When it comes to rap, it's clear that Nicki Minaj is nobody's sidekick. Even though the Queens-bred femcee linked up with Lil Wayne and his Young Money crew, she's proved that she's an MC that can hold her own. Maybe it's because Minaj wouldn't settle for anything less.

In her upcoming Elle magazine interview, the 26-year old rapper talked about her ambitions on her rise to the top. "I always wanted to play with the boys. I didn't want to be a pawn in their game or have a sidekick role," she says. "I wanted to be more of a lead character, a superhero."

Nicki also sheds light on her "My Chick Bad" verse, where she traded rhymes with Ludacris. "I chose to do punch lines and be comical, to show how bad I am lyrically, as opposed to how sexy I think I am."

Nicki says her hard work is all part of a bigger movement. "I'm fighting for the girls who never thought they could win."

(Photo: Jeff Daly/PictureGroup)