Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj (), is a Trinidadian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, model, and actress. Born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York City, New York, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009).
After signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj released her first studio album, Pink Friday (2010), which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was released in 2012 and debuted at number one in several countries. Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift, followed by supporting roles in The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). In 2013, she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol. Her third studio album, The Pinkprint, was released in 2014.
Early in her career, Minaj was known for her colorful costumes and wigs. Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents, primarily British cockney. Minaj was the first female artist included on MTV's annual Hottest MC List. In 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. As a lead artist, she has earned four top-five entries on the Billboard Hot 100: "Super Bass" in 2011, "Starships" in 2012, and "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda", both in 2014.
Throughout her career, Minaj has received numerous accolades, including six American Music Awards, eleven BET Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award, and ten Grammy Award nominations. She has the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among women of all genres in the chart's history. Minaj has sold 20 million singles as a lead artist, 60 million singles as a featured artist, and over five million albums worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Queen is the upcoming fourth studio album by American rapper Nicki Minaj. Originally scheduled to be released on June 15, 2018, the release date was pushed back to August 10, 2018. It is Minaj's first album in four years, following The Pinkprint (2014).
Release date: Aug 10, 2018
The Pinkprint is the third studio album by Trinidadian-born American recording artist Nicki Minaj. It was released on December 12, 2014, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Minaj co-executive-produced the album alongside Birdman, Lil Wayne and Ronald Williams, also with the assistance of a variety of producers. Looking to depart from the dance-pop elements of her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012), Minaj wanted to make a follow-up record influenced by her traditional hip hop beginnings.
Genre: Hip hop
Release date: Dec 12, 2014
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is the second studio album by Trinidadian-American recording artist Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 2, 2012, by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Republic. Looking to transition from her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010), Minaj wanted to make a follow-up record about "just having fun". Stylistically, the album is divided by a first half of hip hop tracks and a second half of dance-pop songs. As its executive producer, Minaj enlisted a variety of collaborators.
Genre: Hip hop, dance-pop
Release date: Apr 2, 2012
Pink Friday is the debut studio album by Trinidadian-American recording artist Nicki Minaj, released on November 19, 2010, by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Motown. After signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj began planning the album that same year and work continued into 2010. Minaj enlisted a variety of producers including Bangladesh, Blackout Movement, J. R. Rotem, Swizz Beatz, T-Minus and will.i.am to achieve her desired sound. Their efforts resulted in a primarily hip hop record, which sees additional influences from R&B and pop music. The album features guest vocals from Eminem, Rihanna, Drake, will.i.am, Kanye West and Natasha Bedingfield.
Genre: Hip hop, pop, R&B
Release date: Nov 19, 2010
Sucka Free is the second mixtape by Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj. The album was released on April 12, 2008 through Young Money Entertainment and Dirty Money Records. Sucka Free features guest appearances from fellow rappers Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Jadakiss, Lil' Kim and Ransom. Production derives from Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool, Diddy, James Todd Smith - among others. None of the track are original songs, mostly using samples of popular hip hop records.
Genre: Hip hop
Release date: Apr 12, 2008
Playtime Is Over or Playtime's Over may refer to: