Tink

“People expect to just hear something raunchy from a female - we're missing meaningful messages as women. We don't have enough stories.”

“I put a lot of work into my mixtapes, and I want everybody to understand I am doing this genuinely. I don't even want to be paid for this; I just want you all to hear my music and appreciate it. I think it brings me closer to my fans because they know I'm doing this for them and not just to get the bucks.”

“I go hard for the ladies so we have some music to relate to.”

“To stand out, I just use my talents. I rap, and I sing as well. With that being said, people kind of know me for bringing that emotion in music.”

“When people listen to artists, and you turn on the radio, it's a lot of gimmicks. And that's real. So I take it like there's nobody keeping it honest and truthful no more, especially as far as young teenagers and females.”

“Coming up as a female rapper - well, a female artist in general - everything is just so black and white.”

“I'll be honest with you: before I heard Nicki rapping, I probably wouldn't have thought to rap myself. Just to see a female doing it and being in there with the guys, it was motivation.”

“Working with Timbaland, he gives me insight; he throws me different ways to approach the beat, and those extra tips go a long way. I know that he's worked with some of the greats, so it's just motivation. I feel inspired when we're in the booth together.”

“I've never worked hands-on with a producer. I've been on my own writing, just taking beats and doing what I have to do. I've been on my own. To have Timbaland invite me in and say that 'I want to work with you' is amazing. He's a legend.”

“I think, being a woman, we got to prove ourselves twice.”

“I think monogamy exists when you're of age. I'm not saying that's good, but in today's time, a female won't honestly get a full commitment until they're at least 25 or 26. That's not good, but that's how it is.”

“Guys hurt us first! There's always more to the story. We don't have that on the radio. You can't turn on the radio and hear what's really going on. You're going to hear the perspective from a guy.”

“You don't need to depend on a label, because you're making that money on your own.”

“Tink is the voice of the youth. I'm not one of those artists who talks about unrealistic things or fairy tales. I'm not talking about expensive things and cars. I'm actually talking about what's going on in my life and every teenager's life, too.”

“I have to break down the barriers as a female. I have to work 30 times harder just for respect.”

“I think why people are drawn to me is because I'm very relatable. I don't filter.”

“Because I was independent for such a long time, and I was always just feeding my fans - every month, I'd be giving them something new. So I had to adjust to the process of making a record. And after signing with a label, there are just certain things you can't do anymore. It was frustrating at first, but as the months went by, I got used to it.”