Nicki Minaj has expressed her discontent with her stage name, although she has used it for nearly two decades while performing globally.
Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, has recently been in the spotlight due to her vocal support for former President Donald Trump.
With this attention, fans have been exploring Minaj’s journey and how she adopted the name Nicki Minaj in 2007.
Her stage name emerged after she signed a record deal with Dirty Money Entertainment at the age of 43, but it was a decision she resisted from the outset.
Initially known as Nicki Maraj, the label reportedly pushed for the change to ‘Minaj’ due to her ‘nasty rapping flow.’
Minaj has since expressed her distaste for the stage name.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2012, Minaj shared her experience: “Somebody changed my name. One of the first production deals I signed, the guy wanted my name to be Minaj and I fought him tooth and nail.
“But he convinced me. I’ve always hated it.”
Minaj elaborated that her stage name feels like a ‘big theatre piece’ and resembles a ‘show.’
When questioned about her preference for the name, she responded: “No, I don’t. My rule is, whatever you were calling me four years ago is what you should be calling me now, because I don’t like it when my family or close friends call me Nicki Minaj.
“To me I’m not Nicki Minaj when I’m with them.”
Recently, Minaj discussed her outspoken support for Trump in a podcast and addressed criticism from her fans.
She mentioned the backlash, saying: “I felt that same, you know, a lot of that bullying in this man’s campaign, and all of the lying. I felt that that had been done to me for so many years, and I was watching it in real time happen to someone else, and I didn’t think he deserved it.
“And it made me think, I can’t do this anymore.”
During the podcast, Minaj also emphasized the significance of ‘religious freedom’ in her decision to support Trump.
Explaining how she sees this connection to Trump, she continued: “President Trump, because when I saw how he was being treated over and over and over, I just couldn’t handle it.”