Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj, born Onika Maraj in New York, is a female rapper / hip-hop artist.c She is a trained actress, singer and writer. She was discovered on MySpace by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who signed her to his label. She started as a backup singer for local rappers, and began writing raps of her own. She was a lone female singer in a group in 2006, which she also left in the same year.c

Lil Wayne noticed Nicki on a production DVD made by Dirty Money and started a collaboration with her on the Young Money label.c This resulted in the release of her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over. 

Her second mixtape, Sucka Free was released in 2008, the year she also won an award for Best Female Artist of the Year from the Underground Music Awards. She is featured on a song with Sean Garrett named “Get It All.” Ludacris recruited Nicki and others, including Eve, Lil Kim and Trina and male artists Plies, Flo Rida, and Ne-Yo for an album called "Battle of the Sexes."c