Over 20 Hits: How Nicki Minaj Elevated Rap in Queens

Although Nicki Minaj isn’t originally from Queens, the borough became her second home. Here, she grew up, began her creative journey, and ultimately brought rap to new heights with more than 20 hits. Singer, songwriter, TV host, and actress, she rose to fame with her fast rap style and provocative lyrics. In 2013, Forbes estimated her net worth at $29 million, naming Minaj the richest female rapper in history. Read on to discover more about her path to fame on queenski.com.

A Challenging Childhood

Onika Tanya Maraj (her real name) was born on December 8, 1982, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, a country in the southern Caribbean. Her parents are of Indian and African descent. At age five, she moved to Queens to join her parents, leaving behind her grandmother who had cared for her. From a young age, she faced harsh realities: her father struggled with addiction, and he once set their house on fire in an attempt to kill Nicki’s mother.

Despite the challenges, Nicki grew up in a musical environment. Her father, a financial manager, occasionally sang gospel, as did her mother, who worked as an accountant. However, Minaj chose a different genre. She wrote her first rap at age 12 and sang in a church choir for some time.

Nicki received her artistic education at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. After graduating, she tried her hand at acting, performing in the 2001 play In Case You Forget. At 19, she worked as a waitress in the Bronx, which helped her buy a car, but she eventually left the job due to her short temper with customers. Over time, she was reportedly fired from at least 15 jobs for similar reasons.

A Thriving Career

Minaj started her career in the music industry as a backup singer. One day, she posted a video of herself singing on Myspace, where it caught the attention of a local record label. Soon, rapper Lil Wayne offered to collaborate, leading to several mixtapes together. Her first, Playtime Is Over, debuted in 2007.

Minaj’s popularity grew with each mixtape release. In 2009, she signed with Young Money Entertainment. A year later, she released her album Pink Friday, which topped the Billboard 200 chart. The public was captivated by her bold lyrics on sexual topics. She began using pink as a branding element for her albums and later for her consumer products, such as her Pink Friday perfume and Pink Pill speakers.

In 2011, Minaj received several Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance. Following this success, she began performing around the world.

Her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was released in 2012. The following year, Minaj joined the judging panel on the reality show American Idol, where contestants compete to be crowned America’s top new talent. Her frequent disputes with co-hosts and candid criticism stirred considerable discussion, and she left the show after one season.

The controversy hardly affected her success. In 2013, she set two records: becoming the most charted female rapper in the history of the Billboard singles chart and the first person to win the BET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist four times consecutively. That same year, she performed 44 shows, a record among female rappers. In 2014, she released her third studio album, The Pinkprint, featuring several songs about the heartbreak of ending a romantic relationship. Her single Anaconda was Grammy-nominated for Best Rap Song in 2015.

After a few years’ hiatus, Minaj returned to the rap scene in 2018 with her album Queen, collaborating with popular artists like Eminem, The Weeknd, and Ariana Grande. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Fans finally heard her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, in 2023, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, making Minaj the first female rapper with three No. 1 albums on the chart.

10 Fascinating Facts

1. Besides bold, sometimes controversial rap songs, Nicki also has deeply emotional tracks, found in The Pinkprint.
2. She created her own dictionary, Nictionary, compiling slang she uses when interacting with her fans.
3. At 15, Nicki had an abortion. In her song All Things Go, she described it as the hardest experience of her life, believing she had nothing to offer a child at the time.
4. In 2016, she made Time magazine’s list of “100 Most Influential People” for her work ethic and empowering women.
5. Nicki draws inspiration from American designer Betsey Johnson, with whom she became friends in 2011. Minaj’s style, like Johnson’s, is known for its bold and sometimes extravagant touches.
6. She became the first female rapper to perform at New York’s Yankee Stadium, joining Kanye West and Jay-Z in a historic hip-hop concert.
7. Nicki loves chicken wings. Although a superstar, she can’t resist fried wings when it comes to food.
8. Her tattoo translates from Chinese as “God will be with you,” which she recalls every time she aims for new achievements.
9. Nicki has always been outspoken, unafraid to share her opinions. In 2018, she clashed with fellow hip-hop star Cardi B. At a New York Fashion Week party, Cardi threw a shoe at Nicki, accusing her of influencing other artists against her. Nicki left the event looking unbothered, and the feud continued online.
10. She also had a public spat with Miley Cyrus, calling out the singer from the stage after Miley criticized Nicki’s attitude in a New York Times interview. Nicki’s response went viral online.

Personal Life

In 2019, Nicki married Kenneth Petty, whom she had known since childhood. Petty, however, had a criminal history, including a four-year prison sentence for attempted rape. He was also convicted of manslaughter during a shooting incident and served seven additional years. After moving to California, Petty failed to register as a sex offender, resulting in a 120-day house arrest sentence.