Nicki Minaj is widely recognized for her collaborations with various artists and for her guest appearances on popular rap and pop songs.

Nicki Minaj was born on December 8, 1982, in the Saint James suburb of Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, as the daughter of Carol Maraj and Robert Maraj. Her full name is Onika Tanya Maraj. She has two siblings. Until the age of five, she lived with her grandmother in Saint James while her parents searched for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City. She later moved to Queens with her mother. According to Minaj, her father struggled with alcohol and drug addiction and once attempted to kill her mother by setting their house on fire. She attended Clarence Witherspoon School and Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School during her early education. After learning to play the clarinet, she graduated from LaGuardia High School, specializing in music, visual arts, and performing arts.

In 2001, she appeared in the Off-Broadway theater play In Case You Forget. At the age of 19, she began working as a waitress at a Red Lobster restaurant in the Bronx, but she was fired for being rude to customers. She was later dismissed from at least fifteen other jobs for similar reasons.

Nicki Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007. Playtime Is Over was released under an unknown label. Her mixtape Sucka Free was released on July 7, 2008, by Be Records. In 2008, she won the Best Female Artist award at the Underground Music Awards.

In August 2009, Minaj signed with Universal Motown and Young Money Entertainment. During the early years of her career, she released three mixtapes: Playtime Is Over, Sucka Free, and Beam Me Up Scotty. She was discovered by American rapper Lil Wayne and signed with Young Money Entertainment after the success of these mixtapes. She later signed with Cash Money Records.

In 2010, she featured as a duet vocalist on the song Raining Men from Rihanna’s album Loud. In November 2011, she performed her hit song Super Bass at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Her debut studio album Pink Friday, released on November 19, 2010, brought her mainstream success and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album’s most successful single, Super Bass, was certified quadruple platinum and sold over four million copies, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time in the United States.

Nicki Minaj released her second album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded on April 2, 2012. It became one of the best-selling albums of the year and sold over one million copies worldwide. The lead single Starships reached the top five in the United States and became one of the best-selling singles of 2012.

Her first worldwide tour, Pink Friday Tour, began on May 16, 2012, followed by the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour in October 2012.

In 2013, Nicki Minaj served as a judge on the singing competition television show American Idol.

Known for her colorful and eccentric costumes, fashion style, and wigs, Nicki Minaj is considered a fashion icon. Her rapid rap flow, use of alter egos, and varied accents distinguish her unique musical style.

Nicki Minaj appeared in advertising campaigns for Adidas, MAC Cosmetics, and Pepsi.

Her awards include seven BET Awards, four American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, one MTV Europe Music Award, and five Billboard Music Awards. She was also named Billboard’s Rising Star in 2011.

In 2016, Nicki Minaj appeared alongside Ice Cube in the film Barbershop: The Next Cut, portraying the character Draya.

Nicki Minaj married her longtime boyfriend Kenneth Petty on October 21, 2019.

Albums:
2010 – Pink Friday
2012 – Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
2014 – The Pinkprint
2018 – Queen

Films and Television:
2016 – Barbershop: The Next Cut (Draya) (Feature Film)
2014 – The Other Woman (Lydia) (Feature Film)
2013 – Steven Universe (Sugilite) (TV Series)
2012 – Ice Age: Continental Drift (Steffie) (Voice Role, Feature Film)

Source: Biyografiler.com