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Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982),[1] better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj (pronounced /mɪˈnɑːʒ/), is a hip hop and R&B recording artist who rose to fame after becoming a member of the rapping group Young Money. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, but moved to the Queens borough of New York City as a child and graduated from LaGuardia High School in 2003.

Minaj began her music career in 2007 after she released her first mixtape Playtime Is Over. The mixtape followed by mixtapes, Sucka Free and Beam Me Up Scotty which were released in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Minaj had her first label success after fellow American rapper, Lil Wayne discovered and secured a record deal with her with Young Money Entertainment with distribution from Universal Motown In August 2009.[2][3]

She released her first debut album, Pink Friday in 2010 which became a commercial success, peaking at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200. and was later certificated platinum Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release.[4][5] She became the first artist ever to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.[6] Her second single, "Your Love", reached number-one on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.[7] She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List.[8]