NICKI MINAJ
Born: December 8th, 1982 Height: 5' 2" Measurements: 34-26-45
Onika Tanya Maraj, known by her stage name Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, songwriter and voice actress. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up. Minaj trained as an actress before she released three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and signed to Young Money Entertainment.
Minaj rose to prominence as a recording artist when she released her debut album,
Pink Friday, in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release. She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time and her seventh single, "Super Bass" has since been certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold more than four million copies, becoming one of the best-selling singles in the United States.
Minaj released her second studio album,
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded in April 2012 which topped charts internationally, as well as spawning the top 10 singles "Starships" and "Pound the Alarm". Since then the album has become one of the top selling albums of 2012 according to the Nielsen SoundScan selling 1,000,000 copies worldwide. Minaj will embark on two worldwide tours, "The Pink Friday Tour" and "Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour".
Minaj has been known for her unique artistry. Her rapping technique has been noted by critics for its use of alter-egos, accents (notably, British) and fast-pacing. Minaj is known for her use of outlandish and colorful costumes, wigs and clothing and has been recognized as a fashion icon. She featured as a voice-actress in
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift and has endorsed brands such as Pepsi, MAC Cosmetics and Adidas. Minaj's work has earned her six BET Awards, two American Music Awards, one MTV Music Award and Billboards' 2011 Rising Star. Minaj has set precedents for female rappers becoming the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List and with The New York Times suggesting that some consider her "the most influential female rapper of all time."
Minaj has been noted by the media for her curvaceous figure. She has collaborated with a diverse array of musical artists from varied genres, including
Britney Spears, Eminem and
Madonna. Minaj cites
Foxy Brown and Jay-Z as influences saying “I really loved her [Foxy] as a female rapper. She also had a huge rap feud with Lil Kim.
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