Nicki Minaj was born in Onika Tanya Maraj on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago.
She moved with her family to Queens, New York, when she was five years old and has overcame a difficult childhood to become a successful hip-hop artist.
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 Money compilation album (2009), also collaborating with Mariah Carey and Robin Thicke.
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.”
