Nicki Minaj's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Nicki Minaj. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Nicki Minaj, born Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, is a highly influential Trinidadian-born rapper, singer, and songwriter. Often hailed as the "Queen of Rap", she rose to prominence in the late 2000s with a series of mixtapes and is recognized for her unique flow, lyrical wit, versatility, and use of alter egos. Minaj is widely credited with spearheading the resurgence of female rap into the mainstream during the early 2010s, solidifying her position as a major force in contemporary music and pop culture.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

February 2010: First Appearances on Billboard Hot 100

In early February 2010, Nicki Minaj made her first two appearances on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with her features on "Knockout" and "Up Out My Face".

November 2010: First Grammy Nomination

In November 2010, Nicki Minaj received her first Grammy Award nomination for her guest verse on Ludacris' song "My Chick Bad".

November 19, 2010: Released Pink Friday

On November 19, 2010, Nicki Minaj released Pink Friday, which later reached number one on the Billboard 200.

December 2010: Pink Friday Certified Platinum

In December 2010, Pink Friday was certified platinum by the RIAA for selling a million units in the US, marking the first album by a solo female rapper to achieve this status in seven years.

2010: First Female Solo Artist with Seven Songs on Billboard Hot 100

In 2010, Nicki Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously.

2010: First Woman on MTV's Hottest MC List

In 2010, Nicki Minaj became the first woman to appear on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List since its inception in 2007.

2010: Pink Friday Album Release

In 2010, Nicki Minaj released her debut studio album, Pink Friday, which topped the Billboard 200.

March 2011: Ranked on Billboard Social 50 Chart

In March 2011, Billboard listed Nicki Minaj as the fourth-most-active musician on social media on its Social 50 chart.

April 2011: Release of "Super Bass"

In April 2011, "Super Bass" was released as the fifth single from Pink Friday, ultimately peaking at number three on the Hot 100 and becoming a commercial success.

December 2011: Grammy Nominations

In December 2011, Nicki Minaj received three Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for Pink Friday.

2011: Ranked on Rolling Stone's "Kings of Hip Hop"

In 2011, Nicki Minaj was ranked sixth on the Rolling Stone master ranking of the "Kings of Hip Hop", which is based on record sales and social media metrics.

February 2012: Nicki Minaj's MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam launch

In February 2012, Nicki Minaj launched her own range of lip products for MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam, marking her foray into the cosmetics industry.

2012: Forbes 30 Under 30

In 2012, Forbes included Nicki Minaj in its 30 Under 30 listicle of music.

2012: Most Influential Female Rapper

In 2012, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called Nicki Minaj "the most influential female rapper of all time".

2012: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded Album Release

In 2012, Nicki Minaj released her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which hit number one in the US and explored dance-pop.

2012: Most-Followed Rapper on Twitter

In 2012, Nicki Minaj was the most-followed rapper on Twitter.

2013: Most-Charted Female Rapper on Billboard Hot 100

In 2013, Nicki Minaj became the most-charted female rapper on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, with 44 entries.

November 9, 2014: Hosted 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards

On November 9, 2014, Nicki Minaj hosted the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards in Glasgow, Scotland. She also won the Best Hip-Hop Award for a second time.

2014: Exception to the Unwritten Rule

In 2014, Erik Nielson of NPR said that Nicki Minaj's success over the last decade has stood as an exception to the unwritten rule that women rappers no longer have a place among elite artists.

2014: Last Appearance on Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings

In 2014, Nicki Minaj made her fourth consecutive appearance on Forbes "Hip Hop Cash Kings" list

2015: Top Celebrities on Twitter

In 2015, Nicki Minaj was among the forty most-followed celebrities on Twitter.

2015: Forbes Celebrity 100

In 2015, Nicki Minaj was featured in Forbes' Celebrity 100 listicle.

2015: World's Biggest Female Rap Superstar

In 2015, Vanessa Grigoriadis from The New York Times Magazine called Nicki Minaj "the world's biggest female rap superstar".

March 2016: Pink Friday Certified Triple-Platinum

As of March 2016, Pink Friday has been certified triple-platinum.

2016: Last Best Female Hip Hop Artist Win Until 2024

In 2016, Nicki Minaj last won Best Female Hip Hop Artist, until her win at the BET Awards in 2024.

2016: Top Celebrities on Twitter

In 2016, Nicki Minaj was among the forty most-followed celebrities on Twitter.

2016: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2016, Time named Nicki Minaj one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

2016: Time 100

In 2016, Time named Nicki Minaj one of the most influential people in the world in its annual Time 100, and featured her on one of the physical covers of the issue.

March 20, 2017: Broke Billboard Hot 100 Record

On March 20, 2017, with the three songs she released, Nicki Minaj broke the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries for a female artist, previously held by Aretha Franklin.

2017: Most Hot 100 Entries by a Female Artist

In 2017, Nicki Minaj broke the record for the most Hot 100 entries by a female artist, surpassing Aretha Franklin.

2018: First Woman with 100 Entries on Hot 100

In 2018, Nicki Minaj became the first woman to accumulate 100 entries on the Hot 100.

January 2019: Queen Certified Platinum

In January 2019, Nicki Minaj's album Queen was certified Platinum by the RIAA for moving over 1 million equivalent units.

2019: Billboard Game Changer Award

In 2019, Billboard Women in Music awarded Nicki Minaj with the Game Changer Award.

2019: Most Important Female Rapper of the Decade

In 2019, Complex ranked Nicki Minaj eighth on their list of best rappers of the 2010s, calling her "the most important female rapper of this decade—and quite possibly of all time".

2019: 100 Million Certified Units by RIAA

In 2019, Nicki Minaj became the first female rapper to achieve 100 million certified units by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), across her albums and songs.

2019: Billboard Women in Music Game Changer Award

In 2019, Nicki Minaj was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Game Changer Award.

2019: "Tusa" tops Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart

In 2019, Nicki Minaj's collaboration with Karol G, "Tusa", was the first song by two lead female artists to debut atop the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.

2020: Best Rapper of the Past Ten Years

In 2020, Nick Soulsby of PopMatters called Nicki Minaj the "best female rapper and the best rapper of the past ten years – no gender preposition required."

2020: Billboard Hot 100 Number-One Singles

In 2020, Nicki Minaj achieved her first two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles as a featured artist on Doja Cat's "Say So" and 6ix9ine's "Trollz".

November 2021: "Super Bass" Receives Diamond Certification & Wins Best Hip Hop Award

In November 2021, Nicki Minaj's 2011 single "Super Bass" received a Diamond certification by the RIAA and she won the Best Hip Hop award in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2021.

2021: Best-Selling Female Rapper

As of 2021, Nicki Minaj has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her the best-selling female rapper and one of the best-selling music artists globally in 2021.

2021: "Anaconda" Music Video Reaches One Billion Views

In 2021, the music video for Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" became the first female rap solo song to surpass one billion views on YouTube.

2022: First Solo Number-One Single

In 2022, Nicki Minaj had her first solo US number-one song with "Super Freaky Girl".

2022: Pink Friday on Rolling Stone's List

In 2022, the album Pink Friday was included in Rolling Stone's list of "200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time" at number 31.

2022: "Super Freaky Girl" Debuts at Number One

In 2022, with the number-one Hot 100 debut of her single "Super Freaky Girl", Nicki Minaj became the first solo female rapper to debut atop the chart since Lauryn Hill in 1998, and the first female rapper to debut a solo song at number one in the 21st century.

August 2023: Release of "Super Freaky Girl"

In August 2023, Nicki Minaj released "Super Freaky Girl", the lead single from her upcoming album. It debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, marking Minaj's third US number-one, her first solo chart-topper, and the first solo song by a female rapper to debut at number one in the US in the 21st century.

December 8, 2023: Pink Friday 2 Album Release

On December 8, 2023, Nicki Minaj's fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, was released, which is a sequel to her debut album. It received favorable reviews and debuted atop the Billboard 200, marking Minaj's first album since 2012 to do so. It also broke records for female rap albums.

2023: Ranked Greatest Female Rapper

In 2023, Billboard and Vibe ranked Nicki Minaj as the greatest female rapper of all time.

2023: MTV Europe Music Award

In 2023, Nicki Minaj became the first black artist and the first female rapper to win the MTV Europe Music Award for Best US Act.

2023: First Female Rapper with Three Number-One Albums

In 2023, Nicki Minaj became the first female rapper to earn three number-one albums on the Billboard 200.

2023: Pink Friday 2 Album Release and Concert Tour Success

In 2023, Nicki Minaj released her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, which debuted at number one in the US, and its concert tour became the highest-grossing tour for a female rapper in history.

2023: Tenth-Greatest Rapper of All Time

In 2023, Nicki Minaj was ranked as the tenth-greatest rapper and greatest female rapper of all time on Billboard and Vibe's list of the 50 greatest rappers.

May 2024: "Bang Bang" Certified Diamond by the RIAA

In May 2024, "Bang Bang" was certified diamond by the RIAA, becoming the first all-female collaboration to achieve the certification.

October 2024: End of Pink Friday 2 World Tour

In October 2024, Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday 2 World Tour, her most extensive tour yet, concluded, becoming the highest-grossing tour by a female rapper in history, grossing over $108 million in revenue based on the first 70 shows.

November 2024: "Starships" Certified Diamond by RIAA

In November 2024, "Starships" was certified diamond by the RIAA, for moving over ten million units in the US.

November 2024: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded Certified Four-Times Platinum

In November 2024, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA, becoming Minaj's highest-certified album yet.

2024: Most-Streamed Female Rapper on Spotify

As of 2024, Nicki Minaj is the most-streamed female rapper on Spotify, with over 36 billion streams across all credits.

2024: Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century

In 2024, Billboard ranked Nicki Minaj at number 13 on its "Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century" list.

2024: Apex of Rap Mountain

In 2024, Billboard stated that Nicki Minaj "remains at the apex of the rap mountain 15 years after the release of her breakout mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty".

2024: Multiple Diamond-Certified Solo Songs

In 2024, Nicki Minaj became the first female rapper with multiple diamond-certified solo songs.

2024: Pink Friday named as one of the "50 Greatest Black Albums of the Modern Era"

In 2024, Vibe named Pink Friday as one of the "50 Greatest Black Albums of the Modern Era".

2024: Pink Friday 2 World Tour Grosses Over $108 Million

Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday 2 World Tour (2024) grossed over US$108 million, becoming the highest-grossing tour by a female rapper and the first among female rappers to surpass US$100 million in revenue.