Saturday, January 29, 2011

Nicki Minaj's 'Moment 4 Life' Director Says Drake's Verse Inspired Video

'I want us to get married, I want us to push the envelope,' Chris Robinson recalls Nicki Minaj telling him before filming.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Rahman Dukes


Nicki Minaj in her "Moment 4 Life" music video
Photo: Young Money / Universal

For Chris Robinson, the director behind Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life," inspiration for the clip arrived as soon as he heard Drake rap on the Pink Friday track.

Robinson recalled listening to the song when he caught the Thank Me Later star spit the line "F---, me and Nicki Nick getting married today." He knew right then where he wanted to take the visual. Robinson then aimed for matrimonial bliss between the two Lil Wayne protégés.

"I stepped back and took her idea [to make it celebratory] and listened to her lyrics," the director told MTV News. "The one lyric that was there that really struck me was in Drake's verse. And I remembered all the rumors about her and Drake and thought it could be ill if we turned this into a fantasy world: 'Let's not do the usual modern home and all the accoutrements; let's think of this in a fantasy world.' And then when I presented her with that idea, she took it a step further. 'I want us to get married, I want us to push the envelope on this video, I want this video to really matter because this song means so much to me,' " he recalled her saying.

In the video, Nicki and Drake get married, kiss and live in bliss as the clock strikes midnight — but with no fairy-tale repercussions for the Queens lyricist. Instead, Minaj's fairy godmother presents her with a chance at a better life.

Nicki spoke about her co-star in an exclusive interview with MTV News after the Thursday night premiere of "Moment 4 Life." She revealed of all of her music-video leading men, Drizzy had made her feel the most comfortable.

"That energy is amazing," she said. "I just have a special place for him. He always makes me feel like it's OK, you know, just chill, relax, jokes. It's never to the point where I don't want to be there anymore, 'Let's wrap this up.' Having Drake there, it felt like we could have shot a second day for this video, and I could be fine. He's someone I look up to, he got a head start. So he's able to tell me things I don't know and I can confide in him."

What's your favorite part of the "Moment 4 Life" video? Tell us in the comments!

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