Nicki Minaj has found massive success in the male-dominated hip-hop industry. But before becoming famous, it might be hard to believe that the singer we know and love worked hard every day just like many of us to make ends meet. Here’s what she was doing before she became a star.
Nick Minaj Worked At A Phone Company
While Minaj is regarded as one of the most talented artists in the world, she was once an ordinary citizen and toiled hard to make it to the top. The iconic star worked in a phone company and had to deal with customers who were dissatisfied with the company’s service. In an interview, she revealed that she came to a point of questioning her decision of quitting her position at a phone company.
Minaj said that there were people who doubted her, told her that she was just living a fantasy and forget the music thing – which made her thought of returning to her regular 9-5 job for she had no money and food to eat. Thankfully, she did not give in to life’s pressures and trials. She said it was her faith in God that got her through, adding that she always believes “that any and everything is possible if you really believe and do the work.”
Nicki Minaj Worked As A Waitress
Aside from doing customer service at the phone company, the Tinidadia-American artist, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, also rendered service as a waitress in New York City at Red Lobster – but she got fired due to her bad attitude towards the customers.
In an interview with author Roxanne Gay via The New York Times Style Magazine, the rapper shared about her success and factors that have set her apart from others. Looking back at the early stages of her career, she gave details on how she used her time as a waitress in a seafood restaurant to find musical inspiration.
She revealed, “I would take people’s order and then a rap might come to me just by what they’re wearing or what they said or did, and I would go to the kitchen and write it down, put it in the back of my little thing or my apron, and by the time I was done I would have all of these sheets of paper thrown around everywhere with raps.”
Nicki Minaj Struggled As A Female Rapper
Minaj also admitted that there are times she felt not good enough, but she believed in her “ability to withstand what would break the normal girl.” At this point in her music career, the “Anaconda” singer has been able to reconcile her struggles and never let those trials stop her from reaching the pinnacle of success.
The Queen frankly shared, “I had so much going against me in the beginning: being black, being a woman, being a female rapper. No matter how many times I get on a track with everyone’s favorite M.C. and hold my own, the culture never seems to want to give me my props as an M.C., as a lyricist, as a writer.” She divulged that she had to prove herself a hundred times while other male artists at that time were given the titles quickly.
Her effort really paid off as she became the first female artist in 2020 to have amassed a net worth of more than $100 million, making her the richest female in the hip-hop industry. Currently, her fans and music enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for her fifth album to be released.