As Nicki Minaj celebrates her 30th birthday on Dec. 8, we take a moment to look back at her 29th year.
Dear
Nicki Minaj
,
It’s been a whirlwind year for you. From the start, you hit the ground running. You shined when performing alongside one of your musical idols,
Madonna
, and M.I.A. at the
Super Bowl XLVI halftime show
.
Nicki Minaj’s 25 Most Outrageous Outfits
In February 12, you shocked the world when you unveiled “Roman Holiday,” off “Pink Friday:
Roman Reloaded
,” with an electrifying, complex performance at the 54th Grammy Awards. No matter what the critics said, you brushed it off because it was the “most comfortable” you’ve never been on stage and stayed “true to what I’m doing.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In April, you scored your second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as
“Pink Friday Roman Reloaded” sold 253,000 copies its first week
, according to Nielsen SoundScan. You had your name all over the charts, not just the Billboard 200. Your single, “Starships,” made its way to No. 5 on the Hot 100 and Digital Songs charts.
Nicki Minaj, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded”: Track-By-Track Review
You wasted no time in letting your fans hear your new material live. You embarked on your worldwide “Pink Friday Tour” on May 16 and later your “Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour” in October.
Nicki Minaj Brings out Lil Wayne, Drake at NYC Show
There were some bumps along the road. You cancelled your performance at Hot 97’s Summer Jam due to a few words said by Hot 97 Dj
Peter Rosenberg
, that made you feel as if you and your Barbz were not being “appreciated.” Again, you stayed true to yourself, took a lesson from
Lil Wayne
in “knowing my worth” and pulled out.
Nicki Minaj Calls Out “B**ch-Ass S**t’ in Summer Jam Pull-Out
“When you disrespect Nicki Minaj, you’re disrespecting my fans. I don’t have a problem with anyone saying what they have to say to me. But don’t make [‘Starship’ fans] feel inferior in any way for their personal taste in music,” you said, when talking to Funkmaster Flex after the incident.
Despite what media, and at times fans, said of your transiton into pop, you kept winning. A month after revealing the bottle design of your new fragrance, “Pink Friday,” in August, you won the award for Best Female Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.
Following your win, you were confirmed as one of the four judges on the 12th season of ‘American Idol,’ alongside
Mariah Carey
, Randy
Jackson
, and Keith Urban. There were rumors of a tiff that occured between you and Mariah Carey, but like before, you brushed it off and later told media, that although disappointed, both of you were moving on from it.
Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey Argue On ‘American Idol’Set: Report
A day before the release of “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The-Re-up” (Nov. 18), you took home two awards — Artist and Album in Rap/Hip-Hop — at the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards.
American Music Awards: Full Coverage
If that’s not enough, you’ve teamed up with cosmetics brand MAC for a second
Viva Glam
collection, a lavender shade lipstick, to hit stores and MACCosmetics.com in Feb. 9.
Your year seems to be ending on a high note, but we’re excited to see what 2013 has in store for you as you click your heels towards the year prepared to launch your own
record label
and fashion line.
If it’s one thing that you’ve done is stay true to yourself, which calls for a celebration on your big day. Happy 30th birthday!
Love,
The Juice, Billboard.com