Brief history of Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj rocketed to fame with tracks like "Super Bass," "Starships," and later "Anaconda." She is the first female solo artist to have seven singles simultaneously on the Billboard 100 chart.
Synopsis
She may be diminutive, but Nicki Minaj packs a lot of talent into her 5-foot 2-inch frame. Born in the Caribbean, she moved to New York as a five-year-old and has overcome a difficult childhood to become one of the most successful rap artists of this or any other generation. Minaj has also branched out into television and film, in demand for her colorful bubblegum persona and image. She’s active on social media and in fashion and has launched several fragrances. Her label-mate Lil Wayne calls her “an icon” who has “reached far beyond anything I would have imagined. Nicki will go down as one of the best to do it in the history of music.”
Mixtapes Make Way for Young Money Deal
Determined to make it in the music business, Minaj took on backup singing roles for local New York City rappers, including Full Force. Soon, she began writing her own material. She was eventually discovered by the Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who came across Minaj's MySpace page, loved what he heard, and signed her to his label.
That connection led Minaj to Lil Wayne, who collaborated with her on a series of mixtapes, the first of which, Playtime Is Over, was released in April 2007. This and subsequent mixtapes, including Sucka Free (2008) and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009), showcased Minaj's female swagger and out-front style. She signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money label in August, 2009, becoming its first ever female artist. She solidified her growing rep with appearances on the We Are Young Moneycompilation album (2009), also collaborating with Mariah Carey and Robin Thicke.
By early 2010, anticipation had built up around Minaj's debut album, which was scheduled for release that fall. In April of that year, she released her first single, "Massive Attack," followed by "Your Love." Two months later she won Best Hip Hop Female at the annual BET Awards. She dedicated the award to Lil Wayne. The Pink Friday album dropped that November, with eight singles released to promote it. It went triple platinum, and received generally positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly’s Brad Wete was reminded of “her labelmate Drake — fully aware of how amazing she is, but also how fragile.” Minaj displayed a range of alter-egos on her releases, including Onika, Nicki Lewinsky and Roman Zolanski.
Personal life
Minaj is the only woman to be featured on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list. She made her first appearance on the list in 2011, earning U.S. $6.5 million from May 2010 to May 2011. In 2012, she placed eighth on the list, earning U.S. $15.5 million from May 2011 to May 2012. Minaj rose to the fourth position on the list in 2013, earning U.S. $29 million from June 2012 to June 2013. She made her fourth consecutive appearance on the list in 2014, earning U.S. $14 million from June 2013 to June 2014. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Minaj donated $15,000 to the Food Bank For New York City and held a turkey drive at her alma mater, PS 45.
Minaj has stated that after her father went to rehab and began attending church, he "got saved and started changing his life". In July 2011, her cousin, Nicholas Telemaque, was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York, which she references in her songs "Champion" and "All Things Go".
In late 2014, Minaj separated from her longtime boyfriend Safaree Samuels. They had dated since 2000. Several tracks on The Pinkprint are believed to have been inspired by the end of their relationship. She also revealed she had an abortion as a teenager in her song "All Things Go".Minaj began dating rapper Meek Mill in early 2015.On January 5, 2017, she announced via Twitter that she had ended their two-year relationship
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