Nicki Minaj shocked by her fame

Nicki Minaj is in a "state of shock" over the level of her fame.

The 'Girls Fall Like Dominoes' rapper is often bombarded by fans when she goes out and while she appreciates their support, she admits the attention can sometimes be hard to handle.

She said: "Sometimes it feels like I'm on the outside looking in. I've grown up seeing what happens to the likes of Britney Spears, but I never imagined that one day that would happen to me. But people freakin' dream of this, it's not just supposed to happen and there is no guarantee that it will last. I'm trying to make sure it doesn't affect me in the wrong way. And I guess I'm in a state of shock, too."

Nicki also admits she finds it tough to hear so many big stars praise her music because it heaps more pressure on her.

She said in an interview with Grazia magazine: "I think people's expectations of me are higher than mine most of the time. When I hear artists like Kanye West saying that I'm dope, sometimes I feel like, really? There's still that little girl in me who is looking up to all these dudes. At one point I didn't really think I'd stand a chance with the big dogs, but now I feel like I can. Will I? That's a different question. It's going to take hard work."