The New York Time’s most recent cover story highlight’s Nicki Minaj’s historic rise in rap music. Her story is one of the seven cover stories of T Magazine’s “Greats” issue, highlighting the accomplishments of creative leaders and the contributions they’ve made in their respective fields.

During an in-depth conversation with writer Roxane Gay, Minaj speaks on her upcoming album, proving herself as a lyricist, being free and the inspiration behind her the album’s sound.

“I had so much going against me in the beginning: being black, being a woman, being a female rapper. No matter how many times I get on a track with everyone’s favorite M.C. and hold my own, the culture never seems to want to give me my props as an M.C., as a lyricist, as a writer. I got to prove myself a hundred times, whereas the guys that came in around the same time as I did, they were given the titles so much quicker without anybody second-guessing,” she said.

Read the interview here, appearing on newsstands Oct. 22.