Nicki Minaj and Madonna are "perfectionists".
Diplo worked with Madonna on her ‘Rebel Heart’ album and recently collaborated with Nicki on the song ‘Run Up’ and he says the two stars are incredible to work with because of their attention to detail.
He told Billboard: "[Nicki] seems like so untouchable to me, like she seems so far away and untouchable. But when you get in reach of her, she’s so down to earth. It’s really cool to finally meet an artist like that who really understands how to perfect a verse. Because I have so many songs now, like four or five a week, and go through them real quick. And she takes her time on the record – I like that vibe too. Artists like her or Madonna, some of the people I’ve worked with, are perfectionists and I can appreciate that a lot more when some hip-hop artists just run through songs so quickly. It’s cool to take some time to finish a song."
However, he admitted that Nicki’s perfectionism meant that she was changing the song right up until they recorded it.
He explained: "I was happy with the first [verse]. I was definitely like, ‘Ooh, I’m good,’ but she was like, ‘Nah, let me try again, let me try again,’ and it kept going until the last time when I was like, ‘Yo, we’re mixing this tomorrow.’ I was like, ‘You can’t write any more, I gotta mix this, we gotta release this now. This is it.’ But the final one’s perfect. She’s so good with her timing and style and adding an extra bar or whatever. She’s the master. "