Nicki Minaj "cringes" at the thought of her younger fans repeating her lyrics.

The 'Right Thru Me' rapper - whose songs are full of swearwords and sexual expletives - feels a responsibility towards the young girls who might listen to her tracks and learn the words.

She said: "Being honest, if I had a daughter I wouldn't want her listening to a Nicki Minaj CD until she was a certain age.

"Even when I meet my fans and they tell me they are 12, I cringe a little. I always say, 'Listen. I don't want you saying the bad words, put school first.'

"At the same time, I am like their bigger sister. I'm not like their mom."

The 26-year-old New Yorker - who is often compared to Lady GaGa for her outlandish sense of style - says her gritty, tough-talking lyrics stem from a turbulent childhood in which she lived in fear of her violent, alcoholic father.

She told The Sun newspaper: "All of my young and teenage Early Years we lived in fear that my mother would be killed by my father. It was ridiculous. It made me act out to guys and be evil when I was growing up.

"It made me tough. Of course it did. I am an emotional person, but I am a tough person. We didn't really have many options and that makes you feel helpless. And I think that is the worst feeling."