Nicki Minaj quits the rap game: 'I've decided to retire & have my family'

Rap queen Nicki Minaj has shocked fans by announcing her retirement from music, saying it is time to "have my family". 

The rapper announced on Twitter on Thursday night that she's chosen to retire and focus on having a family with her partner Kenneth Petty.

She added a note to her followers, asking them to "keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, X in the box - cuz ain't nobody checkin me" a reference to her verse on Alicia Keys' singer's hit Girl on Fire remix.

According to New York Times, Minaj hinted in June that she planned to marry her jailbird boyfriend, and in August she changed her Twitter name to Mrs Petty but did not say whether a wedding had taken place.

The rapper came onto the music scene 10 years ago with her first album Pink Friday and was known for her outspoken comments, feuds with other singers, colourful wigs and multi-alter egos.

She is one of only a handful of female rappers who have consistently carried the rap game on her back. In 2009, she debuted on the Billboard charts for I Get Crazy featuring Lil Wayne. The following year she broke the record of having seven Hot 100 singles in the charts.

In 2010, Minaj also broke more milestones with her music. Your Love became the first single by a female rapper to reach number one on the Billboard Rap Chart in seven years.  

She surpassed Aretha Franklin’s record in 2017. She has 76 songs on the storied list, and Aretha Franklin held the top spot with 73 singles for nearly 40 years.

Earlier this year she made history being the first female rapper to sell 100 million records.

Reactions 

Most of her fans did not take the news too well. Here is a snapshot of some of the reactions: