Beyond being the hottest female rap artist in some time, Young Money starlet Nicki Minaj also has a heart as big as her ever-growing fame.
MTV News caught up with the Pink Friday rapper as she wrapped up a Thursday evening performance at Casio’s TRYX OUT: NYC 2011 launch party at the Best Buy Theater in New York. Minaj — currently traveling with Young Money Records boss Lil Wayne, Maybach Music Group head honcho Rick Ross and rocker Travis Barker on the I Am Still Music Tour — spoke on how she got involved with the Casio camera line launch and also assisting in upcoming relief efforts in Japan by auctioning off an autographed and fittingly pink version of the TRYX camera.
“[Casio] told us about an amazing product they were launching and asked if I wanted to be a part of it. I was like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ I did a little bit of research on it and learned how to use it,” Minaj said. “I’m not a big electronics person usually, but it’s really sleek, it’s real sexy, and of course I want to be a part of it.”
In a later portion of the interview, Nicki revealed to MTV News that not only does she have her own exclusive pink version of the TRYX camera, but that she will auction it off to help aid in disaster relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Japan.
“This is the Casio TRYX, and this is my baby. This pink — I don’t think this one is in stores yet. I’m going to beg them to put this color in stores because the Barbs and the Ken Barbs need this one,” she said. “I’m actually auctioning this one off for the tsunami relief in Japan. I’m really super excited. It’s dope to launch a camera, but we can also give back. So hopefully we’ll see how well this goes, and it will all go to helping the people out in Japan who are dealing with the disaster.”