Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, model, and actress. Born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York City, New York, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009). After signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj released her first studio album, Pink Friday (2010), which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Assoc