As many people familiar with Nicki Minaj’s career can recall, she announced her retirement from the music industry back in 2019. While she did not completely fade away from the rap game, stepping out every once and a while to lay down a guest feature, her last full-length solo project was 2018’s Queen.
In her time away from the spotlight, she emphasized her desires to be a family with her son affectionately known as Papa Bear, and her husband Kenneth Perry. In a chat with fans on social media following the servicing of her Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape to streaming services, the new mom revealed how taking a brief break from social media worked wonders for her mental health.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
She’s long been vocal about the pressures of fame and the limelight. During a Q&A session on Twitter, the 38-year-old rap star was asked if she benefitted from the small hiatus she’s taken from music since her last album. She subsequently admitted that she’s been in a much better mental state since giving birth to her little one back in September.
“Great question. Yes. It was soooo needed for me. I appreciate u guys so much for waiting,’ she confessed. “But yea, very much needed that zen for important bonding time [with] my son, getting back fluid [with] writing & [something] else I don’t want to discuss yet. If u know u know,” continued Nicki, edited for clarity.
Nicki welcomed her first child with Petty on September 30th in Los Angeles last year. Elsewhere in the Q&A, she noted that her son “hated rap music when he was in my tummy,” and she played Enya during the course of her pregnancy.
“He’d kick rlly hard. But he was bopping a lil bit to #SeeingGreen b4 I released it,’ explained Nicki. ‘While pregnant I could only play him soothing music like Enya/classical, etc. he’d be more relaxed. It’s why i couldn’t rlly complete my album preggers.”
She and Young Money labelmate and good friend Drake recently connected on Instagram live ahead of the release of “Seeing Green,” a new offering on Nicki’s re-released 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty.
[via]