Who are Nicki Minaj’s parents? Cardi suggests rapper’s dad was abusive amid beef

Nicki Minaj and Cardi B’s long-time feud has reached new heights as the duo are at each other’s throats, attacking their families.

In October 2025, Minaj took to X (formerly Twitter) to target Cardi B’s daughter, Kulture, mocking her by calling her a “kulture vulture” and using offensive terms such as “roach” and “monkey” to describe her appearance.

In response, Cardi B took to her X account to lash out at the Anaconda singer, referencing allegations of sexual abuse by Minaj’s father, Robert Maraj, in a pointed tweet. In a message addressed to Minaj’s son, Papa Bear, she wrote:

“One day you going to grow up and I hope you understand when a girl says NO it means NO and you can overcome the p*d*ph*l*a blood you inherited from you your grandfather, father and uncle…”

Cardi B

@iamcardib

I’m sorry that your mommy haven’t cut you a birthday cake for the past 3 days cause she can’t take my success or happiness… One day you going to grow up and I hope you understand when a girl says NO it means NO and you can overcome the pedophilia blood you inherited from you your grandfather, father and uncle… Please don’t hate me when you grow up cause your mommy rather give me more attention than she gives you ..hopefully when somebody that really cares about her puts her in rehab and get her the help she needs she come out and read you a book

Nicki Minaj’s real name is Onika Tanya Maraj. She was born to her parents, Robert and Carol Maraj. Her mother is a gospel singer. Her father was a financial executive and part-time gospel singer of mixed Afro-Trinidadian and Indo-Trinidadian ancestry. He died in a hit-and-run accident in 2021.

Continue to read more.

What do we know about Nicki Minaj’s parents?

Nicki Minaj’s parents gained the spotlight recently after Cardi B took a jibe at the rapper’s strained relationship with her parents, particularly her father, Robert Maraj.

In her tweet posted on October 1, 2025, amid her ongoing feud with the 42-year-old singer, she wrote:

“Dear Onika Tanya Maraj, This my last time responding to you because this past Twitter now.. I gotta see you… but first ima tell you truth.. You said out your own mouth that the lil girl in you haven’t forgave your mother yet and that’s because your mom used to stay silent when your dad used to touch on you everytime he did that crack pipe…”

Nicki Minaj’s father struggled with crack cocaine addiction during her early years in Queens, New York. In 2020, during an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, shared by Essence, Minaj spoke about the domestic violence her mother faced when she was a child. She said:

“When I first came to America I would go to my room and kneel down at the foot of my bed and pray that God would make me rich so that I could take care of my mother….I felt like if I could take care of my mother, my mother wouldn’t have to stay with my father … so I always felt like being rich would cure everything, and that was always what drove me.”

In another interview with the Huffington Post, Nicki Minaj said:

“All of my young and teenage early years we lived in fear that my mother would be killed by my father. It was ridiculous. It was very tough emotionally for me to have a parent who was an alcoholic and a drug addict… My father was violent — physically and verbally.”

Minaj added that he saved his life by going to rehab and then attending church.

Trending

Nicki Minaj’s parents moved from a Caribbean Island to New York City when she was 3 years old. She revealed that they struggled financially when she was growing up. Her mother, Carol, is a gospel singer who released singles such as What Makes You in 2019.

While her father struggled with drug addiction, she shared that he would only come to the house to sleep or steal the furniture to buy drugs or alcohol. Her mother also opened up a foundation called Carol Maraj Foundation to help other women who faced domestic violence.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback