ABOVE: Nicki Minaj. (Photo courtesy Nicki Minaj’s Instagram)
Grammy-nominated rapper Nicki Minaj is expecting her first child with husband Kenneth Petty.
The hip-hop star posted a series of photos to her Instagram to officially announce her pregnancy July 20.
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Minaj expressed joy over the recent milestones of marriage and upcoming motherhood in her life.
“Love. Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement [and] gratitude,” she wrote as the caption to one of her posts.
Minaj married Petty in October 2019. The two first dated when Minaj was 16 years old and later rekindled their love as adults.
In an interview with People Magazine, Minaj gushed about the bliss she has found in her relationship with Petty.
“When you have someone that feels like your soulmate or someone who understands you, it just makes you feel like you’re on top of the world,” Minaj said at the time.
In July 2019, Minaj collaborated with fellow rapper Chance the Rapper on his song “Zanies and Fools.” In her verse on the song, Minaj seemed to foreshadow her life now.
“He the Clyde to my Bonnie, ’bout to walk down the aisle and be a mommy,” Minaj rapped.
Minaj added further fuel to the fire of speculation in May when she hosted a Twitter Q&A session with fans and discussed experiencing pregnancy-related symptoms: “food cravings, nausea and ‘peeing nonstop.’”
Since confirming her pregnancy on social media, people online have been congratulating Minaj, including her former employer Red Lobster.
Congrats @NickiMinaj on having your own Cheddar Bay Biscuit in the oven!
— Red Lobster (@redlobster) July 20, 2020
nicki being pregnant isn’t just a moment, it’s a lifestyle, a reason to breathe, an escape from this cruel world filled with thieves. It’s art, the first gift you open on Xmas, a hug from a loved one, everything you’ve ever wanted, everything you need
— L⁷ Preggers Era (@QueenOutcharted) July 20, 2020
the barbz are so proud of you !! you deserve all the joy and happiness in the world right now
— (@likea_hostage) July 20, 2020
Minaj is also known for her LGBTQ allyship. She affectionately dubbed her gay male fans Ken Barbz, a reference to the Mattel doll and male Barbie. Additionally, in July 2019, she pulled out of a Saudi Arabian music festival to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community, after being urged by the Human Rights Foundation to cancel her performance due to the country’s tumultuous history with LGBTQ rights.
Minaj’s most recent musical collaborations – a remix of the Doja Cat hit “Say So”and “Trollz” with 6ix9ine – each topped the Billboard Hot 100. The “Say So” remix gave Minaj her first No. 1 on the chart, while the debut of “Trollz” atop the Hot 100 made Minaj the second female rapper in music history to accomplish this feat. Listen to the two tracks below.
