Kenyata ortiz
October 14th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
I luv the last 2 photos of Nicki Shes always up to sumin an to just c her do her thing at whtevr it is she does it a job
wel done frm me…

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Onika Carter
October 15th, 2011 at 11:50 am
i kinda like these pics

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ThatBeeBrian
October 15th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
At The End Of The Day No One Would Be Bringing Up Lauryn Or Kim If It Werent For Nicki.
You Should Be Glad That Nicki Brought Back Female Hip Hop, Because Who Else Was On The Way?
Also, They Dont Care What You Think Cause Seriously, Who Are You?
GoodBye!

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Jalin
October 15th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Hilarious, this chick look stupid.

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Jessie
October 16th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
it’s funny how nicki’s vids always have so many comments on them…… it’s because the lame ass “Haters” care enough to comment…. stop hating yall been fans…

#TeamMinaj

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Renaye
October 16th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
she look so pretty, fuck the haters nicki you beautiful and these horrid face mothafuckas are jealous….. ItsBarbieBitch

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Renaye
October 16th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
tHIS IS SO PRETTY GO NICKI #TEAMMINAJ GOT YOU BACK!!!!

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