Nicki Minaj recites Maya Angelou during A&E benefit concert

Up to date: 05:51 EST, 19 November 2015 Nicki Minaj shimmered in gold as she took the stage at a music event in LA on Wednesday. night.

The lines tie in closely to Minaj’s own life and personality, and it’s something she couldn’t help acknowledging, cracking a smile after reading the lines: “Does my sexiness upset you?”

These are issues that Minaj has spoken out about in the past, and the emotional connection is evident in her powerful reading.

Maya Angelou’s iconic poem, “Still I Rise” will forever speak to generations to come.

Both A&E and iHeartRadio partnered together to present the “Shining A Light” event to raise money for the Fund for Progress on Race in America powered by United Way Worldwide to support race-related tragedies across the world, starting with the heinous act of evil that happened at the Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in SC this past June.

Minaj isn’t typically associated with poetry, but she showed that the Maya Angelou poem contained lyrics with special meaning for her.

Many fans noted online that “Still I Rise” was a ideal match for the “Super Bass” rapper.

Joining Minaj for the all-star concert were Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Pink, Sia, Sting and Smokey Robinson, all of whom delivered performances focused on highlighting race relations in America.

But Jill Scott also awed at the concert with the protest song “Strange Fruit”.

Between performances, videos about racial inequality and violence in Baltimore; Charleston, SC; and Ferguson, Missouri, were broadcast to the audience. The event was part of A&E’s ongoing campaign to spark conversation about race in America.