Minaj’s dad killed in hit-and-run

Nicki Minaj’s father, Robert Maraj, has died after a fatal hitand-run accident, her representative Joseph Carozza confirmed to USA TODAY.

Maraj was crossing the street in Long Island when he was struck by a vehicle, which then fled the scene, according to the Nassau County Police. He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition on Friday and pronounced dead the following day. He was 64.

Minaj, born Onika Tanya Maraj in Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York, has not yet spoken publicly about his death.

The 38-year-old rapper gave birth to her first child with husband Kenneth Petty last September in Los Angeles. Minaj announced that she was expecting her first child in July 2020, just a few months after the performer said she would be retiring.

The couple has been private about their new baby boy and his name, though Minaj revealed last month that they almost named him Ninja.

Last month, she shared a first look at her son with five closeup photos and a short video clip, some of which show him dressed to the nines in Fendi and Versace.

The “Chun-Li” artist also penned a sweet message to her “papa bear” alongside the new photos on Instagram, thanking her baby boy for “choosing me to be your mama.”

USA Today