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Rapper Nicki Minaj poses backstage with her awards during the MTV Europe Music Awards at the Bizkaia Arena in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao on November 4, 2018. /VCG Photo
Rapper Nicki Minaj took fans by surprise on Thursday with an announcement that she was retiring from the music business to “have my family.”
Minaj, 36, gave the news to her 20 million Twitter followers, although she had not previously said she was either pregnant or married.
“I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me,” the singer wrote.
Screenshots of Nicki Minaj's posts on Twitter.
Minaj said in June that she planned to marry boyfriend Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, and in August she changed her Twitter name to Mrs. Petty but did not say whether a wedding had taken place.
The “Starships” singer burst onto the music scene 10 years ago with her first album “Pink Friday” and is known for her outspoken comments, feuds with other singers, colorful wigs and alter egos.
Nicki Minaj (L) and Ariana Grande perform on Coachella Stage during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 14, 2019 in Indio, California. /VCG Photo
One of only a handful of female rappers, she won six American Music Awards, became a controversial judge on “American Idol” and was included on 2016 Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
Minaj’s fans were stunned by the news.
“She really just up and left,” asked a fan called MICAH on Twitter.
“This is my cue to leave earth,” wrote Bubbles.