Nicki Minaj is known for her chart-topping music and outspoken personality, but she’s also embraced a more private role as a mom. In recent years, Nicki has been candid about the realities of parenting, saying it requires constant learning and humility — and admitting there’s “no confidence in parenthood.” She’s described raising her son as both grounding and challenging.
“There’s a level of anxiety, and you think it’s going to go away, but, in fact, it gets scarier,” Nicki said in Vogue‘s December 2023 issue.
Learn more about Nicki’s family and her experience as a mother below.
How Many Kids Does Nicki Minaj Have?
Nicki has one child. She welcomed her first baby, a son, on September 30, 2020, at a hospital in Los Angeles.
Nicki has spoken openly about how motherhood changed her perspective. During a February 2022 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, she reflected on the gratitude parenting brought into her life.
“I think motherhood has made me see more good in people, more good in the universe,” she said. “When I look at my son, I’m reminded that I am so blessed. I realized, for so many women, this is their dream. Their dream is to have a child and not everybody gets that blessing. So when you have a little baby, you are reminded every day like, ‘Oh my God. Thank you God for this little gift.’”
Is Nicki Minaj Married?
Yes. Nicki is married to Kenneth Petty. The couple tied the knot in October 2019 after reconnecting years after knowing each other as teenagers.
Reflecting on their relationship, Nicki explained why their long history matters to her. “Because I’ve known my husband for so long, there’s an ease we have with each other,” she told Vogue. “We make each other laugh. We’re silly. And we’re always reminiscing about some old story. If it was a guy that I met as Nicki Minaj, I think I’d feel like they liked me because I’m Nicki Minaj.”
Who Are Nicki Minaj’s Children?
Nicki shares one son with her husband. She has not publicly revealed his real name, instead referring to him by his nickname, Papa Bear. Nicki once shouted him out during her MTV Video Music Awards speech in August 2022 while accepting the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. “I have a new baby. His name is Papa Bear and I love him,” she told the audience. “Papa Bear, I love you so much. Mommy loves you so, so, so, so, so, so, so much.”
While Nicki occasionally gives fans glimpses into motherhood, she has largely kept her son’s life private. To celebrate his first birthday, Nicki and Kenneth threw him an elaborate Kung Fu Panda–themed party, sharing photos from the celebration on social media.
“On Sept. 30th you turned 1. Mama is so proud of you, PapaBear,” Nicki wrote on Instagram (her account has since been deactivated). “You’re the best boy in the whole wide world. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but God bless you, son. Mommy & Daddy will never stop loving you.”
Nicki later posed with her son for Vogue’s December 2023 issue, where she opened up about the realities of motherhood and balancing parenting with her career.
“I think that deep down inside, I believed that once I had a family, I would just lose the desire to make music,” she told the outlet. “But what happens is that you find out you have to work. If I’m going to have mom guilt regardless, I might as well continue doing the only thing I know how to freaking do, which is make music.”
