Budding rapper Ming Luanli recently appeared on the We In Miami podcast, where she opened up about her strained relationship with her older sister, Nicki Minaj.
During the podcast, the 18-year-old discussed her music career, inspirations, dating life, and more. She candidly shared her experiences of being bullied as a child due to her connection to the music icon. Despite sharing the same father but having different mothers, Ming revealed that she and Nicki were "never close."
"I’ve never called her Nicki, by her name, at all. Calling her Nicki always felt weird. I’ve always called her Onika," she admitted. "We were never close, but we had a good bond. She was always busy, and I was doing my own thing too. But at the end of the day, I know I still have love for her, she still has love for me, and I’m proud of her."
The New York native recalled the moment people began to realize she was related to the famous rapper. "In elementary, middle school, and high school, as soon as people knew who I was, they would either ask me about my sister or ask weird questions that made me uncomfortable," she remembered. "At the time, I felt attacked and vulnerable, like I was by myself."
Discussing her desire to pursue a music career like her sister, Ming admitted that her career choice has brought a lot of hate and comparisons, with peers questioning why her sister doesn’t help her out. Nevertheless, she strives to "impress" Minaj, even though she acknowledges she’ll "never be at the same level" as the Young Money veteran.
This year, Ming released her first collaborative music video titled "Do It Again" with Rakeem Love. In the track, she showcases her versatility in rapping and singing, expressing the emotions felt from heartbreak. "You’re acting suspicious, you don’t know what you do to me / You’re after these bitches and wanna act like you’re glued to me," she raps. "You’re causing me glitches, this shit don’t compute to me / Like 1+1+1 will never make 2 to me / You’re treating me brutally."
You can watch her full interview on the We In Miami podcast above and check out her music video below.
