Nicki Minaj

---
name: "Nicki Minaj"
relatedPeople:
  - "nas"
  - "meek-mill"
  - "joe-jonas"
  - "vanilla-ice"
date: "2012-02-24"
sources:
  - sourceTitle: "Nicki Minaj's Grammys Performance – Watch Now!"
    sourceUrl: "http://www.justjared.com/2012/02/13/nicki-minajs-grammys-performance-watch-now/"
  - sourceTitle: "Nicki Minaj talks down to poor people"
    sourceUrl: "http://hiphopspy.com/nicki-minaj-talks-down-to-poor-people/"
  - sourceTitle: "Nicki Minaj Says 'Church' Saved Her Family, Calls 'God' Her Hero"
    sourceUrl: "http://www.christianpost.com/news/nicki-minaj-says-church-saved-her-family-calls-god-her-hero-74062/"
  - sourceTitle: "Minaj magic"
    sourceUrl: "http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Minaj_magic-106430523.html"
summaries:
  religion: "Minaj was born in Trinidad, a country of Hindus, Catholics, and Muslims. Her father was probably from a Muslim family, but Minaj seems to be more interested in using religion to advance her fame rather than for spiritual guidance."
  politicalViews: "She seems fairly non-political, occasionally promoting a feminist view, but otherwise not politically involved."
---

Nicki Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj, was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and moved to Queens, New York when she was five years old.

We can be quite certain Nicki Minaj isn't Catholic! At the 2012 Grammy's, Minaj was widely criticized for her performance, which featured her saying a Catholic prayer before being exorcised while an alter boy prayed between her legs after making some funny business with a priest.<a class="source-citation" href="#http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justjared.com%2F2012%2F02%2F13%2Fnicki-minajs-grammys-performance-watch-now%2F" title="Nicki Minaj&apos;s Grammys Performance – Watch Now!">[1]</a>

It was likely some sort of criticism of the Catholic Church's recent scandals with pedophile priests. But more than anything, it was an attention-getter. She said:

>"I would hope that people know at this point that I'm smart enough to know what I'm doing all the time. But I guess they still kind of waiver.<a class="source-citation" href="#http%3A%2F%2Fhiphopspy.com%2Fnicki-minaj-talks-down-to-poor-people%2F" title="Nicki Minaj talks down to poor people">[2]</a>

When Minaj has spoken about the influence of religion during her childhood, she used the word "saved," indicating the possitibility that there was some born-again Christianity involved. She spoke of her father's recovery from serious alcohol and drug problems, with the help of religion:

>He's still with my mother. He went to rehab and cleaned himself up. Eventually they started going to church a lot, and he got saved and started changing his life. He's away from drugs now. He doesn't instill fear in people anymore.<a class="source-citation" href="#http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christianpost.com%2Fnews%2Fnicki-minaj-says-church-saved-her-family-calls-god-her-hero-74062%2F" title="Nicki Minaj Says &apos;Church&apos; Saved Her Family, Calls &apos;God&apos; Her Hero">[3]</a>

Plus, she mentioned that her two heroes are her mom and God,<a class="source-citation" href="#http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christianpost.com%2Fnews%2Fnicki-minaj-says-church-saved-her-family-calls-god-her-hero-74062%2F" title="Nicki Minaj Says &apos;Church&apos; Saved Her Family, Calls &apos;God&apos; Her Hero">[4]</a> so some sort of Christianity is clearly important to Minaj.


## Political sound bites at best

Minaj hasn't said much about politics, though she hasn't made any grotesque attempt to satirize it–yet.

The most me can discern about her political views is that she is pro-feminist, saying at a concert in her home country of Trinidad:

>Go to school and stay in school. Ladies, don't depend on a man for anything. Get your own!<a class="source-citation" href="#http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinidadexpress.com%2Fnews%2FMinaj_magic-106430523.html" title="Minaj magic">[5]</a>

Oh, and perhaps she supports the idea of a focus on local economics?At the same concert, she yelled:

>Localize it!<a class="source-citation" href="#http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinidadexpress.com%2Fnews%2FMinaj_magic-106430523.html" title="Minaj magic">[6]</a>

Although, based on her brilliant and eloquent critiques of society, philosophy, and religion up to this point, I would venture a guess as to say she just thought that was something clever to say.

Marimar Au

Political Affiliations

Religious Beliefs

Russian Invasion of Ukraine

COVID-19

Race

Immigration

LGBTQ+

Women's Rights

Drugs

Fact about the COVID-19 views of Nicki Minaj

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