Tha24thHour: "IT'S BARBIE BITCH" NICKI MINAJ IS THE GUAP GIRL OF THE WEEK

"IT"S BARBIE BITCH!!!!"

Onika Maraj (Born December 8, 1984) known as Nicki Minaj is a female rapper from Southside Jamaica, Queens, NewYork. She grew up in a troubled home, with a father on drugs and a struggling single mother. Despite her hectic environment, Minaj went on to graduate from LaGuardia High School in Manhattan where she studied singing and acting.

Working as an administrative assistant, she dedicated all of her free time to pursuing a potential music career. Nicki Minaj started off singing, from background vocals, to hooks for local rappers. Minaj wanted to “stand out” more, from the average dime-a-dozen young aspiring singer and began writing raps. Starting out as the lone female in a group, (which she left in 2006)

Nicki soon branched out and was noticed on Myspace by Dirty Money CEO Fendi. Who signed her and put her on the front of his Dirty Money Label, and his The Come Up DVD.

Appearing on The Carter Edition of the DVD series, Minaj was noticed by rapper Lil’ Wayne who immediately called Fendi to negotiate meeting Nicki. He was convinced by not only her different style of rapping, but her ability to full on write her own material that she was perfect to be the face of his Young Money label. The two collaborated on mixtape styled remakes of tracks such as “Sunshine”, “Big Spender” and more recently a song entitled “Higher than a Kite” which uses T.I.’s “My Swag” beat. In April of 2007, she released her first mixtape entitled Playtime is Over. Where she posed as a Barbie doll on the cover. Lil’ Wayne appeared on the track “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”.

Award and Nominations

2008 Underground Music Awards

Female Artist of the Year (Won)

2010 BET Awards

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (Won)
Best New Artist (Won)
Best Group (Young Money) - (Won)
Best New Artist (Young Money) - (Nominated)
Viewer's Choice: "BedRock" (Young Money feat. Lloyd) (Nominated)

2010 Teen Choice Awards

Choice Breakout Artist – Female (Nominated)

2010 MTV Video Music Awards

Best New Artist: "Massive Attack" (feat. Sean Garrett) (Nominated)

2010 BET Hip Hop Awards

Rookie Of The Year (Won)
Made You Look (Won)
People's Champ (Won)
Hustler Of The Year (Nominated)
Lyricist Of The Year (Nominated)

2010 MOBO Awards

Best International Act Nomination

TOUR DATES:

The first five dates of Nicki Minaj's' Pink Friday' tour are as follows:

Oct. 22: Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 23: Washington, D.C., DC Star Night Club
Oct. 24: Waterbury, Ct., Sin City
Oct. 25: Boston, Maine, TD Banknorth Garden
Oct. 30: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Jean Pierre Complex

Nicki Minaj- Behind the Scenes Photoshoot [The Come Up DVD]