| Net Worth | $112 million |
|---|---|
| Source Of Wealth | Rapper |
| Born | 8th December 1982 |
| Birth Name | Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty |
| Height | 5ft 2in (157cm) |
From her breakout mixtapes to her chart-topping singles of today, she is solidified as one of the greatest rappers in history.
Nicki Minaj's net worth has skyrocketed since her debut. How did she accumulate this wealth, and what makes her popularity last through today? Read on to find out more about this incredibly talented female rapper.
Early Life
Nicki Minaj was born Onika Tanya Maraj on December 8, 1982. She was born in the Saint James District in Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago. She was born to parents Robert and Carol Maraj. Robert Maraj worked as a financial executive and gospel singer, while Carol Maraj was also a gospel singer.
Minaj and her older brother, Jelani, lived with their grandmother in Saint James with their 11 cousins. Robert Maraj struggled with addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, even attempting to burn down the family's home in 1987 when young Nicki Minaj was only five years old. Mrs. Maraj was able to get a United States green card and move to 147th Street in Queens, bringing Minaj and her sibling to New York a few months after this incident.
In Queens, Minaj auditioned and was admitted to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. At the time, she was an aspiring actress. After high school, she did not seek higher education and instead worked many odd jobs to make ends meet.
Career Beginnings
Nicki Minaj's rap career began when she signed with Full Force as part of the rap group HoodStars. With the group, she recorded WWE star Victoria's theme "Don't Mess With." She is credited on the song as Nicki Maraj.
Upon leaving Full Force, Minaj began to upload original songs on her MySpace profile and send them out to various names in the entertainment industry. Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment picked her up in 2007 with a 180-day contract. It was Fendi, CEO of Dirty Money Entertainment, who changed the rapper's stage name from Nicki Maraj to Nicki Minaj.
From 2007 to 2009, Minaj released three mixtapes while Debra Antney managed her. She released her first mixtape, Playtime is Over, on July 5, 2007. Her second, Sucka Free, was released on April 12, 2008.
She released her third and most critically acclaimed mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty, on April 18, 2009. Lil Wayne, who Minaj featured on the album, mentored Minaj during its recording. Minaj re-released the mixtape in 2021; it debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest charting mixtape.
Beam Me Up Scotty successfully established Nicki Minaj's career, landing her a contract with the popular label Young Money Entertainment, of which Lil Wayne was also signed. Minaj then became the first female solo artist with seven songs charting simultaneously in the United States.
Career Breakthrough
Though Minaj garnered some success with her early mixtapes, her career took a turning point when Kanye West featured her on the song "Monster" on August 27, 2010. The song also featured Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and vocals from the group Bon Iver. However, most critics and average listeners alike regard her verse as the best part; in fact, West almost did not include it on the album in fear of her verse overshadowing the rest of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
"Monster" propelled Minaj's first album, Pink Friday, into massive success as it debuted at number two on the Billboard charts. Pink Friday climbed to number one and then achieved platinum status in December 2010. This marked the first time a female rapper had reached platinum status in seven years.
Pink Friday had eight singles, including the massively successful single "Super Bass," "Your Love," and "Fly." It was nominated for Best Rap Album in 2012 at the 54th Grammy Awards, while Minaj herself was nominated in the Best New Artist category. The single "Moment 4 Life" earned Minaj a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance as well.
Career from 2011-2017
In February 2012, Minaj released her first single, "Starships," for her upcoming second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. The pop song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It was the fifth best-selling single of 2012.
Other songs released ahead of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded included singles "Beez in the Trap" featuring 2 Chainz, "Right by my Side" featuring Chris Brown, "Stupid Hoe," and "Roman in Moscow." Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 on April 2, 2012. The album was certified platinum by June of that same year.
Minaj rode on her post-Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded popularity with her first feature film role in The Other Woman. She then released her first single for her next album "Pills n Potions" in May 2014. In July 2014, she was a featured artist on the song "Bang Bang" alongside Ariana Grande and Jessie J, which became her highest-charting song at the time.
Her second single of the year, "Anaconda," which sampled Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back," became massively successful. Its music video went viral upon its release on Vevo. It was extremely popular, yet controversial for the song's sexual themes.
December 2014 saw the release of her third studio album, The Pinkprint. The album debuted at #2 and received positive reviews from critics for its production value and personal lyrics. The Pinkprint gave her a second Best Rap Album nomination at the 58th Grammy Awards, while "Anaconda" and "Bang Bang" earned nominations for Best Rap Song and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, respectively.
After The Pinkprint, a large swath of Billboard singles featured Nicki Minaj. She released songs "Changed It," "Regret in Your Tears," and "No Frauds" simultaneously. She appeared in the songs "Swalla" by Jason Derulo, Yo Gotti's "Rake it Up," and Katy Perry's "Swish, Swish" among many others.
From 2017 to Today
Nicki Minaj's next singles for her fourth studio album came after a long social media hiatus. The so-called "queen of rap" released songs "Chun-Li" and "Barbie Tingz" simultaneously on April 12, 2018. They reached #10 and #25 on the charts, respectively.
She released her entire album, named Queen, on August 10, 2018. It debuted at number two in the United States, as it was blocked out by rapper Travis Scott's album, Astroworld. The album also debuted at #4 in Australia and #5 in the United Kingdom.
In 2019, on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, the female rapper announced a yet-to-be-titled fifth studio album. Since then, she has released standalone singles like "Megatron" and "Yikes."
She has had many successful features on songs as well, including "Say So" with Doja Cat in 2020. This marked the first time an all-female collaboration reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2014 with Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX's single, "Fancy."
Minaj's second number one single was with rapper 6ix9ine, called "Trollz." Lauryn Hill was the last female rapper to debut at number one in 1998 with her song "Doo Wop (That Thing)." The song then broke a Guinness World Record for biggest drop from #1 in the United States, as it fell to #34 on the charts in its second week.
Though she has not revealed the release date for her fifth album, as of 2022, Minaj reports the album is coming soon. 2022 saw the release of singles "Do We Have a Problem?" and "Bussin'," both featuring Lil Baby, as well as "We Go Up" featuring Fivio Foreign.
On July 13, 2022, she released the single "Super Freaky Girl," which samples "Super Freak" by Rick James. She also has plans for a six-part docu-series on HBO Max ahead of her fifth studio album release.
Relationships
Nicki Minaj's relationships have been a big topic of interest since her breakthrough album Pink Friday. The rapper has had quite a few relationships throughout her early life and career.
Minaj's first public long-term relationship was with fellow rapper Safaree Samuels. Both signed with the label Full Force to rap in a quartet called The Hoodstars, along with Lou$tar and 7even Up. They began dating in 2004 and broke up in 2014 after about a decade together.
Minaj rapped about the hardships of the breakup on her 2014 album The Pinkprint. The two made headlines for some years after the breakup, with Samuels claiming he ghostwrote for the rapper on her three albums and threatening a lawsuit because of this. Their public breakup was documented in interviews and on social media sites like Twitter.
In 2015, Nicki Minaj and Dreams and Nightmares artist Meek Mill confirmed their relationship status. The two had been friends since 2010 and were rumored to have been dating since Minaj and Samuels' split. Minaj and Mill dated for about two years before Minaj confirmed their split on Twitter on January 5, 2017.
Minaj then had a short-lived relationship with legendary rapper Nas from 2017-2018. She even posted a picture of them at a dinner date in May 2017 and even confirmed she thought Nas was "dope" on the Ellen Degeneres Show. The rappers broke it off in 2018 after less than a year of dating, as long-distance dating took a toll on their relationship.
The Pink Friday rapper has since been in a relationship with high school sweetheart Kenneth Petty since 2018. The relationship has proved to be controversial, as Petty is a registered sex offender who was convicted of attempted first-degree rape in 1995. Despite this, Minaj has continued to support Petty and even included lyrics about him in her verse in Chance the Rapper's song "Zanies and Fools."
The two have been married since 2020. They tied the knot in a private ceremony and the rapper has kept her relationship out of the public eye since. They welcomed their first child, a boy, on September 30, 2020.
What Is Nicki Minaj's Net Worth?
Nicki Minaj's net worth is approximately $112 million. Her illustrious singing and rap career, as well as her modeling and brand deals have made up a majority of her enormous wealth. She is said to be the richest woman rapper in the world.
Minaj has other business ventures such as her fragrance line and her successful mobile game, Nicki Minaj: Empire, which made $600 thousand in its first fiscal quarter.
The rapper's net worth is also made up of her real estate investments, including her home in Los Angeles worth approximately $112 million. The home, where she lives with her husband Kenneth Petty and one-year-old son, has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms. It has an outdoor pool with a beautiful view of the city from the backyard.
Nicki Minaj Facts
- Nicki Minaj was born on December 8, making her Sun sign the archer, Sagittarius. She references this in her song "Barbie Tingz" on her fourth studio album, Queen.
- She has a line of award-winning fragrances. She named many after her albums and songs, including her first fragrance "Pink Friday," her fifth fragrance, "The Pinkprint," and her ninth fragrance, "Queen."
- Before becoming a singer and rapper, Minaj wanted to be an actress. She was cast in the Off-Broadway production In Case You Forget in 2001.
Become Like Nicki Minaj
Without persistent effort and hard work, there would be no Nicki Minaj. She started with nothing, building her magnificent career from the ground up. The Queen rapper is a role model for anyone trying to grow their net worth and gain respect in their own industry.
Our net worths are for entertainment purposes only. We do our best to provide accurate figures, but we cannot guarantee their accuracy. The figures are based on public information and estimates, and may not reflect the true value of assets or liabilities.
