Is Nicki Minaj jamaican? - find out

Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, was born in the Saint James region of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on December 8, 1982. Her father, Robert Omar Maraj and mother, Carol, were both is a gospel singer. , perhaps a harbinger of good things to come for Onika as a singer. She has an older brother and a younger brother and sister. 

She lived with her grandmother until her mother, 24, received a green card and came to the US in 1983. 

Both parents worked hard and raised enough money for an 896 square foot home at 128-20 147 St. in Jamaica. Onika's father, who abused cocaine and alcohol, burned down the house in a rage in 1 . 

After graduating from LaGuardia High School of Music and Arts, she began an acting career. She worked very hard as a waitress and bought a BMW when she was 19 years old. In 2004, she switched from acting to rapping, signing with Full Force artists and producers. In 2007 she changed her name to Nicki Minaj upon signing with Dirty Money Entertainment and is on her way. 

With multiple awards and over 100 million records sold, Minaj is one of the most successful musical artists in the world. Public records show the 147th Street home last sold in 1994 for $79,000. Today it is valued at $475,000. But with the celebrity status attached to the house, it could be worth a lot more.