Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj, also referred to as the “Queen of Rap,” is one of the most best-selling music artists of all time. She is most known for her bold, colorful fashion choices and flowing quick-spoken rap style, with over 100 million records sold worldwide. 

Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, was born on December 8th, 1982. At the age of 5, she and her family moved from Saint James, Trinidad to Queens, New York. Growing up, her father was a drug addict. To escape her household’s troubled environment, she used her imagination to create fantasies for herself. This eventually led to her new name, Nicki Minaj. She authored her first rap at the age of 12, and eventually attended New York City’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts to pursue acting. She wanted to pursue a career in singing as well but unfortunately lost her voice on the day of one of her first auditions. 

Minaj eventually began singing backup roles for New York City rappers and writing her own songs. Lil Wayne spotted her and they started making several different mixtapes, including “Playtime is Over,” her first-ever mixtape. Another mixtape, “Sucka Free,” made her Female Artist of the Year at the Underground Music Awards. Her debut album, “Pink Friday,” included hit singles such as “Super Bass” and “Starships.” Since then, she has released even more successful albums, including but not limited to Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, The Pinkprint, and Queen. Additionally, she has made appearances in films such as Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Other Woman, and has even served as a judge on American Idol.

Despite facing some controversy throughout her career, Minaj has remained a powerful force in the music industry. Minaj has won many awards, including six American Music Awards, 11 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, and 10 MTV Video Music Awards. Through her work, she has paved the way as an inspiration for numerous other female artists in rap culture. One of her most famous quotes, a phrase to live by, is “Shoutout to my haters, sorry that you couldn’t phase me.”

Citations

“Nicki Minaj.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicki-Minaj. 

“Nicki Minaj.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3747326/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm. 

Biography.com Editors. “Nicki Minaj.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, https://www.biography.com/musician/nicki-minaj.