Her Minajesty! Nicki Minaj made a splash in the music trade with the launch of her rap profession — and she or he has been taking the world by storm ever since.
Born Onika Tanya Maraj in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj moved to Queens, New York, at the age of 5 along with her household. She went on to graduate from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, the place she developed a love for performing arts.
After rapping in a New York-based quartet referred to as The Hoodstars, Minaj determined to make a reputation for herself, and she or he did simply that with the launch of her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, in July 2007. She dropped two extra tapes in April 2008 and April 2009, Sucka Free and Beam Me Up Scotty, the latter of which caught the consideration of Lil Wayne. The “Lollipop” rapper shortly signed her to his file label, Young Money Entertainment, and the relaxation was historical past.
As Young Money’s newest recruit, Minaj was tapped as a featured artist on songs together with Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad” and Kanye West’s “Monster” earlier than releasing her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010. Her profession instantly took off as she toured with Britney Spears, carried out at the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and gained numerous awards.
In April 2012, Minaj launched her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which combined rap and pop music and solely made her an excellent larger mainstream star. To promote the file, she launched her first headlining tour, carried out at the Grammy Awards (making her the first solo feminine rapper to take action) and rapped alongside Madonna throughout the Super Bowl XLVI halftime present. In the midst of the Roman Reloaded period, Minaj additionally ventured into the film and TV worlds, voicing a personality in 2012’s Ice Age: Continental Drift, changing into a choose on season 12 of American Idol and starring in 2014’s The Other Woman.
The Grammy nominee dropped her third album, The Pinkprint, in December 2014 and starred in one other movie, Barbershop: The Next Cut, the following yr. Her fourth file, Queen, got here out in August 2018. It was not till May 2020 that she bought her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, due to her remix of Doja Cat’s “Say So.” Her second chart-topper, “Trollz” with 6ix9ine, got here only one month later.
Through the years, Minaj has additionally made headlines for her private life. She dated fellow rappers Safaree Samuels, Meek Mill and Nas earlier than marrying her childhood pal Kenneth “Zoo” Petty in October 2019. The couple welcomed a son the following September.
Scroll all the way down to see Minaj’s evolution!
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Nicki Minaj Through the Years: From Rap Queen to Mom and Beyond
Her Minajesty! Nicki Minaj made a splash in the music trade with the launch of her rap profession — and she or he has been taking the world by storm ever since.
Born Onika Tanya Maraj in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj moved to Queens, New York, at the age of 5 along with her household. She went on to graduate from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, the place she developed a love for performing arts.
After rapping in a New York-based quartet referred to as The Hoodstars, Minaj determined to make a reputation for herself, and she or he did simply that with the launch of her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, in July 2007. She dropped two extra tapes in April 2008 and April 2009, Sucka Free and Beam Me Up Scotty, the latter of which caught the consideration of Lil Wayne. The “Lollipop” rapper shortly signed her to his file label, Young Money Entertainment, and the relaxation was historical past.
As Young Money’s newest recruit, Minaj was tapped as a featured artist on songs together with Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad” and Kanye West’s “Monster” earlier than releasing her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010. Her profession instantly took off as she toured with Britney Spears, carried out at the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and gained numerous awards.
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In April 2012, Minaj launched her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which combined rap and pop music and solely made her an excellent larger mainstream star. To promote the file, she launched her first headlining tour, carried out at the Grammy Awards (making her the first solo feminine rapper to take action) and rapped alongside Madonna throughout the Super Bowl XLVI halftime present. In the midst of the Roman Reloaded period, Minaj additionally ventured into the film and TV worlds, voicing a personality in 2012’s Ice Age: Continental Drift, changing into a choose on season 12 of American Idol and starring in 2014’s The Other Woman.
The Grammy nominee dropped her third album, The Pinkprint, in December 2014 and starred in one other movie, Barbershop: The Next Cut, the following yr. Her fourth file, Queen, got here out in August 2018. It was not till May 2020 that she bought her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, due to her remix of Doja Cat’s “Say So.” Her second chart-topper, “Trollz” with 6ix9ine, got here only one month later.
Through the years, Minaj has additionally made headlines for her private life. She dated fellow rappers Safaree Samuels, Meek Mill and Nas earlier than marrying her childhood pal Kenneth “Zoo” Petty in October 2019. The couple welcomed a son the following September.
Scroll all the way down to see Minaj’s evolution!
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Credit: Courtesy of Nicki Minaj/Instagram
Eighties
Minaj, who has two brothers and two sisters, as soon as stated that she didn’t have “a lot of discipline” rising up in New York.
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2007
The rapper launched her debut mixtape, Playtime Is Over, in July 2007. It included songs like “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” that includes Wayne and “Jump Off ’07.”
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2010
Minaj’s first album, Pink Friday, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after its November 2010 launch. Its singles included “Your Love,” “Check It Out” that includes will.i.am, “Right Thru Me,” “Moment 4 Life” that includes Drake, “Super Bass” and “Fly” that includes Rihanna. Pink Friday was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2012 Grammys.
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2012
The MC was a particular visitor throughout Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime present in February 2012. Together, they carried out the Queen of Pop’s tune “Give Me All Your Luvin’” with M.I.A.
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2012
Minaj’s second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, debuted at the high of the Billboard 200 in April 2012. It included the singles “Starships,” “Right by My Side” that includes Chris Brown, “Beez in the Trap” that includes 2 Chainz and “Pound the Alarm.” A reissued model of the album, titled The Re-Up, got here out that November with seven bonus tracks.
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2013
The hip-hop star made her debut as an American Idol choose in January 2013 alongside Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban. She infamously argued with Carey in a number of episodes, many instances in entrance of contestants. They each ultimately left the present after only one season.
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2014
Minaj starred reverse Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton in the comedy The Other Woman, which hit theaters in April 2014. She performed Lydia, the assistant to Diaz’s character, Carly.
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2014
The MTV Video Music Award winner broke up with Samuels round October 2014 after 12 years collectively.
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2014
Minaj detailed her break up from Samuels on her third album, The Pinkprint, which was launched in December 2014 to important acclaim. The file included singles akin to “Anaconda,” “Only” that includes Drake, Wayne and Brown, “Truffle Butter” that includes Drake and Wayne and “The Night Is Still Young.” It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2016 Grammys.
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2017
Minaj introduced her breakup with Mill in January 2017 after practically two years of relationship.
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2018
After a fun-filled fling, the “Massive Attack” rapper and Nas went their separate methods in January 2018.
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2018
In August 2018, Minaj launched her fourth album, Queen, which included songs like “Barbie Dreams,” “Chun-Li” and “Good Form.”
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2019
The BET Award winner married Petty in October 2019 in Los Angeles with only a minister current. Their low-key wedding ceremony occurred practically one yr after the New Yorkers rekindled their flame.
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2020
Doja Cat helped Minaj get her first No. 1 single in May 2020 with their collaboration, “Say So.”
Credit: Courtesy of Nicki Minaj/Instagram
2020
After asserting her being pregnant in July 2020, Minaj gave beginning to her and Petty’s son that September.
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2021
Minaj bought actual about balancing her profession with motherhood in a July 2021 Instagram Live. “To the women that have to get up and go to work every day and leave the baby in daycare, God bless you,” she stated. “Like, I know that’s not easy. Like, I can do a photoshoot for two hours and when I see my baby, I feel guilty. I feel like, ‘Oh, my God.’”
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2022
The “Super Bass” artist opened up about how motherhood has been the “biggest freaking blessing” throughout a dialog with Jada Pinkett Smith for Interview journal revealed in October 2022.
“I’m so happy that God allowed me to experience this,” Minaj gushed. “I’ve always loved children and I’ve always been great with children, but in the last few years I started thinking, I know it’s going to be a huge shift for me because I’m used to going wherever I want, whenever I want, and I knew having a baby was going to change all that. But I absolutely love it.”
Despite the rapper saying she had “real bad separation anxiety” whereas being away from her son, Minaj bought again to work by cohosting the 2022 MTV VMAs and accepted the coveted Video Vanguard Award whereas performing a medley of her high hits.
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