Nicki Minaj
LOS ANGELES – APR 21: Nicki Minaj arrives to the The Bridge” Season 2 Premiere Screening on April 21, 2014 in Westwood, CA Photo by DFree/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Onika Tanya Maraj
Place of Birth: Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Date of Birth: December 8, 1982
Ethnicity: Trinidadian [African, one quarter Indian, possibly one eighth Japanese]
Nicki Minaj is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, model, and actress. Her songs include “Your Love,” “Check It Out,” “Right Thru Me,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Super Bass,” “Fly,” “Starships,” “Beez in the Trap,” “Pound the Alarm,” “Va Va Voom,” “Pills n Potions,” “Bang Bang,” “Anaconda,” “Only,” “Truffle Butter,” “The Night Is Still Young,” “No Frauds,” “MotorSport,” “Barbie Tingz,” “Chun-Li,” “Bed,” “Barbie Dreams,” “Megatron,” “Tusa,” “Trollz,” “Do We Have a Problem?,” “Bussin,” “Blick Blick,” “Super Freaky Girl,” “Princess Diana,” “Barbie World,” and, in a featured role, “Monster,” “Where Them Girls At,” “Dance (A$$),” “Beauty and a Beat,” “All Eyes on You,” “Do You Mind,” “Side to Side,” “Idol,” “Hot Girl Summer,” “Say So,” and “Whole Lotta Money.” She has appeared in the films The Other Woman, Barbershop: The Next Cut, and, in voice role, Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Angry Birds Movie 2; and been a judge on American Idol. She has also recorded dance-pop, and utilizes an animated flow in her singing. She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and is known as the “Queen of Rap.”
Nicki was born Onika Tanya Maraj on Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, the daughter of Carol (Daniel) and Robert Maraj, a financial executive. Her parents were both gospel singers. Her paternal grandfather, whose surname was Maraj, was of Indian-Trinidadian, from India, descent; her father was of Dougla background, a Caribbean term for a mix of Indian and African. It appears that the rest of her family is of African-Trinidadian ancestry. She has evidently also stated that her great-grandfather is Japanese. It is not clear if this is accurate.
Nicki was raised on Saint James initially, though her mother immigrated to New York City, U.S., and later brought Nicki and her brother over when Nicki was five, settling in Queens.
Nicki is married to Kenneth Petty, with whom she has a son.
Source: http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com
Minaj in 2011, photo by PR Photos
niki minaj is pretty ya need to fall back and let her do her.
Rito and most others here: “Please! You need to go and read some history books on the Caribbean”. East Indians were brought to the Caribbean as indentured servants-after slavery was abolished. Although the conditions they worked under were inhumane like the slaves. Since the British wanted to cultivate the Caribbean the Indians were given in exchange for their labor the option to stay and given land after their 5 year contract expired or go back to India with a small monetary stipend. Most if not all chose to stay rather than to go back to the poverty of India. There has always been political strife betweeen the Africans and Indians of the Caribbean because of that. The African dispora mostly inhabit the cities and the Indians the rural parts of the country. Nikki Minaj shortened her name as a stage name. She didn’t “trini-dise” her name oh please. And part of the reason why she has her exotic looks IS because she is Indian mixed – she is a beautiful and talented woman.
Her mom made an angel!
Shes beautiful!
true dat.
All you people who keep commenting on Nicki Minaj’s career; stfu this isn’t a forum it’s a place to discuss her ethnicity. If you love Nicki so much you wouldn’t care what other people said, everyone has their thoughts. Just because they don’t agree with you, you don’t need to get all hype about it. Nicki is a good rapper no doubt, but how the f-ck are you guys comparing her when she’s really the only mainstream female rapper out right now. If you were truly rap fans you’d know Lil Kim is winner overall, Nicki can’t really rap she basically just rhymes her words. She’s like a female Busta Rhymes. Now don’t get all Geed Up and have a b-tch fit, I’m able to express my thoughts just as you but when you’re blasting someone for not agreeing is like kicking a dead horse, you can’t change it.
nikki is the best rapper you will ever meet fuck the bitchs who diss on like lil kim… i would llove to be nikki shitt i can rap half of her shit like bedrock best one in my town to do it lol…. nikki manaj is my rolllmadel…. fuck the haters….. everyone knows that nikki manaj is the shit all ways will be to noo one can out rap her… she is the biggedt bich out there fuck anyone i hang out with knows about nikki and young money…….. shiit nigga i gott a brother that looks likes drake!!!!!! and nikki everyone that i chilll with thinks you and lil wayne should br together or you and drake should be together keep dpoin what you are doin… its barbie bitch…… love you nikki