Nicki Minaj, arguably one of the most successful female rappers in the industry with 20 Top 10 hit songs, four albums, and a loyal fan base, abruptly revealed that she would be retiring over the weekend on Twitter.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Minaj shocked fans with the surprise message.
“I’ve decided to retire & have my family,” she said in the tweet. “I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, ❌ in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. ✅ Love you for LIFE –♥️–.”
Fans and people within the music industry felt blindsided, as Minaj has been an active musician since her career first catapulted in 2010 with Pink Friday. Last year, she dropped the highly anticipated record Queen, which features singles “Barbie Dreams,” “Chun-Li,” and “Bed” with Ariana Grande, and this summer, she returned with the new track “Megatron.” She also just paired up with Megan Thee Stallion for a guest verse on the smash-hit “Hot Girl Summer.”
When fans reached out to Minaj for an explanation, she apologized, noting that while her tweet was “abrupt and insensitive,” she will discuss her decision further on her Apple Music radio show “Queen Radio.”
“I’m still right here,” she said in a reply to a fan on Twitter. “Still madly in love with you guys & you know that. In hindsight, this should’ve been a Queen Radio discussion & it will be. I promise u guys will be happy. No guests, just us talking about everything. The tweet was abrupt & insensitive, I apologize babe.”
The rapper will reportedly give more information this week.
