Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is a Grammy-nominated rapper born December 8, 1984, in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago (and raised in Queens, New York). Minaj (real name: Onika Tanya Maraj) first appeared on the hip-hop scene in 2007 when she released her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over.

Within two years, the rap superstar released two more mixtapes before signing with Young Money. Her debut album, Pink Friday, sold 375,000 copies in its first week, making it the second highest-selling debut in the history of a female rap artist.

Minaj has worked with a number of A-list musicians, including Drake, Eminem, Rihanna, will.i.am, Trey Songz, Kanye West and Natasha Bedingfield.

In addition to being known for her outlandish lyrics and costumes, the rapper uses five different alter-egos in her songs: Roman Polanski, Nicki, Barbie, Martha and Rosa.