Nicki Minaj's confidence dwindled due to the scrutiny she faced in the public eye.
Nicki Minaj says motherhood brings her peace
The 'Super Bass' hitmaker has admitted her every move being criticised gave her anxiety.
Opening up to James Corden while taking part in the Carpool Karaoke segment on 'The Late Late Show', she said: "I think when I was younger, my more natural state was to be more confident. But I think when you're a woman and you're in the public eye all the time, if you're not careful you can become less confident because you're being constantly scrutinised.
"I just don't think it's natural. It's not natural for a human being to feel like everyone's critiquing them."
The 39-year-old star says she feels an "enormous sense of peace" when she switches off from the outside world and stays off social media.
She continued: "I had this amazing sense of freedom because nobody gave a s*** about what I was doing. Like, I could get away with anything.
"And then it goes from that to the complete, complete opposite. If I blink my eye wrong, they'll have a story made up about why I blinked my eye that way.
"Whenever I am off of social media and I take that s*** off my phone, I have just this enormous sense of peace. And then you realise what really matters."
Nicki became a mother for the first time to a son, who she refers to as Papa Bear, in September 2020.
And the rapper - who has her little boy with husband Kenneth Petty - says being a mom also brings her peace as she is "magically in love".
She added: "[Motherhood] plays a huge part [in feeling peace].
"It doesn't matter what is going on ... when I look at my son, I'm just magically in love. He just makes me laugh, makes me smile, makes me happy. He's just so cute and cuddly.
"I rap and sing to him all the time. I just make up melodies all day."
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