Miley Cyrus On Lil' Kim: 'In My Past Life, I Feel Like That Was Me'

If true insight into an artist can be gained through his or her inspirations, then maybe we can finally understand a little more about Miley Cyrus' latest career moves. That thought is particularly resonant since Cyrus, "on the inside," deems herself a replica of Lil' Kim, which might explain the 20-year-old singer's desire to make "hood music."

"In my past life, I feel like that was me," she revealed in a video with Billboard.com in which Cyrus lists her five favorite female singers. (Stop and think about that for a minute, and perhaps -- just perhaps -- her strange new "We Can't Stop" video makes a tad more sense.)

Also among Cyrus' chief influences are Nicki Minaj, which is fitting since she feels she's become a "white Nicki Minaj." In a change of pace from the two female rappers she admires, Cyrus cites her own godmother Dolly Parton as an influence. "Her music, I think, represents my whole childhood," she says.

Watch the video to hear Cyrus' other female faves and listen to her describe her kinship with Minaj and Lil' Kim.