Nicki Minaj

About Nicki Minaj

Super Bass was still climbing the charts when Nicki Minaj solidified her reign as the Queen of Rap.

Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty was born on December 8, 1982, in Trinidad and Tobago. Her family moved to New York City when she was young, and the city became her home. She began rapping professionally in the early 2000s, hungry and determined to make her mark.

Between 2007 and 2009, she released three mixtapes that caught the industry's attention. The buzz grew louder with each project. By 2010, she was ready for her debut.

Pink Friday arrived in 2010 and changed everything. The album opened with the largest female rap album sales week of the 21st century. It topped the US Billboard 200 and introduced the world to Super Bass, a smash hit that dominated radios everywhere.

She shifted direction with Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded in 2012, exploring dance-pop sounds. Starships became a top-five single and proved her versatility. The album claimed the number-one spot on the Billboard 200, cementing her status as a crossover force.

The Pinkprint in 2014 and Queen in 2018 brought her back to hip-hop roots. Anaconda and Chun-Li became instant classics. These projects showcased her dynamic rap flow, witty lyrics, and the alter egos fans had come to love.

In 2020, she achieved what many thought impossible. The duets Say So and Trollz both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Say So became the first female rap collaboration to top the chart—a historic moment.

Pink Friday 2 arrived in 2023 as her fifth album. Super Freaky Girl became her first solo US number-one single. The album made her the female rapper with the most US number-one albums, with three to her name. Her concert tour following the album became the highest-grossing by any female rapper. Nicki Minaj had done more than survive in hip-hop. She had redefined it.