The Evolution of Nicki Minaj

Happy Birthday, Nicki!

Pink Friday - Artist: Nicki Minaj Year: 2010Ascending from mixtape all-star to YMCMB’s boss Barbie is no simple task. Yet Nicki Minaj made the leap like Jackie Joyner-Kersee, showing she’s more than punchlines and silly alter egos with Pink Friday. The eclectic debut album built on her clever rhymes by adding full-blown singer moments like “Your Love” and “Right Thru Me.” But the bark and bite are still there; just ask Lil Kim, who caught Nicki’s wrath on “Roman’s Revenge,” which also featured some guy named Eminem.(Photo: Cash Money Records/Universal Motown)
Passing the Torch Lil Kim to Nicki Minaj - While it's hard to say whether the Queen Bee passed the torch to Minaj or whether the pink-haired pop star just snatched it, it's clear the torch has been passed. While we'll always have a place in our heart, and on our playlist, for Lil' Kim, Nicki is clearly the reigning queen of the female rap scene. (Photos from left: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
All Eyes on Roman – February 12, 2012 - Darling Nicki shocked many with her red carpet companion (a priest) and Grammy performance. Debuting her track “Roman Holiday” from the latest installment of the Pink Friday series, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, the over-the-top showing sent the Internet into a frenzy.
The Super Bowl - The raptress secured her first Super Bowl performance at the 2012 XLVI Halftime Show in Indianapolis, Indiana with Madonna. It was clear that Nicki Minaj's success had gone from a hip hop phenomenon to a pop culture frenzy.(Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)Roman Reloaded - Nicki Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was another commercial success, drawing from her hardcore Roman personaity. With numerous charting singles like "Starships" and "Right by My Side" featuring Chris Brown, the music celeb propelled her reign and launched two world tours.(Photo: Young Money)

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Nicki vs. Kim - With the hip hop star's rising success, of course, the comparisons to Lil' Kim were inevitable. Nicki Minaj's fashion choices and several of her promotional photographs resembled the earlier hip hop celeb, which caused Kim to call out Nicki for jacking her style. While the Pink Friday rapper claimed to always show love to Kim, the two eventually became arch enemies. Kim even released a mixtape full of disses toward Minaj called Black Friday. (Photos from left: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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