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Nicki Minaj Biography

Birth Name:
Onika Tanya Maraj
Birth Place:
Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Profession
Rap artist, singer

Fast Facts

  • Moved to Queens, NY, from Trinidad as a child
  • Had a difficult childhood: her father was a drug addict who once tried to burn down their house
  • Played the clarinet in middle school
  • Discovered via her MySpace page in 2007 by Dirty Money CEO Fendi
  • Released three acclaimed mixtapes before signing with Lil Wayne's Young Money label in 2009
  • Named Female Artist of the Year at the 2008 Underground Music Awards
  • Appeared on an array of songs by other artists prior to recording her debut Pink Friday album, including hits by Mariah Carey, Lil Wayne, Ludacris and Kayne West
  • Set a record in October 2010 by having seven singles in the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time: her own "Your Love" as well as guest turns on songs by Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, Usher, Sean Kingston and Jay Sean
  • Won Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the 2010 BET Awards

Relationships