Nicki Minaj announced she’s retiring from music to have a family—then deleted the tweet
Just a few weeks ago, Nicki Minaj announced on Queen Radio, her Beats 1 show, that she and her partner, Kenneth Petty, had applied for a marriage license and would be married “in about 80 days,” according to People. On September 5th, Minaj announced on Twitter that she’s retiring from music to start a family, thereby officially closing the book on Hot Girl Summer 2019 and completely devastating Barbz the world over.
“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, X in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE,” Minaj wrote in now-deleted tweet.
Minaj’s fans were understandably upset by the news of her retirement, but the rapper was quick to respond. In one tweet, she apologized for the “abrupt and insensitive” announcement, and she promised that she’d elaborate on her decision to retire on Queen Radio.
I’m still right here. 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 ♥️🙏 https://t.co/eS0oHipwtg
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 6, 2019
Mysteriously, Minaj’s original retirement tweet was deleted today, September 6th, but responses to fans about the news are still up.
Some fans saw the writing on the wall (or the announcement in the lyrics) in Minaj’s 2011 song “Moment 4 Life,” when she rapped: “I will retire with the ring, and I will retire with the crown.” (Recall that Minaj’s latest album is called Queen. Coincidence?)
I will retire with with ring, and I will retire with the crown, yes”
- Nicki Minaj (2011)
A fucking GOAT. The Game thanks you. pic.twitter.com/gTLKZapGZG— R🦋 (@ASAPBlonded) September 5, 2019
But all hope of new Minaj music ever dropping again is not lost.
After dropping her single “Megatron” in June, Minaj confirmed on The Tonight Show that she’s currently working on a fifth studio album. “I’m not putting out the date yet,” she told host Jimmy Fallon, “but there is one.”
This isn’t the first controversy surrounding Minaj’s upcoming marriage to Petty. Minaj has called Petty, whom she first dated when she was 16, “one of her first loves.” She’s also fiercely defended him when fans on Instagram raised concerns over Petty’s criminal record. In 1995, he was convicted of first-degree attempted rape. In 2006, he was convicted of manslaughter.
In response to his rape conviction, Minaj wrote on Instagram: “He was 15, she was 16…in a relationship. But go awf Internet. Y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life. Thank you boo.”
Of course, we fully support whatever decision Minaj makes about her career and children. She’s hardly the first person, famous or otherwise, to take a hiatus to raise a family. Still, we can’t say we’re not keeping our fingers crossed for the rapper’s glorious, phoenix-like, magenta-themed rise from retirement—perhaps à la Jay-Z canceling “the worst retirement in history.” (His words, not ours!)
