Born Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, now known as Nicki Minaj, has made herself a predominant name in the rap industry. She is most known for her playful, energetic songs with vibrant, upbeat, trendy lyrics. Minaj’s versatility has also granted her endless opportunities with both her and her alter ego.
“Pink Friday,” her debut album, was released in 2010 after she went viral for her mixtapes in 2007. It charted on the Billboard Top 200, following the hit single, “Super Bass,” which reached number three on the U.S. charts. Minaj found instant success with her first project, which allowed her to swiftly gain popularity and a strong fan base. Without ever dropping an album before, Rihanna, Drake, Eminem, Kanye West, and many other influential artists appeared on Pink Friday.
Beginning on Pink Friday, Minaj’s alter ego, Roman, came to play in her sophomore studio album, “Pink Friday… Roman Reloaded.” Some of her biggest songs, “Starships,” “Pound the Alarm,” and “Beez in the Trap,” came off following Roman’s reloaded version of Pink Friday.
Fans instantly fell in love with the eclectic beats and easygoing flow Minaj produces. The aggressive, mean lyrics drew listeners into her realm of rap. Finding fame in such a male-dominated industry gave Minaj a leg in the game to do whatever she wanted. Accompanying the achievements of her early music career, she was invited onto the stage at Super Bowl XLVI to perform alongside M.I.A. and Madonna. Tours followed the show she put on, being known for her controversial outfits, clothing, and demeanor. All the hubbub surrounding her performances made viewers want to see them even more. Minaj’s perseverance to always remain true to her roots helped her gain imminent popularity.
Defined as one of Nicki’s greatest hits, “Anaconda” was born off The Pinkprint (2014), her third studio album. Differing from her older projects, Minaj incorporated more personal stories and stoic tracks into The Pinkprint, switching pace from her normal discography at the time. “Anaconda” layered thick, clever earworms in bars like, “So I pulled up in the Jag Mayweather with the jab like dun-d-d-dun-dun-d-d-dun-dun.”.
At this point, Minaj’s career was at an all-time high. She collaborated with the biggest names in the music industry, making a name for herself on songs like “Monster” by Kanye West, Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and a Beat,” Beyonce’s “Flawless,” and many more. These features went hand in hand with her fairytale buzz.
Four years after “The Pinkprint” was released, “Queen” (2018) was on the market, as was Nicki herself. In late 2018, Minaj married her childhood friend Kenneth Petty and hyphenated her last name. Shortly after the espousal, Petty was found guilty and convicted on numerous rape counts, and he faced lots of prison time. After this, Minaj didn’t release much music, as her life was already busy. Although this intermission paused Minaj’s music career, fans were excited to see what was to come.
July 2020 was an exciting time for Nicki when she announced her pregnancy via Instagram. She also faced numerous press interviews and media outlets due to her lawsuit facing the re-release of “Beam Me Up Scotty,“ one of her mixtapes from 2009. While all of this is going on, tabloids told fans that Minaj’s father unfortunately passed away in a hit-and-run pedestrian accident. She commented on her father’s death a couple of months later in a letter, describing how heartbreaking the loss was. Minaj worked hard to power through this difficult time in her life and still keep up with her career.
Returning from her break from the industry, Nicki came out swinging in December 2023, releasing “Pink Friday 2” and having a song with Ice Spice in “Barbie” (2023). Her newest album reached number one on Billboard, making history as her first solo number one and crowning her as having the most number one amongst other female rappers. This social media hiatus allowed Nicki to prepare for her biggest year yet.
Throughout her entire vocation, Nicki Minaj has earned her spot as the most successful female rapper of all time. Her flexible, resourceful music style enabled her to rise to fame and become prominent in modern music. Audience members worldwide look forward to Minaj’s future and the continuation of her music. Her versatility on many levels makes her one of my favorite female artists.
