Wiz Khalifa and Nicki Minaj Reinterpret Cyndi Lauper’s ‘True Colors’
Wiz Khalifa’s fifth album Blacc Hollywood includes a nod to Cyndi Lauper. Teamed with Nicki Minaj, the rappers put a hip-hop spin on Lauper’s 1986 hit, “True Colors.”
According to Khalfia’s raps, “true colors” is a reference to his lifestyle – “green inside his pocket” and, of course, his rolling papers. Minaj makes references to her determination to succeed (“… did everything I stated”), and her love for pink (“I branded a color … Can’t to wait to unveil The Pink Print cover”).
Khalifa said he planned to release the song as a single during a recent interview with Yahoo Music. “It’s a really good song,” he said. “That’s one of the stand-out records as far as content. The message is really heavy, especially for our fan bases and people who want to do what we do as well.”
Khalifa said he was honored to work with Minaj. “Nicki has come up and made a name for herself by doing things that no other rapper, but no female has done,” he said.
Though Khalifa and Minaj’s rendition reinterprets the concept of Lauper’s version, it does not use the original music. “Nah, it’s not a sample,” Khalifa said.
Watch the video for Cyndi Lauper’s original version of “True Colors”: