Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and model.
Early Life[]
Minaj was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago.[1] Her father, Robert Maraj, a financial executive and part-time gospel singer, is of Dougla (Afro-Trinidadian and Indo-Trinidadian) descent. Her mother, Carol Maraj, is also a gospel singer with Afro-Trinidadian ancestry. Carol worked in payroll and accounting departments during Minaj's youth. Minaj's father was addicted to alcohol and other drugs, and had a violent temper, burning down their house in December 1987. She has two siblings.
As a small child, Minaj and a sibling lived with her grandmother in Saint James. Her mother brought the family to Queens when Minaj was five. By then, the family had a house on 147th Street. Minaj recalled, "I don't think I had a lot of discipline in my household. My mom motivated me, but it wasn't a strict household. I kind of wanted a strict household." Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, which focuses on visual and performing arts. After graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, and she was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget in 2001.
At the age of 19, as she struggled with her acting career, she worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx, but was fired for discourtesy to customers. She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons.
Career[]
Born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York City, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009).
After signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj released her first studio album, Pink Friday (2010), which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA). Her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was released in 2012 and debuted at number one in several countries. Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift. In 2013, she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol. Minaj's third studio album, The Pinkprint, was released in 2014. She subsequently played supporting roles in the films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). Her fourth studio album, Queen, was released in 2018.
Early in her career, Minaj was known for her colorful costumes and wigs. Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents, primarily British cockney. Minaj was the first female artist included on MTV's annual Hottest MC List. In 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. As a lead artist, she has earned four top-five entries on the Billboard Hot 100: "Super Bass" in 2011, "Starships" in 2012, and "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda", both in 2014. She has accumulated the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among women of all genres in the chart.
Minaj has been called one of the most influential female rap artists. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including six American Music Awards, 11 BET Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award, and 10 Grammy Award nominations. Minaj has sold 20 million singles as a lead artist, 60 million singles as a featured artist, and over five million albums worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Most recently, she was featured on singer-songwriter, Zayn Malik's sixth single titled, "No Candle No Light" fpr his second studio album, Icarus Falls.
Personal Life[]
Minaj is the only woman to be featured on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list. She made her first appearance on the list in 2011, earning U.S. $6.5 million from May 2010 to May 2011.[2] In 2012, she placed eighth on the list, earning U.S. $15.5 million from May 2011 to May 2012.[3] Minaj rose to the fourth position on the list in 2013, earning U.S. $29 million from June 2012 to June 2013.[4] She made her fourth consecutive appearance on the list in 2014, earning U.S. $14 million from June 2013 to June 2014.[5]
In July 2011, her cousin, Nicholas Telemaque, was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York, which she references in her songs "Champion" and "All Things Go".[6]
In late 2014, Minaj separated from her longtime boyfriend Safaree Samuels. They had dated since 2000. Several tracks on The Pinkprint are believed to have been inspired by the end of their relationship.[7] She also revealed she had an abortion as a teenager in her song "All Things Go".[8] Minaj began dating rapper Meek Mill in early 2015.[9] On January 5, 2017, she announced via Twitter that she had ended their two-year relationship.[10]
Discography[]
- Pink Friday (2010)
- Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)
- The Pinkprint (2014)
- Queen (2018)
Filmography[]
- Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
- The Other Woman (2014)
- Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)
Tours[]
Headlining tours[]
- Pink Friday Tour (2012)
- Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour (2012)
- The Pinkprint Tour (2015–2016)
Co-headlining tours[]
- Nicki Hndrxx Tour (with Future) (2019)
Opening acts[]
- Lil Wayne – America's Most Wanted Tour (2008)
- Lil Wayne – I Am Still Music Tour (2011)
- Britney Spears – Femme Fatale Tour (2011)
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Nicki Minaj Biography
- ↑ CASH KINGS 2011: HIP-HOP’S TOP 20 EARNERS
- ↑ CASH KINGS 2012: HIP-HOP'S 20 TOP EARNERS
- ↑ CASH KINGS 2013: HIP-HOP'S 20 TOP EARNERS
- ↑ Cash Kings 2014: The World's Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Acts
- ↑ Rap star Nicki Minaj’s cousin shot dead in Brooklyn
- ↑ Watch Nicki Minaj’s Breakup-Inspired ‘Pinkprint Movie’
- ↑ Nicki Minaj Raps About Teenage Abortion in New Song “All Things Go”
- ↑ Meek Mill Confirms Relationship With Nicki Minaj
- ↑ Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill Split After Nearly 2 Years of Dating