WATCH: Nicki Minaj's Unreleased Video Surfaces Online

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj "Dirty Money" Video

Watch Nicki Minaj in this unreleased video that's made its way online.

Minaj, as we know her these days, is barely recognizable, seen here freestyle rapping without a colorful wig or over-the-top costumes.

I would rather have seen Minaj like this at the Grammys than in her overhyped performance, wouldn't you?

Read: Nicki Minaj's Crazy Backstage Demands

Minaj freestyle raps over Terror Squad's "Yeah Yeah Yeah" before taking it a capella.

She's seen in a hoodie and caps, with only her long fingernails providing any hint of flashiness.

Otherwise, this is pure, stripped down Minaj.

It's always cool to see how artists got their start before they developed a stage persona ... think Madonna and Lady Gaga -- before they were famous.

Read: Lady Gaga Style Slideshow (Photos)

Watch until the end, where you hear Minaj talk about rapping: "I do it for fun. I rap cause I'm good at it. I only rap cause I'm good at it, like really. It really was a hobby for a minute. Then I'm like damn look at the state of hip-hop, what's going on?"

Did Minaj sell out to be a pop/rap star? Would she have become as famous as she is if she had stuck to this style -- without her over-the-top wigs and costumes?

Probably not.

Dirty Money - Nicki Minaj from JAMES DELGATTO on Vimeo.