Onika Tanya Maraj, professionally known as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and voice actress. Born on December 8, 1982, she is widely regarded as the most famous female rapper in the world, celebrated for her remarkable versatility as an artist, sharp lyrics, and animated flow in her rapping, which often incorporates alter egos and hyper accents.
Minaj's early life was marked by a relocation from her childhood home in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago to New York City, where she lived with her parents at the age of five. Her father, Robert Maraj, a financial executive and part-time gospel singer, is of Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidadian descent, while her mother, Carol Maraj, a gospel singer, is of Afro-Trinidadian ancestry.
Minaj's academic background includes graduation from LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, which focuses on visual and performing arts, with the intention of pursuing an acting career. Her early professional endeavors included being cast in the Off-Broadway play 'In Case You Forget' in 2001.
Minaj's rise to fame began with the release of three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009, which garnered significant attention and led to her signing with Young Money Entertainment. Her subsequent features and mixtapes solidified her status as a rising star, and the release of her debut studio album 'Pink Friday' in 2010 catapulted her to global and cultural icon status, cementing her influence, popularity, and acclaim over the course of the decade. She remains the most followed rapper of all time on Instagram.
Minaj has made a notable impact in the film industry, making her voice acting debut in the 2012 animated film 'Ice Age: Continental Drift', followed by supporting roles in 'The Other Woman' (2014) and a voice acting role in 'Angry Birds Movie 2' (2019). She has also appeared in various films and documentaries, featuring as herself in multiple projects. In early 2022, Minaj announced her intention to refocus her career on acting, with her biggest role to date on the horizon.
