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Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( NIH-kee mih-NAZH), is a Trinidadian-born rapper and singer based in the United States. Often referred to as the "Queen of Rap", she is known for her musical versatility, animated rap flow, alter egos, and influence in popular music. She first gained recognition after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.

Minaj's debut album, Pink Friday (2010), topped the US Billboard 200 chart; its single "Super Bass" reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified diamond by the RIAA. Its follow-up, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012), explored dance-pop and debuted atop the Billboard 200. The album's lead single "Starships" became an international top-five hit and one of the best-selling singles in the US. Her next album, The Pinkprint (2014), explored personal topics and marked a return to her hip hop roots. Its single "Anaconda" peaked at number two in the US and became the first music video by a solo female rapper to reach one billion views on YouTube. Minaj released her fourth album Queen in 2018, which spawned the US top ten single "Chun-Li". In 2019, her collaboration with Karol G, "Tusa", became the longest-running number-one single on the Argentina Hot 100 chart. Minaj has been featured on various songs and achieved her first two Hot 100 number-one singles in 2020 with the collaborations "Say So" (with Doja Cat) and "Trollz" (with 6ix9ine). In 2022, she earned her first solo number-one with "Super Freaky Girl", preceding her fifth album Pink Friday 2 (2023), which debuted atop the Billboard 200.

Minaj is one of the best-selling music artists, with more than 100 million records sold worldwide. Billboard ranked her as the top-selling female rapper of the 2010s and one of the greatest rappers of all time. She has twenty-three top 10 singles in the US, the most for any female rapper, with six of those being solo songs. Minaj is also the first and only female rapper to have 3 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 chart. Her various accolades include eight American Music Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards (including the 2022 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award), twelve BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, a Brit Award, three Guinness World Records and twelve Grammy nominations. Outside of music, her film and television career has included voice roles in the animated films Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), supporting roles in the films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) and being an American Idol judge (2013). In 2016, Time included her on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Throughout her career, Minaj's outspoken views, social media disputes and her fanbase have received significant media coverage.

Albums

2010 Pink Friday
2012 Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
2013 Next Friday
2014 The Pinkprint
2018 Queen
2023 Pink Friday 2
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Latest Articles

Features / Music
Watch: Rae Sremmurd, Nicki Minaj and Young Thug - Throw Some Mo
Raunch, rap, rollerskates, and Rae Sremmurd..
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Nicki Minaj - The Pinkprint
"We finally have the album Minaj promised us five years ago."
Reviews / Live
Nicki Minaj, Pic by Callan Gibson
Live Review: Nicki Minaj, Tyga & Ruby Rose
Emerging from a pink and white neon rocket ship, Nicki Minaj brought so much energy to the stage from the second she graced it.
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Nicki Minaj
It’s a shame that Minaj can’t successfully balance her gritty rap side with her pop persona, as at her best tonight – such as during the fearsome rendition of her verse from Kanye West’s Monster – she’s an arresting and imposing presence.
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Nicki Minaj, Tyga
Minaj whipped out her aggressively provocative choreography, moving against her lavish neon pink ‘Casa De Minaj’ backdrop
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Nicki Minaj, Tyga
The overstimulation of a very triumphant and exceptionally well-produced show
News / Music
Nicki Minaj Re-Announces Tour After Postponement
Pink Friday Reloaded is back on.
News / Music
Nicki Minaj Postpones Australian Tour
It has been pushed until November/December
News / Music
Nicki Minaj Bringing Arena Show To Aus
Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in October
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (Deluxe Edition)
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was always going to be a statement album, and a large affair.
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Nicki Minaj - Hisense Arena
"There’s something almost surreal about Minaj onstage thanks to her incredible proportions, baby-doll voice and flowing blonde weave. She struts around in a strangely disjointed way, a little like a wind-up toy – almost caricaturing the female pop star trope."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Nicki Minaj - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
"She invites some star struck fans who “better know the verse” for a Bottoms Up rap off. The first ‘northsider’ kills it."