Nicki Minaj

Did you know?!

1. First role

   A week after graduating, Minaj was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget. She had auditioned successfully for Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

2. A role that slipped away

   Minaj turned down a record deal with Warner Brothers because the label required her to use a ghostwriter, insisting she would always write her own songs.

3. About the name

   Minaj's professional name began as Nicki Maraj and was changed to Nicki Minaj after Fendi signed her to Dirty Money Entertainment in 2006.

4. A first

   Minaj became the first female rapper to perform at Yankee Stadium when she joined Kanye West and Jay-Z on "Monster" shortly after its release.

5. A first

   In 2012, Minaj became the first solo female rapper to take the Grammy Awards stage, where she performed "Roman Holiday" at the ceremony held on February 12.

6. A first

   Upon its online release, the video for Minaj's "Anaconda" drew 19.6 million views in its first day, a 24-hour Vevo record. That total surpassed the previous mark set by Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball."