How does an aspiring female rap artist from Jamaica, Queens get signed to Dirty Money Records, and courted to become the first lady of Lil Wayne's Young Money super group? For Nicki Minaj, the opportunity came thanks to Myspace.com, where the 22-year old rapper caught the eye of one Fendi, the CEO of Dirty Money Records and founder of The Come Up DVD . At first drawn in by her indisputable lyrical skills, Fendi was sold once he observed Nicki's work ethic and perfectionism: "She is so hard on herself- I could think that it's perfectly right and she keeps working. Her self-criticism makes her a star," the Dirty Money capo stated. Though Nicki was initially skeptical to enter into any formal label agreements, Fendi reassured Nicki to just watch what he could do for her career, and the two formed a partnership that has helped set up Nicki for greatness in the game. Originally pursuing a singing career, in her teenage years Nicki would regularly contribute background vocals for rap artists from her neighborhood. At one of these recording sessions, Nicki asked if it would be alright for her to spit some verses, and her performance blew away her male peers. Realizing her potential as a rapper, Nicki started taking the craft seriously, and has been grinding hard ever since. Well aware of the challenge that being a female emcee brings, Nicki feels that "As a woman, people don't take you seriously. You have to go extra hard to get the same amount of respect that a male will get, and you have to constantly prove a point." Taking cues from predecessors such as Eve, whom she admires for her business savvy, Nicki doesn't see any reason why she shouldn't be able to pimp the game as a lady herself. And don't mistake her for just a pretty face or eye candy: Nicki Minaj writes all of her own material, and her style is certifiably signature: "A lot of people don't believe it, but I write my own lyrics. And I don't sound like anybody else," she says. Combining a hard swagger with a playful flow and feminine guiles, Nicki Minaj is the whole package. Her appearance on three consecutive Come Up DVD's made that clear to some influential people, including D-Block boss Jadakiss and Lil' Wayne, who called up Fendi to discuss the possibility of a Young Money/Dirty Money Records joint deal. Lil Wayne admired that not only could Nicki rap, but she also had the sex appeal to make her the face of Young Money. Asked how she feels about the possibility of achieving First Lady status with one of the hottest crews coming out of the South, Nicki says "I never would have imagined joining a down South crew, but now it makes sense. It's the best of both worlds. I automatically give the East Coast what they want because I’m from New York, but having the King of the South behind me, that opens me up to an entirely new fan base." With her DJ Big Mike hosted mixtape dropping in April, it's just a matter of time before Nicki Minaj becomes rap royalty herself.