In the new "Men of the Year" issue of GQ, which hits newsstands Tuesday, Jennifer Lopez takes her place as the magazine's Icon of the Year, talking about her career, empowerment and her movie, "Hustlers."
The based-on-real-life film starred Lopez as Ramona, a stripper at a high-end gentlemen's club, who launches a scheme to scam her and her co-workers' wealthy clients. Unlike Ramona, Lopez says money isn't always her focus.
(MORE: Jennifer Lopez talks about 'the journey of becoming whole on my own' at 50 on 'The View')"I do things because I love them. I didn't get paid a whole bunch of money for 'Hustlers,'" she said. "I did it for free and produced it. I bank on myself."
She added, "That's the 'Jenny From the Block.' I do what I want, I do what I love."
"'Hustlers' was a 'movement,'" Lopez added. "This is our movie where we run s---. They know it's all women producers, women director, women writer, all women starring in it. For me, who grew up with my sister sleeping in the same bed, and then went from one relationship to the other, playing that character, and having to be that independent and in charge, I was just like, 'God, this is so empowering.'"
However, she confessed, "It was scary when I was watching it."
(MORE: J.Lo, A-Rod donate year's worth of food to Tennessee school's food pantry after teacher's viral post)Lopez, 50, also touched on her upcoming co-headlining Super Bowl halftime gig with Shakira. Considering the controversy with the NFL over social issues, she said, "I understand people not wanting to do it."
However, she added, "I feel like it's ... one of the biggest [platforms] in the world to put out whatever message you want to put out. ... I feel that it's a great thing to have two Latina women in Miami headlining the Super Bowl. ... I think it could be a really beautiful celebration."