Many fans wonder about the “Queen of Rap” Nicki Minaj. Where is she from? Is she married? How did she get into Rap? And other questions abound. Nicki Minaj’s younger life, as in where she grew up and how she managed to become the woman she is today, is a major source of curiosity. Nicki has legions of fans, yet few know much more about her than the fact that they have heard her music on the radio. We, however, are interested in more than just her music and would like to know about Nicki Minaj’s past, present, and possibly even her future.
Nicki Minaj – a Short Biography
Wishing to know more about your favorite celeb is normal. If you want to dig a little deeper into Minaj’s life, every question you have in mind will be answered in this article. But before that, how many of you know where Nicki Minaj was born? In case you do not have an answer to this, you are not a true fan. Won’t be shaming anyone here for knowing a bit too much or less.
Let’s start with where is Nicki Minaj from? Nicki Minaj was born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago. However, the daughter of Robert Maraj and Carol Maraj was not raised in the same city. She grew up in what they refer to as the ‘concrete jungle.’ Yes, you guessed that right – the New York City. Minaj was only 5 when her parents moved to Queens, NY. However, she did not have the happiest of childhoods. Her father was a drug addict. The famous rapper witnessed violence and abuse from a very tender age.
The tumultuous life that she was living led her into creating a fantasy world that she often visited as a means of escape from reality. She ended up adopting a new name, ‘Nicki Minaj,’ at that time as well. Do not say that you were not aware of this fact about the rapper as well. Yes, she was never born with this name. Minaj’s birth name is Onika Tanya Maraj. The now prominent icon made fantasy her reality and was determined to change her fate.
Her father’s violent nature and her mother’s helplessness made Minaj what she is today. No wonder she is a strong advocate of women empowerment. She never had a friendly relationship with her father, and she is not to be blamed. But one cannot help but admire her for the talented start that she managed to become. Her troubled childhood couldn’t stop that from happening. It fueled her success.
Nicki Minaj’s Road to Success
After talking about the rapper’s struggles and traumatic childhood, the light should also be thrown on her success story. It will inspire many. Minaj was only twelve when she authored her first-ever rap. Discovering in herself a passion for singing and acting, she enrolled in LaGuardia High School of Music and Art. However, getting the formal education in the field did not mean that she became famous overnight.
From graduating from an art school to becoming the queen of rapping, Minaj’s journey has been a roller coaster ride. She kick-started her career as a backup singer for the aspiring rap singer in New York City. She would simultaneously upload her videos on her Myspace page. It was through this channel that Minaj’s wok caught Lil Wayne’s attention. Lil Wayne liked Minaj’s work so much that he collaborated with her, and the duo worked on some mixtapes. The first of these recordings by the name Playtime is Over came out in 2007. That is where it all started. Following the release of this recording, other mixtapes by the duo came out that year as well. The next year Nicki Minaj received the Female Artist of the year award at the prestigious Underground Music Awards.
The Rise and Rise of Nicki Minaj
Having received the award one year into her formal career meant that there was no looking back for this rapper. In 2009 she signed the Young Money Entertainment contract. The following year Minaj’s debut album Pink Friday came out. It was an instant hit among the audiences and made it to the top position on the Billboard 200 chart. But it did not stop here; the album went on to receive the Triple Platinum label, receiving nothing but positive reviews from the rap fanatics.
After a gap of two years, Minaj dropped her second album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. But before this release, Minaj had managed to win millions of hearts with her Super Bowl halftime performance alongside Madonna that year. The album was a smash hit, making it to the top of rap, pop, and R&B charts. Famous tracks from the album included Starships and Va Va Voom. She even went on to perform another hit single from the album Roman Holiday at that year’s Grammy Awards.
Following that, her fans had to wait for another two years before Nicki Minaj introduced her star-studded third album, The Pinkprint. Featuring Beyoncé, Drake, Chris Brown and Ariana Grande, the album went Double Platinum. Giving hits after hits, Nicki Minaj sacked the Best Female Hip Hop Artist Award in 2016 at the BET awards for the seventh time in a row.
The Love Life
Where the star was making it big on the charts in terms of her music, her love life has had its ups and downs. She has had Safaree and meek Mill as partners before marrying Kenneth Petty in October 2019. According to the latest news, Minaj is relishing this chapter of her life. In her own words, her marriage to Petty has been ‘refreshing.’ She further admits that she feels like she’s on top of the world. The fans couldn’t be happier for the queen.
If you came to Rap TV to learn about Nicki Minaj, her personal life and career, you surely got much more than you wanted to know. Follow this space for recent updates and gossips.
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