Trina Addresses Missy Elliott Rumors, "She Is Just My Friend, That's It"

In an industry where many of the women rocking the mic have also been seen rocking handcuffs and alcohol detection anklets, Trina has done her best to remain drama free. In this exclusive, Slip-N-Slide's Diamond Princess drops jewels about music industry catfights, why female rappers need to band together, and those old romance rumors about her and Missy Elliott.

Troubled by hip-hop's current state, Trina is speaking out about the need for unity among women in rap.

"With Foxy going through what she's going through; Remy going through what she's going through; the situation that happened with Kim; we are so out of ourselves," Trina said. "I love Kim, I love Eve and Missy and Brat...We don't get enough credit as we deserve as girls, with so many guys [in this business]. There's not that many girls, and the girls that are in hip-hop don't stick together.

"Put your egos to the side, put all that other foolishness to the side, let's join forces and make great records," she continued. "Let's get on a tour. There are so many tours that go out that are all guys, it's never girls... It could be huge, but nobody takes the chance of putting that foot forward to make it happen."

Fortunately, Trina says her friend and recent VH1 Hip-Hop Honoree Missy Elliott, is working on changing that.

"I spoke with Missy, she is trying to get all the women and girls and do this one big huge record," Trina revealed. "I thought it was a great idea. I don't know if we will be able to make it happen, but it would be a big deal for the women in hip-hop. If not, everybody is all over the place, we don't even have a category at Awards anymore, that's not cool."

Trina also spoke on another "not cool" subject - the old rumors that she and Missy were "more than friends."

"At first I was bothered," Trina admitted. "Missy is a mentor to me, I came into this game and I looked up to her. To have somebody embrace me like that and say you should do this kind of record, this kind of show, I appreciated her as my friend, her being there to give support because everybody doesn't do that.

"When I heard the rumors that we were more than friends, at first I was like 'that's the ignorant minds of some people,'" she added. "But people are going to say whatever, regardless. She is just my friend, that's it. It's never been a more than just friends."

In the end, Trina says she's learned rumors and speculation are just the cost of working in entertainment.

"In this industry if you are seen standing next to somebody or taking a picture you are sleeping with them," she said. "Why can't it just be we are just friends or I just met this person? It's unfair, but it's the business, that's what people feed off."

"Sometimes people don't realize that artists are still human," Trina explained. "It's been times I've been on my tour bus on the road traveling and crying because I've heard something that's not true and I'm upset, but what can you do? Almost nothing. I've learned to just deal with it. I'm able to keep my integrity, keep calm and keep cool. This is entertainment, if I wasn't an entertainer then people wouldn't care, but because I am, they care. Let them keep talking, when they stop talking about me, I'm not working.

Trina's new songs "Single Again" and "I Got a Bottle" ft. Missy Elliott are out now. Her next album Da Baddest Chick Reloaded is scheduled to drop in February 2008.