Nicki Minaj

Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj (/mɪˈnɑːʒ/), is a Trinidadian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress and model. Born in the Saint James district of Port of Spain and raised in the Queens borough of New York City, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009).

Outside of music, Minaj's film career has included voice roles in the animated films Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), the director's cut of Cool Spot (2018), and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019) as well as supporting roles in the comedy films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). She also appeared as a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol in 2013. Cited as one of the most influential female rap artists of all time, Minaj has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best selling music artists. Throughout her career, Minaj has received numerous accolades, including six American Music Awards, twelve BET Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, and two Billboard Women in Music Awards. She has also been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards. Minaj was the highest-ranked female rapper on Billboard 's list of the top artists of the 2010s. In 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time list of the 100 most influential people in the world.