Nicki Minaj shared Instagram clips from her "Queen" documentary that features her getting emotional as she described how being abused nearly destroyed her life.
The "Anaconda" rapper says a cycle of violence began with her parents when she was a child.
Explaining that she would stand in front of her mother to protect her from her father, Minaj promised herself at a young age that she would not suffer at the hands of a man, too.
"Maybe some people would describe me as abrasive or bitchy or whatever because I vowed from that age no man would ever abuse me, call me out my name, treat me like that," she said. "And then all of a sudden, that was my life."
(MORE: Rapper Nicki Minaj shares her personal story as a 5-year-old 'illegal immigrant')Minaj, 35, did not name her abuser, but she did explain how domestic violence impacted her creative process. For some time, she said, she was unable to record new music as she tried to process what happened.
"Who was I gonna inspire when I had nothing in me to give," Minaj said. "I let one human being make me so low, I didn’t even know who I was. I was scared to get into the studio. I didn’t believe in myself."
The singer added that after changing her environment and traveling from New York City to Miami, she was able to record again.
A representative for Minaj did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There is no known release date for "Queen."