Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982) is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer and songwriter, as well as an actress and voice actress. Known professionally as Nicki Minaj, she is hailed as the most famous female rapper in the planet, notably acclaimed for her versatility as an artist, her sharp lyrics and animated flow in her rapping, including alter egos and hyper accents.
As a small child, Minaj lived with her grandmother in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobego until moving to New York City to live with her parents when she was five years old. Her father, Robert Maraj, a financial executive and part-time gospel singer, is of Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidadian descent, while her mother, Carol Maraj, also a gospel singer, is of Afro-Trinidadian ancestry.
Minaj graduated from the LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, which focuses on visual and performing arts with the intention to become an actress, and in 2001 was cast in the Off-Broadway play 'In Case You Forget'. Nicki Minaj earned public attention after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009, signing to Young Money Entertainment and outshining other artists in her infamous features all before the release of her first studio album 'Pink Friday' in 2010, which skyrocketed her into a global and cultural icon, her influence, popularity and acclaim only growing to cement her as an icon of over the course of the decade. She is the most followed rapper of all time on the social media platform, Instagram.
Nicki Minaj made her film debut in a voice acting role for the 2012 animated film 'Ice Age: Continental Drift', followed by supporting roles in 'The Other Woman' (2014) and a voice acting role in 'Angry Birds Movie 2' (2019). She has appeared as self-archive footage in multiple films and documentaries, and stated in early 2022 her intention to return her focus to acting with her biggest role to date.
Known For
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Self
2025
LEFT TO DIE
The Shadow
2024
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: 10th Anniversary Special
Self (archive footage)
2024
Feels Good Man
Self (archive footage)
2020
History 101
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2020
The Angry Birds Movie 2
Pinky (voice)
2019
Ariana Grande: Live at Coachella 2019
self
2019
Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.
Self (archive footage)
2018
Nicki Minaj - Road To Success
2018
Double Dutchess: Seeing Double
2017
Nicki Minaj: The Pinkprint Tour
Nicki Minaj
2016
Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour
Self - Vocals
2016
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Draya
2016
Charli XCX: The F-Word and Me
Self (archive footage)
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (2 episodes)
2015
Nicki Minaj: My Time Again
Self
2015
On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Self - Performer
2014
Dave Skylark's Very Special VMA Special
Nicki Minaj
2014
New World Order: Communism by the Backdoor
Self (archive footage)
2014
The Other Woman
Lydia
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Justin Bieber's Believe
Self
2013
Steven Universe
Sugilite (voice) · (1 episode)
2013
Madonna: MDNA World Tour
Self - Vocals
2013
Radio Disney Music Awards
Self · (1 episode)
2013
Ice Age: Continental Drift
Steffie (voice)
2012
Nicki Minaj: Queen of Rap
Self (archive footage)
Nicki Minaj: Pink Planet
Self (archive footage)
2013
The Re-Up
Self
2012
Nicki Minaj: My Truth
(3 episodes)
2012
Britney Spears - Live The Femme Fatale Tour
Self
2011
Playtime Is Over
Self
2011
Nicki Minaj: My Time Now
Herself
2010
My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop
Self (archive footage)
2010
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
2009
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Guest Judge · (1 episode)
2009
The Carter
2009
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The Come Up: The Strip Club Edition
Herself
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self · (1 episode)
2003
America's Next Top Model
Guest · (1 episode)
2003
American Idol
Self - Judge · (37 episodes)
2002
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Self · (1 episode)
1995
MTV Europe Music Awards
Self - Performer · (1 episode)
1994
MTV Europe Music Awards
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1994
MTV Movie & TV Awards
Self / Presenter · (1 episode)
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Herself · (1 episode)
1992
MTV Video Music Awards
Self - Performer · (1 episode)
1984
MTV Video Music Awards
Self - Host · (2 episodes)
1984
MTV Video Music Awards
Self · (6 episodes)
1984
Entertainment Tonight
Self · (2 episodes)
1981
Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest · (5 episodes)
1975
American Music Awards
Self - Musical Guest · (4 episodes)
1974