Nicki Minaj thought about cancelling her tour after a member of her crew was killed last month.

The 'Anaconda' hitmaker has confessed she feels as though she's had no time to come to terms with the death of De'Von Pickett, 29 - who was stabbed to death in a bar in Philadelphia in February - because of her busy concert schedule.

She said: ''I don't think people understand how fast-paced this business is. You never get a chance sometimes to do what normal people do, like mourn a loss. Everything happens so fast.''

The 32-year-old star said Pickett was a part of her ''crew'' and finds it ''devastating to think someone can work somewhere, make a living and then lose their life over absolutely nothing''.

Nicki admits it was hard to continue working when she and the rest of her crew were grieving for their late colleague but she claims she decided to go ahead with her Pinkprint tour so Pierce Boykin - the man who has been charged with his murder - doesn't ''win''.

She told the Metro newspaper: ''My band members took it very hard. They were with him all the time and toured with him for years. When I came to rehearsal after he had been killed, the look on everyone's face - it was heart-wrenching.''

The raven-haired beauty added: ''I can't let anything stop us from putting on the show because that would be quitting. So we're going to continue the tour in his memory.''

Pickett was at a bar with his colleague Eric Parker when he was allegedly attacked by Boykin.

Nicki said on Twitter at the time: ''Two members of my team were stabbed last night in Philly. One was killed. They had only been there two days rehearsing for the tour (sic).''