The rap industry has long been dominated by males, with only a handful of female acts crossing over into the mainstream. However, in the past few years, Young Money affiliate Nicki Minaj has emerged as a force to be reckoned with, and is quickly becoming hip hop’s hottest female goofy face maker.

“I just want to be the best at making goofy faces,” says Nicki. “Making goofy faces is my passion. I feel blessed to have so many fans of my goofy faces, and I plan to make even goofier faces in the future.”

To date, Nicki Minaj has made goofy faces in several high profile music videos, including Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad,” Mariah Carey’s “Up Out My Face (Remix),” Young Money’s “Bedrock,” and her own “Massive Attack” and “Itty Bitty Piggy.” Yet the multiracial, openly bisexual goofy face maker says her talent goes all the way back to childhood.

“I grew up watching a lot of In Living Color,” says Nicki. “Fire Marshall Bill was like a hero to me. I wanted to make goofy faces just like Jim Carrey, and I would practice in front of the mirror for hours. My dream was to be the Fire Marshall Bill of hip hop.”

This dream came true when Dirty Money CEO Fendi discovered pictures of Nicki Minaj’s goofy faces on MySpace. He quickly signed the aspiring goofy face maker to his label, where she made goofy faces on “The Carter Edition” of Young Money’s The Come Up DVD series. Shortly thereafter, she was contacted by Lil’ Wayne, who asked her to make goofy faces on a variety of projects.

Three years later, Nicki Minaj is the most successful and sought-after goofy face maker in hip hop. Her Twitter account has over 750,000 followers, her music videos receive millions of views online, and she has inspired young women everywhere to start making goofy faces. Yet the New York City native still finds ways to stay humble.

“I try to remember my roots,” says Nicki. “I remember when I was a kid, playing Super Mario 64…you know the title screen? Where you could stretch Mario’s face out? I used to play that for hours. I never even played the rest of the game. I would just make a goofy face on Mario, and try to make my face look like that. I just did it because it was fun. I had no idea that when I grew up, that’s how I’d make my living.”

In 2010, Nicki Minaj is slated to make goofy faces in several high-profile projects, such as the music video for Lil’ Wayne’s “Knockout,” the music video for her own “Your Love,” and a sex tape. But when asked if she will ever branch out as a musical artist, the 26-year-old goofy face maker laughs it off.

“No, I don’t think anyone wants to hear me rap!” says Nicki. “Trust me.”

- Posted by JOE