Things weren't easy for a young Nicki Minaj.
The singer covers the June/July issue of Teen Vogue and opened up about her turbulent home life and struggle to fit in at school as a kid.
"Every time my parents fought, my mother would have us move and I would have to go to a new school, which meant I'd have to face the task of making new friends," she told the mag.
"I encountered jealous girls a lot," she added. "What it came down to is that the bullies wanted me to bow down to them and I just wouldn't."
Confidence and strong will has clearly always been a part of Minaj's makeup.
"Sometimes there'd be a fight, sometimes not. I let people know I wasn't going to be pushed around."
There are times, however, that things get taken too far—even for Minaj. The American Idol judge warns fans to rid themselves of their social media accounts if the negatives outweigh the positives.
"I used to read the bad things people said about me. Then I asked myself, 'Why am I reading that when I have millions of people saying great things?' You cannot give negativity power."
She went on to add, "I tell teens…If people keep taunting you and you keep reading it, it's poison."
Well said, Ms. Minaj!