Excuse us for a moment as we pickup our jaw.
We can't believe how fabulous, fresh-faced and flawless Nicki Minaj looks on the cover of PAPER magazine's Spring fashion issue.
The vibrant pastel dress and blazer are far from the silly, over-the-top, costume attire we're used to seeing on Minaj. The "Super Bass" rapper looks, well, normal--aside from her brightly hued signature wigs.
We love this new pared-down Minaj. Don't you?
Simon Doonan, creative ambassador-at-large of Barneys New York, chatted with Minaj for the issue. Here are a few highlights from their convo...
On sitting next to Anna Wintour at the Carolina Herrera fashion show in September:
"Yes! I was screaming out loud inside my head. Me sitting next to the Queen of Vogue! It was such a strange experience. I felt like I was dreaming. And I thought she would be snobby or something. But she was so incredibly sweet to me."
On her style icons:
"Grace Jones definitely. So amazing. And Cyndi Lauper, I loved her right from when I was a little girl. And Janet Jackson of course. And Boy George. I always loved the way he dressed, and his music too."
On her new album:
"The album is like a collage of all my emotions. I am not sticking to any particular style. I am doing what I feel without restrictions. So it's very free and very me."
The issue hits stands February 20th. In the meantime, check out the beautifully shot feature in the slideshow below.