Nicki Minaj helps fans with past experiences

Nicki Minaj has been revealing how she uses past experiences to help her fans.

In an interview with The Sun the 26 year old talks about living in fear that her mother may have become a victim of domestic violence and how he fathers actions made her act up to males around her.

"It made me tough. Of course it did.” Nicki said I am an emotional person, but I am a tough person. It was very tough emotionally for me to have a parent who was an alcoholic and a drug addict. I had a mum with no money.

"We didn't really have many options. When you don't have options you feel helpless. And I think that is the worst feeling.

"My father was violent - physically and verbally. Once my older brother grew up he became the man of the house and started standing up to my father.

Despite the rappers past she feels that she can use her experiences to help fans.

Minaj said: "A lot of people send me direct messages on Twitter telling me what they are going through - their father is on drugs, this and that and the third.

"They feel like they can deal with all this stuff because I did and survived. They can have the worst hand dealt to them but they can do whatever they set their hearts on.