Look up cone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A cone (from the Greek κῶνος, Latin conus) is a basic geometrical shape; see cone (geometry).

Cone may also refer to:

Mathematics[link]

• Cone (category theory), a family of morphisms resembling a geometric cone
• Cone (formal languages), an abstract family of languages that contains the languages with a regular grammar
• Cone (geometry), a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base to a point called the apex
• Cone (linear algebra), a subset of vector space closed under positive scaling
• Cone (topology) of a set X, namely the union of all line segments connecting a fixed point to points of X
• Conic bundle, an algebraic variety that appears as a solution of a Cartesian equation
• Conic constant, a quantity describing conic sections, and is represented by the letter K
• Conic section, any curve obtained by cutting a conical surface by an arbitrary plane
• Conical combination, a conical sum of a finite number of vectors
• Conical coordinates, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system
• Conical function, functions which can be expressed in terms of Legendre functions of the first and second kind
• Conical surface, generated by a moving line with one fixed point
• Convex cone, a subset C of a vector space V is a convex cone if αx+βy belongs to C, for any positive scalars α, β, and any x, y in C
• Mapping cone, a construction Cf of topology, analogous to a quotient space
• Mapping cone (homological algebra) of a map of chain complexes
• Monge cone, a geometrical object associated to a first-order equation
• Nilpotent cone, the set of elements that act nilpotently in all representations of a finite-dimensional semisimple Lie algebra
• Projective cone, the union of all lines that intersect a projective subspace and an arbitrary subset of some other disjoint subspace

Engineering and physical science[link]

• Antenna blind cone, the volume of space that cannot be scanned by an antenna
• Cone algorithm identifies surface particles quickly and accurately for three-dimensional clusters composed of discrete particles
• Cone beam reconstruction, a method of X-ray scanning in microtomography
• Cone calorimeter, a modern device used to study the fire behavior of small samples of various materials in condensed phase
• Cone clutch serves the same purpose as a disk or plate clutch
• Cone of depression occurs in an aquifer when groundwater is pumped from a well
• Cone penetration test (CPT), an in situ testing method used to determine the geotechnical engineering properties of soils
• Cone Penetrometer apparatus, an alternative method to the Casagrande Device in measuring the Liquid Limit of a soil sample
• Conical intersection of two potential energy surfaces of the same spatial and spin symmetries
• Conical measure, a type of graduated laboratory glassware with a conical cup and a notch on the top to facilitate pouring of liquids
• Conical mill (or conical screen mill), a machine used to reduce the size of material in a uniform manner
• Conical pendulum, a weight (or bob) fixed on the end of a string (or rod) suspended from a pivot
• Conical scanning, a system used in early radar units to improve their accuracy
• Helical cone beam computed tomography, a type of three-dimensional computed tomography
• Hertzian cone, the cone of force that propagates through a brittle, amorphous or cryptocrystalline solid material from a point of impact
• Nose cone, used to refer to the forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft
• Pyrometric cone, pyrometric devices that are used to gauge heatwork during the firing of ceramic materials
• Roller cone bit, a drill bit used for drilling through rock, for example when drilling for oil and gas
• Skid cone, a hollow steel or plastic cone placed over the sawn end of a log
• Speaker cone, the cone inside a loudspeaker that moves to generate sound
• Spinning cone columns are used in a form of steam distillation to gently extract volatile chemicals from liquid foodstuffs

People[link]

• Bonnie Ethel Cone (1907–2003), an American educator best known as the founder of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Carin Cone (born 1940), an American swimmer, Olympic medalist, world record holder, and gold medal winner from the Pan American Games
• Chadrick Cone (born 1983), an American football wide receiver for the Georgia Force in the Arena Football League
• Cone sisters: Claribel Cone (1864–1929) and Etta Cone (1870–1949), collectors and socialites
• David Cone (born 1963), a former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Edward T. Cone (1917–2004), an American music theorist and composer
• Fairfax M. Cone (1903–1977), former director of the American Association of Advertising Agencies
• Fred Cone (baseball) (1848–1909), pioneer professional baseball player
• Fred Cone (running back) (born 1926), former professional American football running back
• Fred P. Cone (1871–1948), the twenty-seventh governor of Florida (Frederick Preston)
• Jason McCaslin, nicknamed Cone, bassist for the Canadian band Sum 41
• James Hal Cone (born 1938), an advocate of Black liberation theology
• John Cone, an American professional wrestling referee
• John J. Cone, the fourth Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus from 1898 to 1899
• Mac Cone (born 1952), a Canadian show jumper
• Martin Cone, the 6th president of St. Ambrose College from 1930–1937
• Marvin Cone (1891–1965), an American painter
• Moses H. Cone (1857–1908), an American textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist
• Reuben Cone (1788–1851), an important pioneer and landowner in Atlanta, Georgia
• Robert W. Cone, a major general in the United States Army, and Special Assistant to the Commanding General of TRADOC
• Sara Cone Bryant (born 1873), the author of various children's book in the early 20th century
• Spencer Cone Jones (1836–1915), the President of the Maryland State Senate, Mayor of Rockville, Maryland
• Spencer Houghton Cone (born 1785), US Baptist minister and president of the American and Foreign Bible Society
• Tim Cone, the American head coach of the Alaska Aces in the Philippine Basketball Association

Music, film, literature and art[link]

• Cone Five, an indie noise-pop band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, active from 1999 to 2006
• Cone of Silence (1960 film), a 1960 film about the investigation into a series of jetliner crashes
• Cone of Silence, an experimental music group located in Phoenix, Arizona
• Honey Cone, an American R&B and soul singing girl group who was most famous for the #1 hit "Want Ads"
• Orton Cone Box Show, a biennial international ceramic art exhibition for small work
• Pine Cone (Fabergé egg), a jewelled enameled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1900
• Southern cone music, includes the music of Argentina, Uruguay and Chile
• Stamford Cone, a 14-metre-high cone built as a landmark feature for the Swiss Banking Corporation HQ in Stamford, Connecticut
• The Cone Gatherers, a novel by the Scottish writer Robin Jenkins, first published in 1955
• The Golden Pine Cone, a classic novel by Canadian author Catherine Anthony Clark

Business[link]

• Cone Mills Corporation, a world leader in textile manufacturing of corduroy, flannel, denim and other cotton fabrics for most of the 20th century

Computing[link]

• Cone (software), a text-based e-mail and news client for Unix-like operating systems
• Cone tracing, a derivative of the ray-tracing algorithm that replaces rays, which have no thickness, with cones
• Second-order cone programming, a library of routines that implements a predictor corrector variant of the semidefinite programming algorithm

Biology and Medicine[link]

• Cone cell, in anatomy, a type of light-sensitive cell found along with rods in the retina of the eye
• Cone dystrophy, an inherited ocular disorder characterized by the loss of cone cells
• Cone snail, a carnivorous mollusc of the family Conidae
• Cone-billed Tanager (Conothraupis mesoleuca), a species of bird in the Thraupidae family
• Conifer cone, a seed-bearing organ on conifer plants
• Growth cone, a dynamic, actin-supported extension of a developing axon seeking its synaptic target
• Witch-hazel cone gall aphid (Hormaphis hamamelidis), a minuscule insect, a member of the aphid superfamily
• Coning a brain herniation in which the cerebellar tonsils move downwards through the foramen magnum

Astronomy[link]

• Cone Nebula (also known as NGC 2264), an H II region in the constellation of Monoceros
• Ionization cone, cones of material extending out from spiral galaxies

Geography[link]

• Cinder cone, a steep conical hill of volcanic fragments around and downwind from a volcanic vent
• Dirt cone, a feature of a glacier or snow patch, in which dirt forms a coating insulating the ice below
• Parasitic cone (or satellite cone) is a geographical feature found around a volcano
• Shatter cone, rare geological feature in the bedrock beneath meteorite impact craters or underground nuclear explosions
• Volcanic cone, among the simplest volcanic formations in the world

Mapping[link]

• Lambert conformal conic projection (LCC) is a conic map projection, which is often used for aeronautical charts

Places[link]

• Big Cone, a geyser in the West Thumb Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the USA
• Cone, Texas, an unincorporated community in Crosby County, Texas, United States
• Cone Islet, a small granite island in south-eastern Australia
• Fishing Cone, a geyser in the West Thumb Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the USA
• Niles Cone, a groundwater basin in Alameda County, California, USA
• Pink Cone Geyser, a geyser in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the USA
• Southern Cone, a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America, south of the Tropic of Capricorn
• Southern Cone Mesopotamian savanna (Argentine Mesopotamian grasslands), a flooded grassland ecoregion of Argentina
• Treble Cone, a commercial skifield near Wanaka, New Zealand

Buildings[link]

• Red House Cone in Wordsley: a 27 m high conical brick structure, diameter 18 m, used for the production of glass

Mountains and volcanic formations[link]

• Alcyone Cone, an extinct volcanic cone west of the head of Mariner Glacier in Victoria Land
• Anchor Cone, a mountain in western British Columbia, Canada on the south side of Lowe Inlet, Grenville Channel
• Cinder Cone (British Columbia), a cinder cone with a small crater on the west side of the Helm Glacier in Garibaldi Provincial Park
• Cinder Cone and the Fantastic Lava Beds, a cinder cone volcano in Lassen Volcanic National Park, Northern California in the USA
• Cinder Cone National Natural Landmark, in the Mojave National Preserve in southeastern California in the USA
• Cone Glacier Volcano, a cinder cone in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, Canada
• Conical Range, a small mountain range in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, between Seymour Inlet and Belize Inlet
• Cracker Creek Cone, a small cinder cone in northwestern British Columbia
• Dardanelles Cone, a mountain peak in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness of the Stanislaus National Forest in the Sierra Nevada, California
• Dragon Cone, a monogenetic cinder cone in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia
• Eve Cone, a well-preserved black cinder cone on the Big Raven Plateau, British Columbia, Canada
• Flourmill Cone, a cinder cone in Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada
• Gabrielse Cone, a monogenetic cinder cone in the Tuya Volcanic Field in British Columbia, Canada
• Icefall Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Iskut Canyon Cone, a cinder cone of the Iskut-Unuk River Cones group in northwestern British Columbia, Canada
• Kana Cone, a red nested cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada northeast of Eve Cone in Mount Edziza Provincial Park
• Kena Cone, a cinder cone in northwestern British Columbia, Canada in the Snowshoe Lava Field of Mount Edziza Provincial Park
• Klastline Cone, a cinder cone in northwestern British Columbia, Canada near Mount Edziza in Mount Edziza Provincial Park
• Kostal Cone, a young cinder cone in southeastern British Columbia, Canada at the eastern end of Kostal Lake in the Shuswap Highland
• Lone Cone, an extinct cinder cone on the western peninsula of Meares Island, British Columbia, Canada
• Machmel River Cone, a cinder cone in the Pacific Ranges section of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada
• Mess Lake Cone, a cinder cone in northwestern British Columbia, Canada
• Moraine Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Nahta Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Nazko Cone, a small potentially active basaltic cinder cone in central British Columbia, Canada
• Opal Cone, a cinder cone located on the southeast flank of Mount Garibaldi in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada
• Pointed Stick Cone, a cinder cone in east-central British Columbia, Canada in Wells Gray Provincial Park
• Ridge Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Seconed Canyon Cone, a cinder cone in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains in northwestern British Columbia, Canada
• Ship Cone, a conical peak 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Townrow Peak on the Tilman Ridge in Allan Hills, Victoria Land
• Sidas Cone, one of the cinder cones located north on the Mount Edziza plateau in British Columbia, Canada
• Sleet Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Snippaker Creek Cone, a cinder cone of the Iskut-Unuk River Cones group in northwestern British Columbia, Canada
• Storm Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Triplex Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Tseax Cone, also called the Tseax River Cone or the Aiyansh Volcano
• Twin Cone, a cinder cone in northern British Columbia, Canada
• Upper Becker Creek Cone, a volcanic cone in the Upper Becker Creek area of Carbon Hill, Yukon Territory, Canada
• Ventana Double Cone, a prominent twin mountain top in the northern part of the Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest
• Volcanic Creek Cone, a small cinder cone 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Atlin in northwestern British Columbia
• Walkout Creek Cone, a cinder cone in northwestern British Columbia, Canada
• Watson Lake Cone, a cinder cone in southern Yukon, Canada, located near the British Columbia-Yukon border
• Williams Cone, a satellite cone of Mount Edziza, located 36 kilometers east of Telegraph Creek

Subglacial mounds[link]

• Enid Creek Cone, a subglacial mound in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located in the Dark Mountain area
• King Creek Cone, a subglacial mound of the Iskut-Unuk River Cones group in northwestern British Columbia, Canada
• Little Eagle Cone, a subglacial mound in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located in the Dark Mountain area
• Tennena Cone, a subglacial mound in northern British Columbia, Canada, southwest of Mount Edziza in Mount Edziza Provincial Park
• Tom MacKay Creek Cone, a subglacial mound in northwestern British Columbia, Canada

Chemistry[link]

• Carbon nanocones, conical structures which are made predominantly from carbon and which have at least one dimension of the order one micrometer or smaller

Other[link]

• Conical Asian hat, a simple style of straw hat originating in East and Southeast Asia
• Ice cream cone, an edible container in which ice cream is served, shaped like an inverted cone open at its top
• Snow cone, a dessert usually made of crushed or shaved ice, flavored with sweet, usually fruit-flavored, brightly colored syrup
• Traffic cone, a brightly colored cone-shaped plastic object commonly used as a temporary traffic barrier or warning sign
• USS Cone (DD-866), a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy
• Elizabethan collar or e-collar, a device to keep an animal from licking or biting itself

References[link]

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Nicki Minaj
Minaj at 2010 MTV Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
Born	(1982-12-08) December 8, 1982 (age 29)[1] Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, R&B, pop
Occupations	Rapper, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Young Money
Website	mypinkfriday.com

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj ( /mɪˈnɑːʒ/), is a Trinidadian-born American rapper and singer-songwriter. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up.

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release.^[2][3] She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.^[4] Her second single, "Your Love", reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.^[5] She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List.^[6] Minaj was named the 2011 Rising Star by Billboard.^[7] Her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was released on April 3, 2012.

Early life[link]

Maraj was born in 1982^{[1][note 1]} in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain.^[8][9][10] Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry^[11][12] and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens.^[13] According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.^[14]

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet.^[13] She graduated from LaGuardia High School.^[15][16] At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program.^[15] She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia but lost her voice on the day of the audition.^[15]

Career[link]

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money[link]

Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing Playtime Is Over with Dirty Money Records. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled Sucka Free, under the label Be. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in XXL magazine.^[17] She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards.^[18] Minaj released Beam Me Up Scotty, another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of Trapaholics Records; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.^[19][20]

In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal.^[17][21] She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at number 56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics.^[22] Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album We Are Young Money, which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the Billboard 200, reaching number 9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B singer.^[23]

[edit] 2010–11: Pink Friday

Britney Spears and Minaj performing the Femme Fatale Remix of "Till the World Ends" in the Femme Fatale Tour.

After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released from a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing.^[24] In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album Loud that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's Pink Friday.^[25] Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album.^[26] On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be Pink Friday, in reference to Black Friday.^[27]

Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions.^[28][29] A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April.^[30] In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List^[6] and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.^[31] In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously.^[4] Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the Billboard Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs.^[32] The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release.^[3]

On January 29, 2011, Minaj appeared on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest, performing "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life". On February 9, 2011, it was announced that Pink Friday had reached number one on the Billboard 200 in its eleventh week on the chart.^[33] It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the The X Factor.^[34] Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting Pink Friday by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale.^[35] She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till the World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011.^[36] "Super Bass" was released from Pink Friday in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more.^[37] The song gained positive reviews from critics.^[38][39] Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift, as an unknown character.^[40][41] Minaj is also featured on French DJ David Guetta's 2011 album, Nothing but the Beat on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On".

[edit] 2011–present: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was first announced through Twitter in November 2011 and was released on April 2, 2012 in the United Kingdom and April 3, 2012 in the United States. The album features collaborations with producers Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke, Rico Beats, Kenoe, RedOne and Oak. Cash Money A&R Joshua Berkman told HitQuarters that Minaj was extremely particular about the beats and music she used saying: "She wouldn't just rap or sing on anything – I could give her a thousand tracks and she may only like one or two."^[42] Preceding the album's release, three promotional singles were released: Roman in Moscow (which didn't make the final cut of the album), "Stupid Hoe," and "Roman Reloaded." The album's first single, "Starships", was released on February 14.^[43] "Starships" became Minaj's best-peaking single in the United Kingdom, when it reached a peak of 2. It has also peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it her second top 10 arrival following, "Super Bass" in 2011. The music video was released on April 26th, 2012.^[44]

On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. It was the first song ever performed on the Grammy stage by a solo female rapper.^[45] The exorcism-themed performance drew a mixed response online.^[46][47]

She was featured on Madonna's twelfth studio album, titled MDNA, alongside M.I.A. on its lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'", for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce.^[48] The trio performed the song for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.^[49] She was also featured on a song called "I Don't Give A", another track from the album.

She released her second single, "Right by My Side", which features Chris Brown, on March 27, 2012, after premiering on Minaj's website on March 20, 2012.^[50] Following the album's release, it peaked at number 24 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. It also peaked in the lower regions of the UK singles chart, at position #101. The third single, "Beez in the Trap", which features 2 Chainz was released to U.S. Urban radio on April 24, 2012. It was premiered on DJ Flex's radio show at Hot 97 on March 20, 2012. It has peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Rap Songs Chart.^[51] The video was premiered on April 6, 2012 on Minaj's official VEVO account.^[52]

Artistry[link]

Minaj in 2011 during Femme Fatale Tour

Image[link]

Minaj has been noted by the media for her curvaceous figure.^{[53][54][55][56]} In an interview with Vibe Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing."^[57] In an interview with Interview, Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.”^[58] Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "上帝與你常在" (shàngdì yǔ nǐ cháng zài)^[59] on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."^[60]

Alter egos[link]

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting.^[61] As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them.^[61] In an interview with New York she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."^[61]

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa".^[62] Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City.^[62] Minaj made an appearance on Lopez Tonight on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).^[63]

In April 2012, Minaj was asked if Roman, Martha and Rosa come out in the bedroom saying “No, they don’t come out in the bedroom, but other people come out in the bedroom,” she told Big Boy during his “Backstage Breakfast,” adding, “And there’s only one person that would know who that personality is". Minaj did not name her alter-ego.^[64]

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski".^[65] She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin brother". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from Pink Friday, Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos.^[66] On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot."^[67] Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski",^[68] who also appeared on the song "Roman's Revenge", with a British accent,^[69] and on "Roman Holiday", singing for the first time.^[70][71] Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping.^[65] Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.^[65]

Influences[link]

Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott.^[72][73] She was also inspired by Janet Jackson,^[74] Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones,^[75] M.I.A. and Cyndi Lauper.^[76][77][78]

Product and endorsements[link]

During her career, Minaj has signed contracts with a variety of corporate interests. Companies she contracted with include soft drink manufacturer Pepsi;^[79] Mattel, which produced a custom a Nicki Minaj-themed Barbie;^[80] and MAC Cosmetics, as part of an AIDS-awareness campaign in Latin America.^[81]

Personal life[link]

Minaj is a Christian, and on Christmas Day in 2011, she indicated her faith in Jesus by tweeting John 3:16.^[82][83] In addition, she states that after her father went to rehab and started attending church, "he got saved and started changing his life."^[84] Minaj states that her heroes are "God. And my mother."^[85][86]

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual,^[87][88] she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women,^[15] but added in an interview with Out magazine, "I don’t date men either."^[89] In an interview with Vibe she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined."^[90] She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with Out, saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."^[89]

During an interview in the May 2010 issue of Details, Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."^[88]

In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City.^[91] Telemaque was referenced in Minaj's song "Champion" in her second studio album.^[92]

Discography[link]

• Pink Friday (2010)
• Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)

Touring[link]

• Pink Friday Tour (2012)

See also[link]

Nicki Minaj portal

• List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Nicki Minaj
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official website
• Nicki Minaj at the Internet Movie Database
• Media related to Nicki Minaj at Wikimedia Commons

Marcelo D2
Background information
Birth name	Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto
Born	(1967-11-05) November 5, 1967 (age 44) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Genres	Hip hop, rock, samba,
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1998–present (solo)
Labels	EMI
Associated acts	Planet Hemp
Website	MarceloD2.com.br

Marcelo D2 (born Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto, November 5, 1967, in Rio De Janeiro) is a Brazilian rapper.

Biography[link]

A former vocalist of the band Planet Hemp, he started his solo career in 1998 with the album Eu Tiro É Onda. The album was recorded in his studio by David Corcos, and was mixed in New York and Los Angeles by Carlos Bass and Mário Caldato Jr. Eu Tiro É Onda was well accepted by the public and rap movement within São Paulo, earning respect from names such as Black Alien, Zé Gonzalez, Dj nuts and Bnegão.

Marcelo returned to Rio de Janeiro with a pregnant girlfriend who gave birth to his son Luca. He found renewed success after restarting his solo career with the participation of the Hemp Family, a group formed by the pioneers of rap in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2003 he released À Procura da Batida Perfeita (Portuguese for "Looking for the perfect beat", a reference to an Afrika Bambaataa song of the same name) produced by Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato. The album mixed hip-hop with samba, and included a collaboration with will.i.am from The Black Eyed Peas. The album was a hit, and led to an Acústico MTV performance, analogous to MTV Unplugged in the United States. The album was released with the English title in Asia, Europe, and North America. Finally, the album was promoted with a two-year tour.

Marcelo D2 appeared as a guest performer on two tracks of Sérgio Mendes' album Timeless.

His third album Meu Samba É Assim ("My Samba Is Like This") was released May 8, 2006. It features Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 on the track "That's What I Got".

In 2010, Marcelo D2's video "Meu Tambor" Directed by Gandja Monteiro and Producer by Matthieu Dahdah was nominated for Video of the Year for MTV Brasil.

Discography[link]

Studio Albums[link]

• 1998: Eu Tiro É Onda
• 2003: Looking for the Perfect Beat (Mr Bongo Records)
• 2006: Meu Samba É Assim
• 2008: Arte Do Barulho
• 2010: Canta Bezerra da Silva

Live Albums[link]

• 2004: Acústico MTV

Compilations[link]

• 2007: Perfil

Trivia[link]

• In 2011, he was the only artist who played at Rock in Rio and SWU Music & Arts.
• Some of his songs were used in the Turistas soundtrack.
• His biggest radio hit is the song "Qual É?", which has featured on the popular TV show Cidade dos Homens.
• The "Loadeando" music video features his son, Stephen, several times.
• On 7 July 2007 he performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth in Rio de Janeiro.
• The song Desabafo is used as Brazilian UFC fighter, Paulo Thiago's entrance song.

• The song 'Profissão MC' appears on the soundtrack to the game Fifa 2005.

External links[link]

• Marcelo D2 at allmusic.com
• Official website