Nicki Minaj

Name at birth: Onika Tanya Maraj

Nicki Minaj's album, Pink Friday, topped the charts on the strength of singles such as "Your Love" and "Moment 4 Life" (a duet with Drake), and earned Grammy nominations as one of the best rap records of 2010. Born in Trinidad, Nick Minaj grew up in New York and started out as an actress (under her real name, Onika Tanya Maraj) before going into music. She released her own tapes beginning in 2007, eventually landing a record deal in 2009. With an assist from Lil Wayne, with whom she recorded the single "BedRock," Minaj was off and running to be the Next Big Thing in pop music. Famous for her bold, colorful outfits and wigs, Minaj often came across as a hip-hop version of Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. By the time her second album arrived in 2012 (Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded) she was touring with Britney Spears, collaborating with Mariah Carey and Ludacris and performing at halftime of the 2012 Super Bowl with Madonna and M.I.A.. Her other songs include "Super Bass" and "Starships," and she released her third studio album, The Pinkprint, in 2014.