Nicki Minaj biography

NAME: Nicki Minaj

OCCUPATION: Rapper

BIRTH DATE: December 08, 1984 (Age: 26)

EDUCATION: La Guardia High School of Music and Art

PLACE OF BIRTH: Jamaica, New York

Born on December 8, 1984, Nicki Minaj is an Indo-Asian descent. She grew up in a troubled family with a father who was a drug addict. She studied singing and acting at LaGuardia High School but like many other big stars, she began her singing career as a backing vocalist for other artists.

Her talent was first spotted by Young Money CEO Fendi on MySpace and later was recruited for The Carter Edition of Young Money's "The Come Up" DVD series. Her rapping skill caught Lil Wayne's attention who later on tagged her for a number of collaborations in his mixtapes.

Minaj was born on December 8, 1984 in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago to parents of Indian and Afro Trinidadian descent. She lived in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens. According to Minaj, her father drank alcohol, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire. She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet. She graduated from LaGuardia High School. At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program. She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia, but lost her voice on the day of the audition. She once worked at a Red Lobster restaurant in the Bronx.

Minaj released her first single "Massive Attack" on April 13, 2010. The song features Sean Garrett, who produced the song along with Alex Da Kid. A music video for the single was filmed on March 16 in the desert near Lancaster, California with director Hype Williams. The music video for the single premiered on BET's 106 & Park on March 31 and features Sean Garrett, with a cameo appearance by model Amber Rose. The single was not successful, as it only reached number 22 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and number 65 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song is a buzz single, however, and will not be included on her debut album.

Determined to make it in the music business, Minaj took on backup singing roles for local New York City rappers. Soon, she began writing her own material. She was eventually discovered by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who came across Minaj's MySpace page, loved what he heard, and immediately signed her to his label.

That connection led Minaj to Lil Wayne, who collaborated with her on a series of mix tapes, the first of which, Playtime is Over, was released in April 2007. The recording, and subsequent mixed tapes, showcased Minaj's female swagger and out-front style.

By early 2010, considerable anticipation had built up around Minaj's much discussed, much covered debut album, which was scheduled for release that fall. In April of that year, she released her first single, "Massive Attack." Two months later she won Best Hip-Hop Female at the annual BET Awards. She dedicated the award to Lil Wayne.