This was our first Interview with Nicki Minaj from 2008 you can check out website out at www.spatehiphoppodcast.com we went on to do mulitple interviews with Nicki Minaj before she was a big superstar.    Nicki Minaj, real name Onika Tanya Maraj, was a Trinidadian-born singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress who rose to fame for her controversial lyrics and flowing, quick-spoken rapping style. She was born on December 8, 1982, in St. James, Trinidad and Tobago. Her strong character, which featured colorful wigs and provocative attire, complimented her music.