Nicki Minaj announced on Twitter, on September 5, that she plans to retire from making music to raise a family with her current boyfriend, Kenneth Petty. Minaj thanked her fans for supporting her for the duration of her career and promised to discuss the decision in greater length on her radio show, Queen Radio.
After releasing several mixtapes early on in her career, Nicki Minaj joined Lil Wayne’s record label, Young Money Entertainment. Later, her debut album Pink Friday came out in 2010, and chart topping hits like Super Bass, Anaconda and Starships propelled her to fame and recognition as a top rapper.
In addition to her success as a solo artist, Minaj gained fame from her numerous features with artists including, Ariana Grande, Kanye West, Madonna, Justin Bieber and more. Throughout her career she has been nominated for 10 Grammys and broken the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries by a solo female artist.
On Twitter, Minaj stated, “I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE.”
Minaj has hinted that she and her boyfriend, Petty, may be getting married, which may soon be confirmed.
Many speculated that due to the unexpected nature of this announcement, Minaj may not be completely serious about her decision. With rappers like Jay-Z and Eminem both announcing retirements without following through, many are taking Minaj’s claim with a grain of salt.
Minaj followed up on Twitter stating, “I’m still right here. Still madly in love with you guys & you know that. In hindsight, this should’ve been a Queen Radio discussion & it will be. I promise u guys will be happy. No guests, just us talking about everything. The tweet was abrupt & insensitive, I apologize babe.”
Many feel that Minaj is using this career choice as a means to step back as she is no longer the most successful female rapper in the game. Nicki’s fourth album Queen failed to top the charts in the US, and she later cancelled the entire North-American leg of a joint tour with Future.
While the future of the situation is unclear, Minaj has had a game changing career that has paved the way for future female rappers. If she does choose to follow through with her plans to retire, she will undoubtedly leave behind a powerful legacy.
Photo Source: Rolling Stone
