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For someone who has been getting lots of press over the last couple of years, Nicki Minaj hasn't really revealed a lot about her personal life.

Of course we've known that the 26-year old was born in Trinidad and Tobago, moved to the U.S. at age 5 and had a father who was an abusive drinker. But in a new interview with the  UK Sun the Young Money rapper really opens up about what life was like for her, her brother and mother living with a man as abusive as her dad and how that affected her.

"All of my young and teenage early years we lived in fear that my mother would be killed by my father. It was ridiculous. It made me act out to guys and be evil to them when I was growing up," Nicki said. "It made me tough. Of course it did. 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 mom with no money."

Living in that environment has shaped Nicki into the woman she is today. Wildly successful and strong, yet slightly vulnerable at the same time.

"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. That was the only time we had peace in my home, when we knew there was another male figure in the house and he could protect us," Nicki explains. "I will cry about something but I never let anything stop me. I can't be like my mom. I know I can cut ties and still make it. She didn't cut ties when I felt like she should have done. That's been my whole thing. I've been able to say, 'This isn't working any more. You need to get out of my life'. I keep it moving and it has worked."

It definitely has worked out fine