Just as hip-hop began to fend for its next epic femcee, Nicki Minaj exploded onto the scene in a skintight, anime-inspired getup and neon wig ready to assume the position.  She came fully loaded: witty rhymes, superhero sex appeal, the ultimate come up story and a tough exterior that morphs into a sassy, street-smart bombshell who calls herself the Harajuku Barbie.  What seems like a well engineered idea for an overnight takeover is in fact the product of her own “blood, sweat and tears,” as she tells it.   

The 25-year-old supernova, born Onika Maraj in Trinidad, went from slinging mixtapes on Jamaica Avenue in Queens, N.Y., to signing with Lil Wayne’s Young Money crew in 2009.  She has since taken over airwaves and stolen the spotlight on hit collaborations with industry heavyweights including Kanye, Jay-Z, Trey Songz  and Mariah.  In what seems like a blink of an eye, she has garnered a following most rookies can only dream of.  She made Billboard history as the first female rapper to have seven songs in the Hot 100 in the same year, solidifying her position within the industry before releasing her first album.   If her 1.4 million Twitter followers and legions of little Barbies (mostly young female fans spouting quirky lingo popularized in her Nictionary) are any indication of what’s to come, we may be looking at the return of the female rap phenomenon.   

Nicki talks Drake, Dress Up and Dating in the December/January issue of EBONY!

 dream of.  She made Billboard history as the first female rapper to have seven songs in the Hot 100 in the same year, solidifying her position within the industry before releasing her first album.   If her 1.4 million Twitter followers and legions of little Barbies (mostly young female fans spouting quirky lingo popularized in her Nictionary) are any indication of what’s to come, we may be looking at the return of the female rap phenomenon.   

Nicki talks Drake, Dress Up and Dating in the December/January issue of EBONY!