Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (néeMaraj; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj (/ˈnɪkimɪˈnɑːʒ/NIK-ee min-AHZH), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is credited as a driving force in the mainstream resurgence of female rap in the early 2010s. Known for her dynamic rap flow, witty lyrics, musical versatility, and alter egos, Minaj first gained recognition after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.
Her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010), topped the US Billboard 200, achieved the largest female rap album sales week of the 21st century, and spawned the RIAA diamond-certified top-five single "Super Bass". Minaj explored dance-pop on her second US number-one album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012); it produced the internationally successful single "Starships", which is certified diamond. She returned to her hip hop roots with her third and fourth albums, The Pinkprint (2014) and Queen (2018), which yielded the hit singles "Anaconda" and "Chun-Li". Minaj achieved her first two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles in 2020 as a featured artist on Doja Cat's "Say So" and 6ix9ine's "Trollz"; the former was the first female rap collaboration to top the chart. Two years later, she garnered her first solo US number-one song with "Super Freaky Girl", the lead single from her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2 (2023), which debuted at number one in the US and broke several female rap sales and streaming records. The accompanying concert tour became the highest-grossing tour for a female rapper.
Onika Tanya Maraj was born on December 8, 1982,[2][3] in the Saint James district of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.[4][5] Her father was Robert Maraj (1956–2021),[6] a financial executive and part-time gospel singer of Dougla (Afro-Trinidadian mother and Indo-Trinidadian father) descent.[3] Her mother, Carol, is also a gospel singer with Afro-Trinidadian ancestry.[7] Carol worked in payroll and accounting departments during Minaj's youth.[8][9] Minaj's father was an alcoholic and crack cocaine addict[10] whom Minaj described to be "violent" and abusive to her mother. He committed arson onto their house in December 1987.[11][12] She has an older brother named Jelani,[13] a younger brother named Micaiah,[14] and a younger sister named Ming.[15]
As a child, Minaj and Jelani grew up with their grandmother in Saint James in a household with 11 cousins.[12] Carol was working numerous jobs in Saint James before getting her green card at the age of 24. She then moved to the Bronx in New York to attend Monroe College, leaving both Minaj and Jelani in Trinidad with their grandmother. Eventually, when Minaj was five, Carol got her first house, on 147th Street in South Jamaica, Queens and brought both Minaj and Jelani to live with her and their father.[12] Minaj said she came to the United States as an illegal immigrant, although by the time she moved to the United States her mother and subsequently her father had lawful permanent residency.[16] She revealed in 2024 that she is not a US citizen: "you would think that with the millions of dollars that I've paid in taxes to this country that I would have been given an honorary citizenship many, many [years] ago."[17][18] 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."[19] Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, which focuses on visual and performing arts.[4] After graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, and she was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget in 2001.[20]
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.[21] She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons.[22] Other jobs included customer service representative and office management on Wall Street. Minaj recalls buying a BMW as a 19-year-old with the money from waitressing.[23]
In the early 2000s, Minaj rapped in a New York hip hop group called Hoodstars, composed of rappers Lou$tar and 7even Up and hype manSafaree Samuels. The son of Bowlegged Lou from Full Force, Lou$tar recruited Minaj when he and his father heard her work.[24][25] Bowlegged Lou liked Minaj's rapping, and said that back then she was already doing "the crazy voices" in her vocal performances.[26] In 2004, the group recorded the entrance song for WWE DivaVictoria, "Don't Mess With", which was featured on the compilation album ThemeAddict: WWE The Music, Vol.6.[27] Full Force tried to get Hoodstars a record deal but were unsuccessful. They then worked with Minaj as a solo artist, meeting with some record companies, including Warner Brothers, who expressed interest in signing Minaj out of the group but required a ghostwriter for a deal. Minaj refused, adamant that she will always write her songs. Brian George from Full Force said that Minaj was impressive in her ambition, describing her as "broke and hungry" while determined to be in control of her craft.[26]
Minaj continued to work independently and uploaded her songs on her Myspace profile, sending several of them to people in the music industry. Later, Fendi, CEO of Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment, signed Minaj to his label in 2007 under a 180-day contract. Originally using the stage name Nicki Maraj, she eventually changed it to Nicki Minaj after Fendi switched her last name when he met her due to her having a "nasty flow".[28] Minaj released her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, on July 5, 2007.[29]
Minaj released her second mixtape, Sucka Free, on April 12, 2008,[30] and her third, Beam Me Up Scotty, on April 18, 2009;[31] it received favorable coverage on BET and MTV.[32][33] At the time, she was managed by Debra Antney. One of its tracks, "I Get Crazy", reached number 20 on the U.S. BillboardHot Rap Songs chart and number 37 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[34] After Minaj was discovered by fellow rapper Lil Wayne,[35] she signed a recording contract with his Young Money Entertainment.[36] That November, she appeared with Gucci Mane and Trina on the remix of "5 Star Bitch" by Yo Gotti.[37] In a 2011 interview, Minaj said that before she met Lil Wayne, "the person that was spearheading my career was the one person who always told me, 'Don’t be too playful, don't be too kooky and weird... no one's gonna feel that, nobody wants to hear that.' So I stifled a lot of that early on, and then once that we parted ways, I was like, 'Guess what, I’m gonna just be me.'"[38]
On March 29, 2010, Minaj released "Massive Attack" featuring Sean Garrett.[48] Intended as the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, Pink Friday, the song was dropped from the album due to poor commercial performance.[49][50] The next single, "Your Love", later became the album's lead single.[51] Released in June, it peaked at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Rap Songs chart.[34] The rapper was then featured on Christina Aguilera's song "Woohoo", which reached number 46 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 79 on Billboard Hot 100.[52][53][54] In September, Minaj released "Check It Out" with will.i.am and "Right Thru Me" as follow-up singles.[55][56][57]
In October, Minaj was featured on Kanye West's "Monster", a posse cut with Jay-Z and Rick Ross featuring vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Her verse received widespread acclaim with many critics regarding it as the best verse on that song. Complex rated Minaj's "Monster" verse as the number-one best rap verse in the past five years,[58] while Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice stated that "Monster" was "the track that announced Minaj's "brilliance" to most people."[59] Shortly after, she performed "Monster" with West and Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium, becoming the first ever female rapper to perform there. In November 2010, Minaj received her first Grammy Award nomination for her guest verse on Ludacris' song "My Chick Bad".[60]
Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010, debuting at number two and later reaching number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 375,000 copies.[61][62] It had the largest sales week for a female rap album in the 21st century and second-highest sales week overall after Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). The album also became the female rap album with the most weeks in the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart at the time, with fourteen consecutive weeks in the region.[63] Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics.[64] The song "Roman's Revenge", featuring Eminem, was interpreted as a response to rapper Lil' Kim's comments against Minaj,[65] including her accusing Minaj of copying her image and that she had recorded a song called "Everywhere We Go" with Minaj but it was pulled from iTunes by Cash Money because it did not perform well.[66] At the time, Minaj said that "Roman's Revenge" was not about a specific person, but about "everyone who has been in interviews talking", adding, "I’ve been quiet for such a long time and I’ve been the nice guy. I’ve been the person that gave everyone their props ... you can’t be a rapper and not speak on things being said about you".[67] In a 2018 interview, she explained that she wrote the song after "a veteran got at me, and I hit them with 'Roman's Revenge' and then I kept on going."[68]
Minaj in 2011
Pink Friday was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2010, for moving a million units in the United States, with it becoming the first album by a solo female rapper to go platinum in seven years.[69][70] As of March 2016, it has been certified triple-platinum.[71] In 2022, the album was included in Rolling Stone's list of "200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time" at number 31; the magazine stated that Pink Friday "proved you could own the charts without dialing back your confrontational individuality, and it set the table for a generation of artists."[72] In 2024, Vibe named it as one of the "50 Greatest Black Albums of the Modern Era".[73] "Moment 4 Life" featuring Drake was released as the fourth single from Pink Friday,[74] on December 7, 2010. It reached number 13 on the Hot 100.[75] Minaj performed "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life" as the musical guest on the January 29, 2011, episode of Saturday Night Live.[76] In February 2011, Lil' Kim released the mixtape Black Friday referencing Minaj, including artwork that showed Lil' Kim decapitating Minaj with a sword and the lyrics "sweetie, you goin' on your 14th minute of fame" and "you a Lil' Kim wannabe". Lil' Kim sold the mixtape on PayPal.[66] Minaj's track "Tragedy" was released online, featuring the lyrics "Pink Friday, Eminem, 8 Mile/ It must hurt to sell your album on PayPal."[77]
"Super Bass" was released as Pink Friday's fifth single in April 2011.[78] It became a sleeper hit and commercially successful, ultimately peaking at number three on the Hot 100.[34] It was eventually certified 12-times platinum in the US, for selling 12 million units;[79] it became the highest-certified song by a female rapper in RIAA history.[80] "Super Bass" was the highest-charting solo single by a female rapper, at the time, since Missy Elliott's "Work It" in 2002. In 2017, Billboard ranked it as the second-biggest US Hot 100 hit by a female rapper of all time (behind Iggy Azalea's "Fancy");[81] and in 2024, ranked it as the biggest Hot 100 hit of Minaj's career.[75] Its music video has over 1 billion views on YouTube, as of October 2024.[82][83][non-primary source needed]
"Starships" was released in February 2012 as the lead single from Minaj's forthcoming second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.[91] The song reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100,[34] was the fifth best-selling single of 2012,[92] and was certified diamond by the RIAA in November 2024, for moving over ten million units in the US.[93] Her crossover into pop music was criticized by some, despite her commercial success.[94] Follow-up singles "Beez in the Trap" featuring 2 Chainz and "Right by My Side" featuring Chris Brown were released shortly after.[95][96]
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was eventually released on April 2, 2012, two months later than initially planned.[97] It was preceded by the promotional singles "Roman in Moscow" and "Stupid Hoe".[98][99] The latter song was viewed by critics as a diss aimed at Lil' Kim, following her previous attacks on Minaj.[100] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 253,000 copies, and was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA in November 2024, becoming Minaj's highest-certified album yet.[62][101] However, the mix of hip-hop songs and mainstream pop material received mixed reviews.[102] "Pound the Alarm" and "Va Va Voom" were later released as the final singles from the album.[103][104] Minaj along with fellow rapper M.I.A. joined Madonna to perform the single, "Give Me All Your Luvin" during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show on February 6, 2012.[105] Minaj was the first solo female rapper to perform at the Grammy Awards, performing "Roman Holiday" during the 2012 ceremony on February 12.[106] Her exorcism-themed performance was controversial, with the American Catholic League and its president criticizing her performance.[107][108][109]
An expanded version of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, subtitled The Re-Up, was released on November 19, 2012, with seven new songs.[115] That month, she was the subject of a three-part E! documentary titled Nicki Minaj: My Truth.[116] In September, Minaj joined the judges' panel for the twelfth season of American Idol with Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson.[117] Throughout the show there were disagreements between Carey and Minaj, with both of them leaving the series at the end of the season.[118][119][120][121]Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was the best-selling rap album released in 2012 in the US.[122][123] It was also the 25th-best-selling album globally in 2012, with over 1.4 million copies sold worldwide, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).[124] In 2013, Minaj became the most-charted female rapper on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, with 44 entries, and tied Carey as seventh among female artists.[125]
Minaj's first live-action theatrical film The Other Woman was filmed in spring 2013 and premiered on April 25, 2014.[126] As she was working on her third studio album The Pinkprint, she described the album as "a continuation of The Re-Up with a lot more" and said it would focus on her "hip hop roots".[127][128][129] During an MTV interview, she said that she has "much to talk about" in the album.[130]
"Pills n Potions" was released as the lead single from The Pinkprint in May 2014.[131] In July, she appeared on the song "Bang Bang" with singers Jessie J and Ariana Grande, which peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100[132] and marked Minaj's first number-one on the UK singles chart.[133] "Bang Bang" was certified diamond by the RIAA in May 2024, for recognized sales of 10 million units; it became the first all-female collaboration to achieve the certification.[132] Its music video garnered over two billion views on YouTube.[134] "Anaconda" was released in August as the second single from the album, peaking at number two, which became her highest-charting single in the US at the time.[135][136] Its ascent from number 39 to number two in its third week marked the second-biggest jump within the chart's top 40 region, at the time.[135] The music video for "Anaconda" went viral upon release online; it set a 24-hour Vevo record, accumulating 19.6 million views on its first day of release, breaking the record previously held by Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball".[137] It surpassed one billion views on YouTube. On November 9, 2014, Minaj hosted the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards in Glasgow, Scotland.[138] She also won the Best Hip-Hop Award for a second time.[138]
The Pinkprint was officially released on December 15, 2014, and debuted at number two in the U.S., with first week sales of 244,000 equivalent units (198,000 in pure album sales and 46,000 combined album-equivalent units and streams).[139][140] Upon release, critics praised the production and personal lyrics.[141] At the 58th Grammy Awards, Minaj received three more Grammy Award nominations, including a second Best Rap Album nomination for The Pinkprint, a Best Rap Song nomination for "Anaconda" and a Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nomination for "Bang Bang".[142][143] In March 2015, Minaj embarked on her third world tour entitled The Pinkprint Tour and also became the first female artist to chart four songs simultaneously in the top 10 of Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart.[144] At the 2015 BET Awards, Minaj won her sixth consecutive award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, becoming the female rapper with most wins in that category.[145] In August 2015, Madame Tussauds unveiled a wax figure of Minaj, which depicted a pose from the "Anaconda" music video.[146][147] Minaj voiced her approval of the wax figure on social media.[148] The wax figure received criticism from some, including Angharad Welsh of The Independent, who called it "a sexist, racist mistake".[149][150]
Minaj in a 2016 interview
In May 2015, it was announced that Minaj would feature in the third installment of the Barbershop film series, alongside Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, and other original cast members.[151] Titled Barbershop: The Next Cut, the film was released on April 15, 2016. For Minaj's performance as a "sassy" hairdresser named Draya, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Comedy.[151][152] In September 2015, it was announced that Minaj would executive produce and appear in a scripted single-camera comedy series for ABC Family (now Freeform) based on her life growing up in Queens, New York City.[153] The show was titled Nicki and the pilot episode was filmed in Minaj's hometown in January 2016.[153] In October 2016, Minaj stated the filming was postponed for undisclosed reasons.[154]
In February 2017, Minaj featured on Gucci Mane's song "Make Love" and Jason Derulo's single "Swalla" alongside Ty Dolla Sign, the latter of which reached the top ten in several countries, including a peak of number six in the UK.[155][156] Rapper Remy Ma released the diss track "Shether", which, among other claims and insults, alleged that Minaj used a ghostwriter and was in a 360-record deal. The track's release followed interviews where Remy Ma had praised Minaj, rapped over a couple of Minaj's songs, and released tracks that media interpreted as digs at Minaj.[157][158] Remy Ma also released a second diss track aimed at Minaj, "Another One". Minaj responded in her single "No Frauds", featuring Drake and Lil Wayne, in which, among other digs, she took shots at Remy Ma's prison stint for assault, called her a "fraud committin' perjury", and accused her of using a ghostwriter, referring to her husband, rapper Papoose; Minaj also rapped "I never signed a 360, bitch you wild dumb". On her Instagram post promoting the song, Minaj wrote: "Great diss records can’t be lies. Great diss records are FACTS ... Been writing my own raps since I was 11."[159] "No Frauds" was one of three songs Minaj released simultaneously, along with "Changed It" and "Regret in Your Tears".[160][161] On March 20, 2017, with the three songs she released, Minaj broke the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries for a female artist, which at the time was previously held by Aretha Franklin.[162] That month, Minaj also signed with the major modeling agency, Wilhelmina Models.[163]
In May 2017, Minaj opened the 2017 Billboard Music Awards with a medley performance that was described by Elias Leight of Rolling Stone as "flamboyantly produced" and "dexterous".[164] Throughout the remainder of 2017, Minaj performed guest verses on several singles, including Migos' "MotorSport" and Yo Gotti's "Rake It Up", both of which peaked in the top ten in the U.S, at numbers six and eight, respectively.[165] She also featured on Katy Perry's "Swish Swish", which was certified platinum in the U.S. and Canada.[166]
After a social media hiatus, Minaj released two singles from her fourth studio album Queen. She released "Chun-Li" and "Barbie Tingz" simultaneously on April 12, 2018, with both reaching number ten and number twenty-five in the US respectively.[167] She performed "Chun-Li" on Saturday Night Live and the 2018 BET Awards.[168][169] While "Chun Li" appears on the tracklist of the album, "Barbie Tingz" is only included on the Target version of the album.[170] On the red carpet of the 2018 Met Gala, she announced the title of the album and the original release date.[171] "Rich Sex" featuring Lil Wayne was released on June 11, 2018, as the first promotional single from Queen.[172] The second single, "Bed", featuring Ariana Grande was released on June 14, 2018, alongside the album pre-order, reaching number 42 on the Hot 100.[172][173][non-primary source needed] Additionally, Minaj appeared as a featured artist on the song "Fefe" along with Murda Beatz and Tekashi 6ix9ine. It debuted at number four in the US, marking Minaj's highest debut on the chart at the time, besting the sixth place start of "Bang Bang" in 2014.[174][175] It later peaked at number three and was added to Queen in the middle of its first tracking week.[174][176] The day before the album's release, Minaj launched her own Beats 1 (now branded as Apple Music 1) radio show, Queen Radio.[177][178] It became the most-listened radio show on Apple Music in 2019,[179] and ran for 17 episodes till February 2020.[180][181] Guests on the show included Ariana Grande, 50 Cent, and Chance the Rapper, among others.[180]
Queen received multiple delays before finally being released on August 10, 2018.[182][183][184] It debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 185,000 album-equivalent units, of which 78,000 came from pure album sales.[185] It also debuted at number five in the UK and at number four in Australia, marking Minaj's highest debut in the latter country.[186][187] Minaj later expressed frustration and criticized several people including Travis Scott, whose album Astroworld claimed the top spot for a second week in a row, blocking Queen from the top spot. Minaj alleged that Travis Scott sold shirts, merchandise, and ticket passes for an unnannounced tour to boost his album sales.[188] This controversy and Queen's roll-out was documented by several news outlets and commentators.[189][190][191]Queen received generally positive reviews, with some critics deriding the album's length and direction.[192] The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in January 2019, for moving over 1 million equivalent units.[193]
Minaj performed at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards where she also won her fourth MTV Video Music Award for the "Chun-Li" music video.[194] The same month, she featured on the remix of "Idol" by South Korean boy band BTS. It debuted and peaked at number eleven in the U.S. which was the group's second highest-charting song at the time.[195] She also featured on the song "Woman Like Me" by British girl group Little Mix, which was released on October 12, 2018.[196] A music video was shortly released after, with Minaj and Little Mix later performing the song together at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards.[197] She was also featured on "Dip" by American rapper Tyga which reached number sixty-three in the U.S. making her the first female artist to have 100 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[198] She later attended the year-end Billboard Women in Music event, receiving the Game Changer Award for the accomplishment.[199]
In September, Minaj co-headlined the annual Made in America Festival and suffered another wardrobe malfunction when the front of her outfit fell open.[200] In November, she was invited to the DWP music festival in China but did not perform due to problems with the company hosting the event.[201] The next year in April 2019, Minaj made a surprise guest appearance at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival during Ariana Grande's set where they performed their collaborations "Side to Side" and "Bang Bang". However, she experienced technical difficulties with her earpiece.[202] Later that month, Minaj parted ways with her longtime management team after a mutual agreement, with American entertainment executive Irving Azoff serving as her new manager.[203][204]
In June 2019, Minaj released a standalone single titled "Megatron" along with an accompanying music video. In the U.S., the song debuted at number twenty. A month later, she provided information on her upcoming fifth studio album, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, stating that "there's definitely a new album, of course."[205] She featured on the song "Hot Girl Summer" alongside fellow female rapper Megan Thee Stallion in August 2019, which reached number eleven in the U.S.[206] Minaj had a voice role as Pinky in The Angry Birds Movie 2, which was released in August 2019.[207] In November, Minaj appeared on the Charlie's Angels: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on the song "Bad To You", along with Ariana Grande and Normani, marking her sixth collaboration with Grande.[208] Minaj also collaborated with Colombian singer Karol G on the song "Tusa", which was released to streaming platforms on November 7. The song reached forty-two in the U.S. and reached the top of many other charts including the "Hot Latin Songs" chart, which made it the first song with two lead female artists to debut in such position.[209] "Tusa" later became the longest-running number one single in Argentina, spending five months on the top of the chart.[210]
In January 2020, Minaj was featured on "Nice to Meet Ya" by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor.[211][212] In February, she released a standalone song called "Yikes" as a promotional single.[213][214] By the end of that month, Minaj appeared as a guest judge on the twelfth season's premiere of the reality television show RuPaul's Drag Race.[215][216] In May, fellow rapper Doja Cat announced a collaboration with Minaj on two remixes of her song "Say So". The remix later debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming both Minaj and Doja Cat's first single to reach number one in the U.S. It became the first all-female collaboration that had reached number one in the U.S. since "Fancy" by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring English singer Charli XCX did it in 2014.[217] It marked the first time that a song by two female rappers reached the top, for which Guinness World Records later gave them an award.[218][219] A month later, she released a collaboration with 6ix9ine called "Trollz", which debuted at number one in the U.S. becoming her second number one single.[220] This made her the first female rapper to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 since Lauryn Hill did so in 1998 with "Doo Wop (That Thing)".[221]
In May 2021, Minaj released a reissue of her mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty (2009), including new songs previously unavailable on streaming services. The reissue debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, which gave it the highest debut for a female rap mixtape in the U.S.[231][232] A song from the reissue, titled "Seeing Green" featuring fellow Young Money rappers Drake and Lil Wayne reached number twelve in the U.S. In July, Minaj collaborated with fellow rapper Bia on the remix of her song Whole Lotta Money. In September, Minaj collaborated with English singer-songwriter Elton John's fifth collaboration album The Lockdown Sessions (2021). She appeared on the song "Always Love You" with John and rapper Young Thug.[233] Later that month, she split with her previous manager Irving Azoff and is now being managed by Wassim Slaiby, also known by his management company SALXCO, who is best known for managing The Weeknd and Doja Cat.[234] English singer Jesy Nelson released her solo debut, called "Boyz", which Minaj features on. The song peaked at number four in the UK and number sixteen in Ireland.[235][236] In October 2021, Minaj appeared as a surprise host for the season six reunion of the reality television show The Real Housewives of Potomac.[237] In November 2021, her 2011 Pink Friday single "Super Bass" received a Diamond certification by the RIAA, making her the second solo female rapper to receive a diamond certification.[238] Minaj won the Best Hip Hop award in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2021, becoming the sixth time she has won this award.[239]
After a social media hiatus, Minaj released a song collaboration with rapper Lil Baby titled "Do We Have a Problem?" on February 4, 2022.[240][241] It debuted at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking Minaj's 20th top-ten.[242] On the Billboard Global 200, it debuted at number seven, earning Minaj her first top-ten on the chart.[243] Another Lil Baby collaboration titled "Bussin" was released a week later, on February 11.[244][245] In an Apple Music interview with DJ Zane Lowe, Minaj said her forthcoming fifth studio album was "coming very soon".[246] She described it as "fun, gutta, and back to the basics".[247] In March, Minaj and fellow rapper Coi Leray's collaboration "Blick Blick" was released—from the former's debut studio album, Trendsetter (2022).[248] Later that month, Minaj surprise-released the standalone single "We Go Up" featuring rapper Fivio Foreign.[249] ln April, she appeared on English television host James Corden's Carpool Karaoke segment, kickstarting the return of its broadcast on The Late Late Show with James Corden after a two-year hiatus.[250] In July, Minaj headlined the 2022 editions of Essence Music Festival in New Orleans and the Wireless Festival in London.[251][252] On July 28, she released a two-minute trailer of her upcoming six-part docuseries titled "Nicki", produced by Canadian production company Bron Studios.[229][230][253] Minaj's radio show Queen Radio was revived and broadcast on Amp, a live audio service by Amazon, over two years after its conclusion on Beats 1.[254] The show premiered on August 11 on Amp; episodes were made available on Amazon Music after airing live.[255] It was discontinued in October 2023, as a result of the closure of Amp.[256]
On March 5, 2023, Minaj appeared as a surprise performer during Lil Wayne's set at the Rolling Loud California festival.[267] In April, she teamed up with Ice Spice on the remix to the latter's song "Princess Diana"—the first-ever release on Minaj's record label imprint, Heavy On It.[268][269] Peaking at number four on the Hot 100, the remix became the first collaboration between two women to top the Hot Rap Songs chart and made Minaj the woman with the most number-ones on the chart (10).[270] In April and May, she also featured on YoungBoy Never Broke Again's "WTF",[271] German singer Kim Petras's "Alone",[272] and "Pound Town 2", the remix to rapper Sexyy Red and Tay Keith's single, "Pound Town".[273] In June, Minaj and Ice Spice released their second collaboration, "Barbie World" with Europop band Aqua, from the Barbie film soundtrack. The song samples Aqua's 1997 single, "Barbie Girl". It reached number seven on the Hot 100 and extended Minaj's record as the female rapper with the most US top-tens (23).[274] Minaj made guest appearances on Young Thug's "Money" with the late Juice Wrld,[275] and Lil Uzi Vert's "Endless Fashion", which charted in the top 20.[276][277] In October, she released "For All the Barbz", her freestyle of Drake's "All the Parties" (featuring Chief Keef), exclusively via her YouTube channel.[278] With the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards, she became the first black artist and female rapper to win Best US Act in the award show's history.[279] In December, Minaj performed on the Atlanta and Miami dates of iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball Tour 2023.[280] She conducted a New Year's Eve concert at the E11Even nightclub in Miami.[281]
Minaj's fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2 was released on December 8, 2023, her birthday,[282] after multiple date delays.[283] The sequel to her debut album Pink Friday, it is primarily a hip hop, R&B and pop rap record featuring several collaborations, and received generally favorable reviews from critics.[284][285][286] The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, with 228,000 album-equivalent units, marking Minaj's first album since 2012 to do so. The album broke multiple records, including making Minaj the female rapper with the most US number-one albums (3) in chart history,[287] earning the highest first-week vinyl sales for a female rap album in history,[287] and breaking the record for the most global single-day streams for a female hip hop album on Spotify.[288] Fourteen tracks from the album appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, two of which charted in the top 40—"Everybody" featuring Lil Uzi Vert and "Needle" featuring Drake.[289] Two deluxe versions of Pink Friday 2 were released.[290][291][292] The album was certified platinum by the RIAA in March 2024.[80]
The album's lead single, "Super Freaky Girl", which samples Rick James's 1981 song, "Super Freak", was released in August 2023.[293][294] Debuting atop the Billboard Hot 100, it marked Minaj's third US number-one, her first solo chart-topper, and the first solo song by a female rapper to debut at number one in the US in the 21st century.[295] Minaj spoke on Instagram Live about her frustration with "Super Freaky Girl" being considered in the pop categories instead of rap for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Naming other examples of category mismatches, she said that if the song was not considered fitting for the rap category, Latto's "Big Energy", which has the same producer, would also not be suitable for the category.[296] Minaj argued that her song was moved to pop to have less competition in the rap categories, alleging that it is part of a general corporate agenda to prop up newer artists over veterans.[297][296] She added that she would have no problem with it being moved from rap to pop if they were "all being treated fairly".[298][299]
"Red Ruby da Sleeze" was released as the album's second single in March 2023,[300] followed by the third single "Last Time I Saw You" in September 2023.[301] "Everybody" and "FTCU" became subsequent singles in January 2024;[302][303] "Red Ruby da Sleeze" and "FTCU" reached the top 15 on the Hot 100.[304][305] On January 26, 2024, Megan Thee Stallion released the song "Hiss", which was believed to include jabs at Minaj and her husband.[306] Soon after, Minaj did an Instagram live where she previewed a rap she made on the live, titled "Big Foot", which was released on January 28.[307][308] The song broke first-day records for the highest solo female rap debut in Apple Music history, and the biggest solo female rap debut on Spotify and YouTube in 2024.[309] It debuted at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[310] The song also extended Minaj's record as the female rapper with the most, and woman with the second-most, top-tens (46) on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, behind Aretha Franklin (52).[311]
In support of Pink Friday 2, Minaj embarked on its namesake world tour, her most extensive tour yet, from March to October 2024.[312][313] The tour included her headlining slots at ten festivals.[314] It became the highest-grossing tour by a female rapper in history and the fourth-highest-grossing tour by a rapper or hip hop artist, with over $108 million in revenue, based on the first 70 shows.[315][316][317] It was nominated for Hip-Hop Tour of the Year at the upcoming 2025 Pollstar Awards.[318] Minaj was nominated for Best Rap Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media, along with Ice Spice, for "Barbie World" at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.[319] She led the nominations among women for the BET Awards 2024, with six,[320] and won Best Female Hip Hop Artist—her seventh win in the category, and first since 2016.[321] At the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards, Pink Friday 2 became the first album by a solo woman to win Album of the Year.[322] Minaj was set to release a deluxe version of the album, titled Gag City Reloaded,[323] but announced in September 2024 that she had scrapped it in favor of making her sixth studio album.[324]
Artistry
Musical style and lyrics
When I started rapping, people were trying to make me like the typical New York rapper, but I'm not that. No disrespect to New York rappers, but I don't want people to hear me and know exactly where I'm from.
— Minaj on her rapping style in a Billboard interview[22]
Minaj is known for her animated rap flow, witty lyrics, and musical versatility.[325][326] Her rapping is distinctive for its varying cadence and speed, and use of alter egos and accents, including British cockney.[327][328] Minaj said in 2010: "I want to be a balanced artist ... this is all years of me learning me and my style, and deciding to do something different that would get everyone's attention."[329] Her background in performing arts contributed to her vocal approach and overall artistry.[330] She said that rapping is both an art and a sport to her, she enjoys changing up her rap flow, and sometimes spends hours revising her work. "I love that people never know what Nicki they are going to get on a particular song. I like bringing out a different side."[331]
Minaj has made use of metaphors, punch lines, and word play. She often incorporates personas, using different accents or cadences. Marc Hogan of Spin said that through her character Roman, Minaj "tap[ped] into the fire-breathing, giddily nihilistic spirit that drew so many rap heads to her mixtapes ... as well as her guest appearances on others' tracks.[332]Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called Minaj a "nimble, evocative rapper" and "intricate lyricist" with a "gift for comic accents and unexpected turns of phrase. She's a walking exaggeration, outsize in sound, personality and look. And she's a rapid evolver, discarding old modes as easily as adopting new ones."[328]PopMatters' Nick Soulsby called her lyrics and delivery "a firework display of sharp metaphors, humorous comebacks and putdowns, a rainbow of emotion backed up by a talent for wordplay", adding that "while many rappers lean into a single style from start-to-end of a song — or even a career — Minaj is alive to the potential of her performances and challenges herself on the mic".[333] Writing for Paper magazine, Liza Dye said that Minaj's first mixtape "established her lyrical talent and knack for creating a colorful world filled with witty rap references, vocal impressions and memorable characters."[334]The New York Times' Roxane Gay characterized Minaj's work by "urgent lyrics, spitting in a range of voices and accents", containing "wit and sly humor", and her raps ranging "from bold and aggressive, to coquettish, to wanton and sultry, with a soupçon of women’s empowerment", while her pace "is often breathless but her diction is impeccable."[335]
AllMusic described her artistry as a "unique combination of ferocity and humor, and a rap style built on razor-sharp wordplay, mercilessly blunt lyricism, and delivery that turns on a dime from sugary to snarling".[325]Evening Standard's Jochan Embley wrote that her lyrics "stare gender and race in the eye", and are "fierce, hilarious, bombastic and deadly serious, often all bundled together in one. If she's not taking aim at other rappers ... she's promoting body confidence or providing a commentary on social issues."[336][337]Complex said that Minaj has written bars that are "as insulting as they [are] clever", and praised her versatility as a rapper "with varied flows, ranging from sing-song to pummeling, and lines as personal as they [are] provocative", noting that "she could go as pop as she wants, but for Minaj, it all returns to rap."[338] Tara Colley of The Conversation described Minaj as a "pre-eminent female rapper", writing that she "consistently straddled the distinct personas of gangsta boss and sexy pop siren without truly committing to either" and her "chameleonic ability" yields debate on which version of Minaj rap fans prefer.[339] Writing for Esquire, Terron Moore said that one of Minaj's traits as an artist is her "fearlessness", a staple of "Nicki the Lyricist, the venomous, schizophrenic man eater who out-pens her male competitors, and her trail of guest verses".[340] Robby Seabrook III of XXL included Minaj in a list of "most unique flows from rappers over the last five years", writing that she "has solidified her spot as a leader of the pack for her animated flows, inspiring many other women in hip-hop to play with their vocals. She goes from campy to bellicose, excited to eccentric, oftentimes all on one song."[341]
As a hip hop artist,[342][343] Minaj's discography comprises various styles and sounds fused with hip hop, R&B, and pop.[326][344][345] Several of her albums have been described as genre-blending.[326][346] Minaj occasionally lends herself to electronic music genres,[347] with Pink Friday marking her exploration of the genre, spawning the electropop-laden "Super Bass".[348][349] Also combining hip hop with electronic music, Minaj's second album, Pink Friday Roman Reloaded, has several electro-rap and electro pop songs including "Roman Holiday", "Beez in the Trap", and "Starships".[354] Zoe Johnson of XXL, stated in 2021 that in recent years Minaj's "beat selection has moved to refined production full of grit and hip-hop flare".[355] Her fifth album Pink Friday 2 incorporates drill, pop, dancehall, afrobeats, R&B, Jersey club, and trap.[356]
Alter egos
With her parents frequently fighting during her childhood, Minaj lived through characters she created as a means of escape. She recalled that "fantasy was my reality" and her first identity was Cookie. She then moved on to Harajuku Barbie and, later, Nicki Minaj.[357] In November 2010, Minaj assumed the alter ego Nicki Teresa, wearing a colorful headdress and calling herself "healer to her fans" during a visit to the Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse Studios in New York.[358] She introduced another alter ego, Rosa (pronounced with an exaggerated R), to commemorate her December 2010 appearance on Lopez Tonight.[359]
One of Minaj's most well-known alter-egos is Roman Zolanski, who Minaj described as a "demon", a "lunatic", and a gay boy that lives inside of her.[360][361] On "Roman's Revenge", Minaj and Eminem collaborated as their respective alter egos Roman and Slim Shady.[362] Minaj also introduced the character of Roman's proper British mother, Martha, in "Roman's Revenge".[363][361] In December 2023, in response to a fan inquiry on Martha ever returning, Minaj confirmed that Martha had died of old age.[364] Minaj's other personas in her music include Chun-Li and Queen Sleeze.[360]
Influences
Minaj called rappers Lil Wayne (left), Foxy Brown (center), and Jay-Z (right) her three biggest influences.
Minaj cited Lil Wayne, Foxy Brown, Jay-Z, and Biggie as major influences.[335][365] She said, "I can't even imagine my career, my creative spirit without Wayne".[38][366] On Foxy Brown and Jay-Z, Minaj stated: "I really loved [Foxy] as a female rapper. I was really interested in her mind and her aura, [and] I was really, really into Jay-Z. Me and my friends in high school, we were reciting all of the Jay lyrics."[367] She deemed Foxy Brown "the most influential female rapper" for her.[368]
Minaj called Betsey Johnson a fashion inspiration: "[Betsey] is a free spirit. When I met her the other day, I felt like I knew her for my whole life. ... She's amazingly talented and I've been wearing her clothes forever."[379] Minaj also expressed appreciation for Cyndi Lauper's style and how her videos inspired her as a teenager: "When I first went to get my hair colored, I was about 14 and I wanted blonde highlights. ... I've always been experimenting. Cyndi Lauper's videos – that's what intrigued me."[380] Other fashion influences include Janet Jackson,[381]Salt-N-Pepa,[381]Grace Jones,[382] Lil' Kim,[383] and Marilyn Monroe.[384] She also mentioned that actress Jada Pinkett Smith was one of her role models.[385]
Cultural impact
Various publications have referred to Minaj as the "Queen of Rap" and the "Queen of Hip Hop".[386][387] She is also regarded as one of the most influential rappers of all time.[388] In 2012, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called Minaj "the most influential female rapper of all time", and in 2015 Vanessa Grigoriadis from its magazine called her "the world's biggest female rap superstar".[328][389] In 2019, Complex ranked her eighth on their list of best rappers of the 2010s, the only female rapper on the list, calling Minaj "the most important female rapper of this decade—and quite possibly of all time", and a "trendsetter" who "continuously redefin[es] what it means to be a crossover rapper."[390] Minaj was ranked as the tenth-greatest rapper and greatest female rapper of all time on Billboard and Vibe's list of the 50 greatest rappers (2023).[326] In 2024, Billboard stated that while "hip-hop has continued to cycle through rappers looking to knock Minaj off the throne", she "remains at the apex of the rap mountain 15 years after the release of her breakout mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty".[391]The Source described Minaj as "one of the most influential figures in the global music scene", noting that she "has consistently redefined US rap/hip-hop since her debut album Pink Friday".[392]
Minaj's work and career has been deemed groundbreaking by multiple publications.[393][336][392][394] In Evening Standard, Jochan Embley named her one of the most influential rap artists of all time, writing that she "repeatedly [broke] down barriers for female artists in the scene" and "everything she does is bold, fearless and distinct – whether that be her eye-popping stage attire or her expertly delivered lyrics".[336][337]Sowmya Krishnamurthy of NPR Music said that "in a genre where men dominate the uppermost echelon", Minaj "indelibly changed the landscape for artists in hip-hop for the past decade, showing a complex visage: the ferocious emcee who's just as comfortable being the girl-next-door, glammed-up Barbie doll or rambunctious alter-ego Roman".[395] In 2020, Nick Soulsby of PopMatters called her the "best female rapper and the best rapper of the past ten years – no gender preposition required."[333]Billboard said she "redefined success for women in hip-hop" in the decade.[396]MTV Latin America named her as one of "The Most Influential Women in the History of Music", being the only rapper on the list.[397] In 2024, Billboard ranked Minaj at number 13 on its "Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century" list, with Kyle Denis writing she "isn't just the greatest female rapper [...] she's also one of the key architects of how pop music sounds, how pop fandom functions and how pop stars are perceived both online and in real life".[398] Her success as a female rapper "has been a landmark step towards gender equality in the rap industry", Bustle remarked.[399]Nylon writer Demicia Inman said her impact "stands as one of the most successful rappers of the millennium", while she "was required not just to rap well beyond her male peers, but also to be likable. In rejecting respectability politics, [Minaj] in-turn fueled a landmark career", during which she has "battled misogyny and industry bias against black women to carve her own identity and sound" and "highlighted and helped shift double standards".[400]
The New York Times's Caramanica wrote that Minaj "became a nimble, evocative rapper", an "intricate lyricist", a "thoughtful singer", a "risky performer", and "invented new personae." "More than any other rapper in the mainstream, she pushed hard against expectations", becoming "her own watermark".[328] NPR's Erik Nielson said in 2014 that Minaj's "success over the last decade has stood as an exception to the unwritten rule that women rappers no longer have a place among elite artists".[401]Complex stated that "from her bold outfits to her multi-colored wigs, Minaj oozed confidence that inspired others who were watching closely".[402]Glamour included Minaj in its list of 104 women who defined 2010s pop culture.[403]XXL's Zoe Johnson called her "one of the most versatile MCs to bless a mic", adding that she "helped birth a new generation of rappers that mimic her style and revamp her legendary bars. She's even helped pave the way for a select group of producers looking to create Nicki Minaj-type beats with dope rappers in mind."[355] Writing for The New York Times, Roxane Gay said that Minaj "broadened the definition of hip-hop, making it more joyful, energetic and robust".[335] In their 20th anniversary cover story, XXL stated: "the lyrical giant has become one of the key figures in recent years to help bring the culture to new heights. [Minaj's] work has been outstanding, her contributions countless and the pinkprint she is leaving behind as she goes will be a new guide for many artists to follow."[369]
The Independent described Minaj's rise to superstardom as "almost without precedent".[342]Billboard credited Minaj for bringing female rap back to the mainstream in the US,[404] and ranked her as the top female rapper on its decade-end chart of the most successful artists of the 2010s.[405][326] With over 300 features, the magazine called Minaj a "rap and pop icon", adding that "she's been one of popular music's most reliable guest performers, notching dozens of chart hits as a supporting presence on other artists' singles".[406]Complex said Minaj was able "take a simple song and turn it into a smash hit just because she's featured on it".[407] She "made almost a second career" out of her features, and is the female artist in hip hop who has done the most collaborations with lesser-known artists, Forbes stated. While "opting to spend the time and energy to help many acts secure their big break", Minaj also "cemented her status as a superstar—one who can succeed with any type of track."[408] Minaj became the most successful female hip hop artist in history.[409][410] Michael Saponara of Billboard wrote that she "reaffirmed living legend status" by "hitting the road for the Pink Friday 2 World Tour"—which became the highest-grossing tour by a female rapper and one of the top five highest grossing hip hop tours in history—and proved herself as rap's "centrifugal female force".[391][316][317] With the tour, Minaj "etched her name in the annals of music history", The Source noted, while she "leaves behind a legacy of groundbreaking achievements and artistry".[411]
Minaj's verse on Kanye West's "Monster" was critically acclaimed, with many critics considering it the best verse in the song.[442][443][337] It had a significant role in establishing Minaj as a "top tier talent who dispelled gender distinctions in rap", and was "the first time the conversation was ever about a female out-classing her male contemporaries", Pitchfork stated.[444][445] The Los Angeles Times named Minaj's verse as one of the 50 greatest moments in hip hop history, writing: "Minaj was already a multiplatinum headliner by the time she laid down her song-stealing verse on Kanye West's all-star romp "Monster" ... Minaj's performance, as much a defiant declaration of women's empowerment as a gloriously unhinged lyrical flex, ranks as one of the most memorable mic drops in rap history."[446] West said that at one point he considered removing her verse from the track, because he was worried it would outshine his own work: "I knew people would say that was the best verse on the best Hip Hop album of all time or arguably top ten albums of all time. ... and people to this day would say to me 'My favorite thing was Nicki Minaj's verse'."[447]
Minaj has been praised by other hip hop artists over the years. Rick Ross said he was impressed seeing Minaj write her verse on "Monster" and deliver her performance, deeming it the moment he knew she was "one of the greatest".[448] Kanye West considered Minaj "the scariest artist in the game right now". "She has the most potential out of everyone to be the number-two rapper of all time, cause nobody’s gonna be bigger than Eminem".[449]50 Cent called Minaj an "alpha female", adding that "[she] happens to be a girl, but that n***a is tough".[450]RZA complimented her "versatility of lyricism and approach".[451]Ice-T said that Minaj "does her thing. She has her own way of doing it. She has an ill vocal delivery. She kind of reminds me of a female Busta Rhymes, like how she throws her voice in different directions."[452]Chance the Rapper highlighted Minaj's work "beyond hip hop ... streaming rights, like the rights of us like to let us connect the money were owed, the rights of Billboard to start accounting streams that they weren't counting - that was Nicki Minaj. So I respect Nicki in a whole different way."[414]
As of 2021, Minaj has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her the best-selling female rapper and one of the best-selling music artists globally.[460] Minaj achieved the largest album sales week of the 21st century among female rappers with her debut studio album Pink Friday, and second-largest of all time after Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill(1998).[461] In 2010, she became the first female solo artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously.[462] In 2017, Minaj broke the record for the most Hot 100 entries by a female artist (until December 2020), surpassing Aretha Franklin, and in 2018, she became the first woman to accumulate 100 entries on the Hot 100.[463][464][465][466] Her 2019 collaboration with Karol G, "Tusa", was the first song by two lead female artists to debut atop the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.[467] In 2022, with the number-one Hot 100 debut of her single "Super Freaky Girl", she became the first solo female rapper to debut atop the chart since Hill in 1998, and the first female rapper to debut a solo song at number one in the 21st century.[295] Minaj has the most number-ones, top-tens, and appearances on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (8, 47, and 145) among female artists.[468][469] She has 23 top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the most for any female rapper.[470] She is the female rapper with the most Hot 100 entries, top 40 entries, and Digital Songs chart-toppers.[471] In 2023, she became the first female rapper to earn three number-one albums on the Billboard 200.[287] Her fifth studio album Pink Friday 2 earned the highest first-week vinyl sales for a female rap album in US history.[287] Her Pink Friday 2 World Tour (2024) grossed over US$108 million, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing tour of all time by a rap or hip hop artist, the highest-grossing tour by a female rapper, and the first among female rappers to surpass US$100 million in revenue. It also made Minaj the fifth Black female artist in history to surpass the mark from a single tour.[316][317]
Minaj is the first woman to have appeared on the Forbes "Hip Hop Cash Kings" list since its inception in 2007, having made four consecutive appearances between 2011 and 2014.[472][473][474][475] In 2010, she became the first woman to appear on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List since its inception in 2007.[476] The following year, she was ranked sixth on the Rolling Stone master ranking of the "Kings of Hip Hop", which is based on record sales and social media metrics.[477] In 2019, she became the first female rapper to achieve 100 million certified units by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), across her albums and songs.[478] She has 11 million albums and 54.5 million digital singles units as a lead artist in the United States; making her the 35th highest-certified artist, 13th highest-certified female artist, and second-highest-certified female rapper, behind Cardi B (58 million), on RIAA's Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking.[479] All of Minaj's studio albums have been certified platinum or higher by the RIAA, making her the female rapper with the most platinum albums in the US (five). Her highest-certified album by the RIAA is Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, at quadruple platinum.[480] Three of her songs have been certified diamond or higher by the RIAA: "Super Bass" (twelve-times platinum), "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J and Ariana Grande), and "Starships". The first of these is the highest-certified song by a female rapper, and was just the second solo track by a female rapper to be certified diamond, in RIAA history.[481] "Starships" made Minaj the first female rapper with multiple solo diamond-certified songs (two), and tied her with Cardi B for the most RIAA diamond-certified tracks among female rappers (three).[482][93]
Minaj is the most-subscribed female rapper on YouTube, with over 27.2 million subscribers.[483] In 2021, the music video for "Anaconda" became the first female rap solo song to surpass one billion views on YouTube.[484][485] In total, Minaj has nine music videos with over one billion views across all credits on YouTube, the most among female rappers, and the first to do so.[486] She is the first female rapper to have two solo music videos with over one billion views.[486] Two of those nine music videos have surpassed two billion views: "Bang Bang" (with Jessie J and Ariana Grande) and "Side to Side" (with Grande).[487] Minaj was the fifth-most-streamed woman and most-streamed female rapper of the 2010s decade on Apple Music.[488] As of 2024, Minaj is the most-streamed female rapper on Spotify, with over 36 billion streams across all credits.[489] She has five songs that have surpassed over one billion streams on the platform.[490]Pink Friday 2 earned the most single-day Spotify streams for a female hip-hop album.[288] Minaj is among the 50 most-followed artists and is the most-followed female rapper on Spotify, with over 32.7 million followers.[491]
Public image
Early in her career, Minaj often wore colorful costumes, cosmetics, and wigs.
Billboard listed Minaj as the fourth-most-active musician on social media on its March 2011 Social 50 chart.[492] She is the most-followed rapper on Instagram with over 227 million followers—the first to surpass 200 million followers—and the 17th-most-followed individual on the social media platform.[493][494] She was the most-followed rapper on Twitter in 2012,[495] and among the forty most-followed celebrities on the platform in 2015 and 2016.[455][456]
BET named Minaj as a "gay icon".[496] She has been called as a "fashion icon" by several publications, and was called a "camp style icon" by Refinery29.[497][498][499][500] She has cited Alexander McQueen, Gianni Versace, and Christian Louboutin as her favorite designers.[501]The Huffington Post described her style as "risk-taking" and "far-out", with "bold sartorial choices";[502] In 2014, Minaj reinvented her image, sporting a "natural" and "softer" look, wearing fewer wigs and less colourful costumes.[503] She stated that she "went so far to the other side that there's only one place to go from there. You can either continue doing costumes or you can just say, "Hey guess what? This will shock them even more. Doing nothing will shock them even more"".[503][504]
Early in her career, she made autographing breasts part of her movement to empower women.[505] In 2010, she said that although she originally felt obligated to mimic the provocative behavior of the "female rappers of [her] day", she intended to subdue her sexuality because she "[wants] people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You've got to have something else to go with that."[506][507] Her physique, notably her buttocks, attracted attention from the media.[508][509] Minaj has been included on the annual MaximHot 100 list several times.[510][511]
Minaj spoke about feminism in an interview with Vogue in 2015, saying "There are things that I do that feminists don't like, and there are things that I do that they do like. I don't label myself. I just say the truth about what I feel. I feel like women can do anything that they put their minds to."[512] In a 2018 interview, she discussed sex workers, her own sex appeal, and sexuality in music and on social media, which attracted criticism.[513][514] In The New York Times Magazine, music critic Vanessa Grigoriadis said that Minaj "has become expert at modelling the ways that women can wield power in the industry. But she has also drawn attention to the ways in which power can be embodied by a woman standing up for herself and speaking her own mind."[389] The cover art and music video for her 2014 single, "Anaconda", attracted significant media attention upon release.[515]The Guardian called the video "racy" but noted that she "doesn't shy from ruffling her audience's feathers",[516] while others praised Minaj for "owning her sexuality",[517] examining her work through a feminist perspective.[515][518][519][520] Another writer for The Guardian said, of the "Anaconda" video, Minaj turns "the classic song into a conversation, and [refuses] to let the camera objectify her lap dance by keeping it zoomed out, at a distance."[521]
Minaj's outspoken views, feuds with several rappers, personal life, and fanbase have received significant media attention.[522][523] A portion of her fandom online have been reported to be combative to Minaj's critics, including incidents of reported doxxing, cyberbullying, and death threats from some fans.[524][525][526][527] Minaj was a vocal proponent of streams counting towards an artist's sales and RIAA certifications. The organization announced in 2016 that it would be modernizing the certification process for albums, including on-demand audio and video streams.[412][413][414]
Philanthropy
Katy Perry (left) and Minaj perform for service members during the 2010 VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert.
In May 2017, Minaj offered via Twitter to pay college tuition fees and student loans for 30 of her fans. She appeared to grant their requests, ranging from $500 to school supplies to $6,000 for tuition, promising to respond to more requests in a month or two.[532] She also announced that she would launch an official charity for student loans and tuition payments in the near future.[533] In the same month, Minaj revealed on Instagram that she has been donating money to a village in India for a few years via her pastor, Lydia Sloley. These donations helped the village get a computer center, a tailoring institute, a reading program, and two water wells. "This is the kind of thing that makes me feel the most proud", she said about the new additions to the village.[534]
In August 2017, after Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston, Texas, Minaj answered a social media challenge by comedian and actor Kevin Hart and donated $25,000 to the Red Cross, saying she was "praying for everyone there".[535][536] On September 4, 2018, Minaj appeared as a guest and performed several songs on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[537] Throughout the episode, Minaj and Degeneres, with the participation of Walmart, gave out over $150,000 in donations to fans.[538][188]
In 2019, Minaj pulled out of headlining a concert in Saudi Arabia following online backlash from activists, after women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was detained and arrested for speaking out against the Saudi regime. Minaj was praised by Thor Halvorssen of The Human Rights Foundation, who criticized her initial plan to perform in a letter, and released a statement saying, "After careful reflection ... I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression."[539][540]
In 2020, Minaj donated $25,000 to the St. Jude's Home for Girls school after visiting the school in her native country of Trinidad. In a speech, Minaj encouraged the girls to push through hard obstacles, even referencing her own experience with domestic violence: "I've experienced being in a home with domestic violence. I've experienced, you know, being at a very difficult crossroads in my life as a teenager. And sometimes as a teenager when things happen, you feel like there's no up from there."[541] In the same year, following the release of Minaj and 6ix9ine's collaboration, "Trollz", Minaj announced that a portion of the proceeds from the song, along with profits from all merchandise, will go towards the Bail Project amid the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd.[542] In April 2024, Minaj was one of over 200 artists who signed an open letter speaking to and asking for safety from the "predatory use of AI" in the music industry.[543]
Other activities
Endorsements
Minaj has been affiliated with several manufacturing companies and has endorsed several products during her career. In November 2010, she collaborated with MAC Cosmetics and launched the lipstick "Pink 4 Friday", which was sold for four consecutive Fridays to promote her debut studio album Pink Friday.[544] In 2011, Mattel crafted a Barbie doll with the avatar of Minaj, inspired by the rapper's likeness for charity, which she described as a "major moment" in her career.[545] It was auctioned on the Charitybuzz website; proceeds benefited nonprofit Project Angel Food.[546] A spokesperson for Mattel stated that, "Barbie is obviously a pop culture icon [...] and Nicki is a big part of pop culture and also huge within the fashion industry, as well as a big Barbie fan."[546] Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone stated that the "Minaj Barbie doll is notable in that the rapper has made Barbie dolls a crucial part of her aesthetic."[547] Minaj helped introduce the Casio TRYX in Times Square, and created a six-piece nail polish collection for OPI Products with colors named after her songs.[548][549]
In February 2012, Minaj launched her own range of lip products for MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam.[550][551][552] In April 2012, Minaj helped launch the Nokia Lumia 900 in Times Square.[553] The following month, Minaj appeared in television and internet advertisements for Pepsi's "LiveForNow" campaign, which featured a remix of her single "Moment 4 Life".[554][555] She endorsed the 2012 Viva Glam campaign with Ricky Martin—which benefited the Mac AIDS Fund[556][557]—and was the face of the lip product line that year along with him.[558] With designer Jeremy Scott, Minaj signed an endorsement deal with Adidas for the brand's fall and winter 2012 campaign to appear in internet advertisements and commercials for Adidas Originals.[559] Set to her song, "Masquerade", her segment of the advertisement was filmed in Brooklyn and also featured Big Sean, Derrick Rose, Sky Ferreira and 2NE1 in other locations worldwide.[560] She fronted the Viva Glam spring campaign by herself, which also introduced her limited-edition lip product collection, "Nicki 2", which was launched in early 2013.[561][562]
In February 2013, Minaj starred in Bluewater Comics' Fame biographical-comic series, with her comic book, titled Fame: Nicki Minaj.[563][564] She partnered with Beats Electronics to introduce her "Pink Pill" speakers in April 2013, appearing with DeRay Davis in a commercial for the speakers that same month.[565][566] She introduced her lifestyle product line, "The Nicki Minaj Collection" for Kmart, composed of clothing, accessories and houseware.[567][568][569]
Throughout 2014, Minaj released spring, summer, and fall-themed clothing collections for Kmart.[570] Minaj was the face of Roberto Cavalli's spring-summer 2015 campaign.[571] In March 2015, it was announced that Minaj was a co-owner of the music streaming service Tidal. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music videos. In addition to Minaj and company owner Jay-Z, sixteen stakeholders including Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna, and Kanye West own a 3% equity stake in the service.[572] In November 2015, Minaj released a holiday capsule clothing collection for Kmart and its affiliated e-commerce platform, ShopYourWay;[573] and a limited-edition couture collection which was available via Kmart and her website.[574] In December 2016, Minaj and Glu Mobile released Nicki Minaj: The Empire, a role-playing mobile game for IOS and Android. The objective of the game is to become a rap star.[575] Minaj released an exclusive song "Ain't Gone Do It" for the game.[576]
In 2019, Minaj announced a collaboration with luxury fashion house Fendi. Chief executive officer Serge Brunschwig stated the brand "shares great affinity with her. [Minaj] represents the fun aspect of the brand", and that the collaboration "made sense".[584] A capsule collection titled "Fendi Prints On"—after by the lyric containing the same words on her 2018 single, "Chun-Li"—was released on October 14, 2019.[585]
In March 2022, Minaj fronted the campaign for the "Heaven" spring 2022 collection by Marc Jacobs.[586][587] In May, she was named the new creative director of American men's magazine Maxim and became the global ambassador and advisor for MaximBet, a sports betting brand launched by the magazine.[588] She also came on board as a stakeholder.[589][590][591]MaximBet was shutdown in December 2022.[592] In July 2022, Minaj collaborated with Rap Snacks and released her own potato chip flavor, "Barbie-Que Honey Truffle".[593] The following month, Mattel sued Rap Snacks, claiming the company violated the Barbie trademark and had made a "deliberate and calculated" choice to do so. The lawsuit was settled in September after the company changed the snack's name to "Bar-B-Quin".[594] Minaj released a "variety pack" with Rap Snacks in October,[595] and a "Nocho Nachos" nachos flavor in March 2023, inspired by her 2023 single, "Red Ruby Da Sleeze".[596] Also in October, the rapper appeared alongside Lil Baby, Kane Brown, Pete Davidson, and Bukayo Saka in a trailer for the first-person shooter video game, Call of Duty:Modern Warfare II.[597] A playable character model of Minaj in her "Red Ruby" persona was released as downloadable content for the game in July 2023 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music's origin; her character marked the first woman "operator" of the game.[598] In December 2023, she and Roblox introduced the virtual world Gag City on the game platform to promote her fifth album, Pink Friday 2 (2023).[599][600] Days before the launch, Minaj's fanbase circulated AI-generated content of the fan-made cityscape Gag City, a pink futuristic metropolis inspired by the cover artwork of the album, which the rapper coined on her social media.[601][602]
Products
Minaj promoting her first fragrance "Pink Friday" in 2012
Minaj has a line of fragrances first launched in September 2012. She partnered with 'Give Back Brands' to introduce her first fragrance "Pink Friday",[603] which was nominated for three FiFi Awards for Fragrance of the Year, Best Packaging, and Media Campaign of the Year.[604] Flanker editions "Pink Friday: Special Edition" and "Pink Friday: Deluxe Edition" were released in April and December 2013 respectively.[605][606] In June 2013, Minaj and Mona Scott-Young launched MYX Fusions, a line of fruit-infused, single-serve moscato wine beverages.[607] Minaj is a co-owner, creative director, and ambassador of the brand.[608]
Minaj's fourth fragrance "Minajesty" was launched in September 2013,[609] followed by "Minajesty: Exotic Edition", which was released exclusively to the Home Shopping Network in June 2014. This was followed by the launch of her sixth fragrance "Onika" in September 2014.[610] A year later in 2015, Minaj released her seventh fragrance, "The Pinkprint", named after her third studio album.[611] Her eighth fragrance, "Trini Girl", was released in 2016.[612] In 2018, she released her ninth fragrance, "Queen", named after her fourth studio album.[613] Minaj's tenth fragrance "Pink Friday 2" was released to JCPenney in December 2023, in support of her fifth album of the same name.[614] It was released early on the outlet's webstore and retail stores for a limited time, with no prior announcement, in late November. Minaj revealed she did not know about the initial release.[615][616] The fragrance was also released on Amazon in December 2023.[617][618]
In March 2024, Minaj launched her press-on nails line, Pink Friday Nails.[619] A vegan and cruelty-free brand, it was launched DTC via its webstore,[620] and later made available via Shopify as well.[621]Pop-up stations dedicated to the range were held exclusively to VIP ticket holders on the Pink Friday 2 World Tour.[622] In April, she and British apparel brand Loci released a sneaker collection.[623] Minaj is an investor and co-owner of the brand, whose footwear is handmade using vegan materials.[624][625]
Heavy On It Records
On March 3, 2023, Minaj announced the launch of her record label imprint on an episode of her radio show, "Queen Radio". Minaj did not reveal the name of the label but did say her long-time friend Patty "Patty Duke" Lauren has signed on as the label's A&R. Minaj also unveiled her starting roster: Nana Fofie, Tate Kobang, Rico Danna, and London Hill.[626][627][628]
On March 13, 2023, Minaj revealed the name of her imprint as "Heavy On It Records". The label currently has a venture with Republic Records.[629]
Personal life
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Minaj revealed that she had an abortion as a teenager, which she had referenced in her songs "Autobiography" and "All Things Go". She said that it was the hardest thing she had gone through, and although it "haunted" her she stands by her decision as she "didn't have anything to offer a child" and she is pro-choice.[630] In July 2011, her cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, an incident she referenced in "All Things Go" and "Champion".[631] Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, died in February 2021 in a hit-and-run accident in Long Island.[6][632] Charles Polevich, a 70-year-old man, was charged with leaving the scene of incident involving death of a person and tampering with or suppressing physical evidence.[633]
At a New York Fashion Week after-party in 2018, rapper Cardi B threw one of her high heel shoes in Minaj's direction and attempted to physically attack her; bodyguards intervened, leaving Cardi B with a bump on her forehead. She then alleged on Instagram that Minaj had "liked" negative social media comments about her ability to take care of her newborn daughter. Minaj denied the allegations on her Queen Radio show, stating that she would "would never...speak ill of anyone's child", and expressed embarrassment at the incident.[634][635] She accused Cardi of building "her career off of sympathy and payola", bribing DJs and radios with sex to play her records, and not writing her raps. Minaj also called Cardi a "disgusting pig" for allegedly cyberbullying a caller on Minaj's show by attacking her dead child, and posts calling dark-skinned black women "cockroaches".[636]
In September 2021, Minaj responded to a fan's question about her lack of appearances at public events, stating that she did not want to put her infant at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that she had tested positive for the virus and had to quarantine from her son. She said she was getting the COVID-19 vaccine after she felt she had done enough research, and she would be vaccinated before she went on tour.[637][638] She had also tweeted that her cousin in Trinidad told her that his friend suffered swollen testicles and became impotent after taking the vaccine, a claim that received backlash and was denied by Trinidad and Tobago health minister Terrence Deyalsingh, who stated that there was no evidence of that.[639] In May 2022, Olivia Truffaut-Wong of The Cut stated that Minaj had likely gotten vaccinated as the 2022 Met Gala (which Minaj attended) required proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 PCR test to attend.[640]
Relationships
Minaj dated rapper Safaree Samuels from 2003 to 2014. She said he proposed to her but she declined.[a][641] She dated rapper Meek Mill from early 2015 until January 2017.[642][643] In December 2018, Minaj began dating her childhood friend Kenneth Petty (born April 7, 1978). She announced their marriage in October 2019, hyphenating his last name to hers.[644][645][646] In July 2020, she announced via Instagram that she was expecting her first child.[647] She gave birth to a son on September 30, 2020, whom she refers to publicly as "Papa Bear".[648]
Legal issues
Minaj's husband Kenneth Petty was convicted of attempted rape at age 16 in 1995, serving four years in prison and registering as a sex offender upon release.[649] When Minaj and her husband moved to California, he failed to update his residence on the sex offender registration and was indicted in February 2020; he registered in the state's database by the following month.[650] In August 2021, Jennifer Hough, the woman who accused Petty when they were both 16, filed a lawsuit against the couple alleging harassment, intimidation and infliction of emotional distress, and requested a $20 million default judgement when Minaj did not respond to the lawsuit in time;[651][652] the court declined it, declaring that Minaj was not in default.[653] Minaj filed a response, calling the allegations "blatant falsehoods" and including evidence of discrepancies in Hough's story.[654] Minaj stated that she "never asked [Hough] to change her story", "never offered her any money in return for a statement", and "did not threaten her with any type of harm". She stated that, after her husband's indictment, Hough contacted her via a mutual acquaintance, and in their phone call, indirectly asked Minaj for a payoff, "mistakenly believ[ing] that I would pay her money to take back her accusation against my husband". Minaj said she responded by telling Hough that "the indictment was my husband's problem, not mine, and that he would have to live with the consequences of having chosen years ago to plead guilty to a crime which he did not commit", and that Hough said "I'm not saying it didn’t happen, but maybe it was just a misunderstanding".[655][656] Hough voluntarily dismissed the case against Minaj.[657]
^RuPaul Charles & Michelle Visage (March 4, 2020). "Episode 245: Nicki Minaj & Leslie Jones". What's The Tee (Podcast). Event occurs at 5:47. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
^"Nicki Minaj". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. November 28, 2017. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
^"Pink Friday". Amazon Germany. November 19, 2010. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
^Aaron, Charles; Conteh, Mankaprr; Dolan, Jon; Dukes, Will; Gage, Dewayne; Gross, Joe; Grow, Kory; Hoard, Christian; Ihaza, Jeff; Lopez, Julyssa; Reeves, Mosi; Phillips, Yoh; Shachtman, Noah; Sheffield, Rob; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; R., Christopher (June 7, 2022). "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
^"Nicki Minaj". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. November 28, 2017. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
^Robinson, Joshua (December 15, 2021). "Doja Cat & Nicki Minaj's "Say So" Remix Earns Them A New Guinness World Record". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022. Over a year later, that achievement has now been recorded in the history books, as the Guinness World Records have officially recognized the "Say So" remix as the first song from a female rap duo to become a Hot 100 chart-topper.
^Caulfield, Keith (May 23, 2021). "J. Cole Collects Sixth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'The Off-Season'". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021. Nick Minaj's Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 80,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 63,000 (equaling 85.57 million on-demand streams of the album's tracks), album sales comprise 11,000 and TEA units comprise 6,000.
^Star, Regina (June 13, 2021). "Nicki Minaj Teases Fifth Album, Hints Its Title Is 'Officially Locked In'". iHeart. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021. The reissue pulled off some impressive feats in its waking, having debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest-debuting female rap mixtape in the chart's history.
^ abcdCaramanica, Jon (March 30, 2012). "A Singular Influence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2020. "This hard and complex work has paid off: when she releases her second album, 'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,' this week, it will be as the most influential female rapper of all time."
^"Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat Makes Guinness World Record With 'Say So'". urbanislandz.com. December 15, 2021. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022. Nicki Minaj is quickly cementing herself as one of the greatest rappers of the decade as she continues to rake in accolades over her illustrious career.
^Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (December 11, 2023). "Pink Friday 2". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
Caramanica, Jon (March 30, 2012). "A Singular Influence". The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved March 30, 2022. This hard and complex work has paid off: when she releases her second album, 'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded', this week, it will be as the most influential female rapper of all time.
Ramirez, Erika (March 31, 2014). "Ladies First: 31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2022. Many female rhymers, from Queen Latifah to Nicki Minaj, have destroyed the proverbial glass ceiling to become legends in their own right. In celebration of women's history month, we're spotlighting 31 of the greatest female rappers of all time.
Inman, Demicia (November 24, 2020). "10 years after 'Pink Friday', a look at Nicki Minaj's enduring Legacy". Nylon. Retrieved February 15, 2021. In 2020, her influence stands as one of the most successful rappers of the millennium, regardless of gender identity – which only confirms her power. She battled misogyny and industry bias against Black women to carve her own identity and sound.
"Nicki Minaj is one of the greats". The Fader. October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2024. For her lyricism, her style, and her influence on rappers today, Minaj rightfully deserves to be named one of the greats.
^Skelton, Eric; Diaz, Angel; Tharpe, Frazier; Ortiz, Edwin; McKinney, Jessica; Thompson, Paul; Weiss, Jeff (November 18, 2019). "The Best Rappers of the 2010s". Complex. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
^Byrne, Suzy (May 15, 2021). "Nicki Minaj breaks silence on father's 'devastating' hit-and-run death". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021. Tho I can't really bring myself to discuss the passing of my father as yet," she wrote in a letter to fans posted on her website Friday, "I can say it has been the most devastating loss of my life.
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