The `Super Bass` rapper`s dad Omar had problems with alcohol and drugs - once even burning their house down while Nicki was growing up in New York - which made her fear for her mother, Nina`s, life.

She told TV show `Nightline`: "I wanted to kill him. I used to wish he was dead.

"We were afraid for my mother`s life, because whenever he would have a real bad outburst he would threaten to kill her."

Nicki`s mother and father - who moved the family, which also includes her brother Brandon and sister Maya, to New York from Trinidad when she was five - are still together, but his actions have had a lasting effect on his daughter`s attitude to men.

She added: "You know, when you see your mother going through that you think, `I`ll never do that when I get older.` I always put my foot down with men. I let them know, `I`m not going to submit to you.`"

Nicki is famed for wearing neon make-up,bright colours and daring costumes, and also talked on the show about how she wants her image to be about more than just being sexy.

The 29-year-old star - who has confessed to having an obsession with Barbie dolls - explained: "When I was growing up, all the female rappers spoke about sex a lot.

"I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing.

"I thought you had to look sexy - but it`s boring.

"I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness. I want people, especially young girls, to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal alone. You`ve got to have something else to go with that."
sections: Celebrities