24 Knockout Facts About Nicki Minaj

January 25, 2018 | Alexa Terpanjian

24 Knockout Facts About Nicki Minaj


Love her or hate her, you can’t deny Nicki Minaj's resounding global star presence. Since she burst on the scene with nothing but a few mixtapes, Minaj hasn’t stopped blowing up the charts and turning heads with her colorful hair choices and outspoken nature.

Part-time humanitarian, full-time controversial envelope-pusher, and continuously inspiring female rapper of the century, Minaj has firmly secured the throne—and it doesn’t look like she’s moving from it anytime soon. Read on to unwrap 24 facts about this bad babe.


Nicki Minaj  Facts

24. A Star is Born

"Nicki Minaj" began as an alter-ego but later became her stage name. She was born Onika Tanya Maraj.

Nicki Minaj factsGetty Images

23. What’s in a Name?

She actually loathes the name Nicki Minaj. On one of the first production deals she signed, she says she was coerced and later convinced into keeping the name. She fought hard to change it, but it stuck.

Nicki Minaj factsGetty Images

22. Fantasy as Reality

This gal knows how to put on a show. Minaj has multiple personalities, or alter egos, many of which were developed at a young age to help her through a traumatic childhood. The earliest one was “Cookie,” followed by "Harajuku Barbie.” Others include “Gangsta Moll” and “Roman Zolanski.”

Nicki Minaj factsGetty Images

21. Quite the Character

A little more about “Roman.” Roman Zolanski is a little red-haired gay British boy who lives inside of her and has violent tendencies. The first mention of him was on Twitter, where Minaj stated that she had changed her name and she would only respond to Roman Zolanski. He is more outspoken than Minaj, and he later became Minaj’s “twin sister,” who she described as "crazy and conspicuously female.”

Nicki Minaj factsGetty Images

Advertisement

20. Beginnings

Minaj was born in Trinidad and Tobago, and moved to Queens, New York when she was five years old.

Nicki Minaj factsPixabay

19. A Natural Inclination

In elementary school, Minaj played the clarinet and took up drama at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Queens. The school was where the hit film Fame took inspiration from, and where she started to perfect her rap skills at lunchtime.

Nicki Minaj factsPixabay

18. Tough Decision

As a teen, Minaj became pregnant. The decision to have an abortion was very difficult for her, and she says it was the hardest thing she’s ever gone through. Minaj has stated that she wasn’t ready, and that she didn’t have anything to offer the child at the time. Her experience is touched upon in the song “All Things Go.”

Dorothy Dandridge FactsShutterstock

17. Not So Good With People

Once upon a time, Minaj’s first job was as a server at Red Lobster. She didn’t last very long though: she was fired from this job and “at least 15” other jobs because she wasn’t courteous to customers. Minaj also worked as an administrative assistant in customer service and as an office manager for a Wall Street business.

Nicki Minaj factsWikipedia

16. It Was All a Dream

At only 12 years old, Minaj wrote her first rap song, but didn’t pick it back up seriously again until she was 17.

Nicki Minaj factsShutterstock

Factinate

Sign up to our newsletter.

History’s most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Making distraction rewarding since 2017.

Thank you!
Error, please try again.

15. From Mixtapes to Money

It was Minaj’s MySpace page that got her discovered by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who saw her potential and signed her to his label–a connection that would lead Minaj to Lil Wayne, who ultimately signed her up to Young Money Records.

Nicki Minaj factsGetty Images

Advertisement

14. Committed to Fashion

Fashion and films about fashion are important to Minaj. She loved The Devil Wears Prada so much, she watched it every night for a month straight before she fell asleep.

Nicki Minaj facts The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Fox 2000 Pictures

13. Walk, Walk Fashion Baby

Described as "risk-taking" and "far-out" with "bold sartorial choices” by the Huffington Post, Minaj has been compared to Lady Gaga because of her outlandish style and choices of wigs and costumes.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

12. Big Things Come in Small Packages

Notice Minaj’s taste for super high platform heels? This multi-talented powerhouse of a rapper, songwriter, actor, and brand ambassador is wrapped up into a tiny 5’2” (1.57 m) frame.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

11. Book Worm

As a child, Minaj loved to read, and she oftentimes wished that her real family were the characters she would read about.

Nicki Minaj facts Shutterstock

10. Girl Power

Minaj’s early struggles and what she saw her mom go through pushed her to excel in her own life. She says she was very aware of female empowerment, and wanted her mother to be stronger. It was this mentality that fuelled Minaj’s drive to succeed to not only change her own life, but the life of her mother.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

9. What Goes up Doesn’t Have to Take the Escalator Down

Not only does Minaj have a fear of heights, the songstress also has escalaphobia–a fear of escalators. At the NBA Players Association Gala, Minaj refused to go down the escalator, demanding that the photographers come up to meet her instead.

Nicki Minaj facts Pixabay

Advertisement

8. A Regretful Reminder

Minaj has only one tattoo. It's a sequence of Chinese characters that translates to “God is with me always.” She got it when she was 16, and admits she regrets it. It’s on her arm, making it difficult to cover up when she wants to dress up.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

7. Wearing Many Hats

Minaj has expressed concern about the pressures of being a girl. She says that as a girl you have to be sweet, you have to be sexy, you have to be nice, you have to be this and that–she just wants to be a human being.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

6. The Greater Good

Collaborating with MAC cosmetics for the second time (she was chosen twice because of her “incredible star power”), Minaj’s limited edition Viva Glam lipstick collection helped raise $250 million, with the profits supporting men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS–and in 2013 it was the #1 selling Viva Glam lipstick of all time.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

5. Who’s to Judge?

There are a few people who can leave Minaj starstruck, including Madonna and Meryl Streep. However, the one idol she’d love to meet is Judith Sheindlin, more commonly known as Judge Judy. Minaj thinks she’s hilarious and admires her ability to remain straightforward.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

4. Chicken for Days

Everyone loves food, but Minaj really, really, really loves food. So much so, she once ordered 550 chicken legs, 300 chicken wings, and 60 bottles of coke from the popular UK chicken spot, Nando’s, to bring back home to the US after a show.

Nicki Minaj facts Pixabay

3. Animals on Board

When Minaj is on the road, she travels with several stuffed animals, and treats the toys as if they are her own children. She says she talks to them when she’s alone, and she’s dead serious about keeping them safe: She lost her pink stuffed monkey Oscar at the airport and offered up a $50,000 reward to the hero who could find him.

Nicki Minaj facts Pixabay

Advertisement

2. School is Cool

One evening via Twitter, Minaj offered to pay for the college tuition, student loans, or other fees incurred by higher education for 30 fans who had 4.0 GPAs. Anywhere from $500 for books to $6,000 for tuition under the condition they provide verification and confirmation from their schools. Fans created the hashtag #NickiBBMAs and Minaj stepped up to the plate, asking fans to direct message her their bank information.

Terry Crews factsShutterstock

1. Tough Times

When she was only 5 years old, Nicki’s alcoholic, drug-addicted father almost killed Nicki’s mother by setting fire to the family home–with Minaj’s mother still inside.

Despite her early struggles, Nicki has gone on to be one of the most successful female rappers of all time.

Nicki Minaj facts Getty Images

Sources:  123456789101112131415161718192021


More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.