In an interview with MTV , Minaj discussed the fate of her character and alter-ego , Roman Zolanski . " ... if you 're not familiar with Roman , then you will be familiar with him very soon . He 's the boy that lives inside of me . He 's a lunatic and he 's gay , and he 'll be on Pink Friday : Roman Reloaded ( the new album ) a lot . " Minaj imagined Roman as having been exiled to Russia . " Well , he was there in Moscow secretly because Martha wanted him to go there . So they put him in this thing with monks and nuns ; they were trying to rehabilitate him . " Minaj debuted the character live during a controversial performance at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards . " Roman Holiday " is a fast-paced Hindi hip-hop and pop rap and song influenced by opera music that runs for four minutes and five seconds . It features a complex production , utilizing elements such as rattling sound effects , sonic drops , synths , and lasers . The song also references the traditional hymn " Oh Come All Ye Faithful " . The song received comparisons to " Bohemian Rhapsody " by Queen , taken from their fourth studio album '' A Night at the Opera '' ( 1975 )
54th Annual Grammy Awards
54th Annual Grammy Awards
Roman Holiday (song)