Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian−American rapper, singer, actress, model and businesswoman. Born in the Saint James district of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in the Queens borough of New York City, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009). Her animated rapping and her songwriting utilizing metaphors, entendres, and wordplay have garnered praise.
