Nicki Minaj Wishes She Could Change Her Old Lyrics

Nicki Minaj is taking a hard look in the rearview mirror ... admitting there are plenty of lyrics from her past she'd rewrite if she had the chance.

The rap superstar got candid on "The Bryce Crawford Podcast," saying a lot of the music culture she helped shape wasn't exactly leading people toward God ... but rather money, status, and material things ... and she's willing to take responsibility for something she regrets.

Nicki explained ... when she was younger, she didn't fully grasp how much influence she had over her audience ... and there are definitely lyrics she would've left on the cutting room floor.

She also dove into one of music's juiciest conspiracy theories -- the Illuminati -- and while she didn't say whether it's real, she claimed she's definitely had powerful people working against her throughout her career.

Still, she stopped short of blaming some shadowy secret society working undercover in the music industry ... making it sound more like industry politics and personal experiences than a cloak-and-dagger operation pulling the strings behind the scenes.