Rapper Nicki Minaj announces retirement

Rap queen Nicki Minaj on Thursday shocked fans by announcing her retirement from music, saying she was going to focus on family.

The provocative 36-year-old known for hits like "Super Bass" is engaged to music executive Kenneth Petty, and she recently said a wedding is in the cards in the coming months.

"I've decided to retire & have my family," tweeted the wildly successful rapper raised in the New York borough of Queens.

"I know you guys are happy now," she continued. "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."

The surprising news fueled pregnancy rumors that had already been swirling since June after she appeared on a late-night television show and opted against drinking.

She went Instagram-official with her partner Petty in December 2018, after rebooting the relationship decades after they were involved as teenagers.

'Walking exaggeration'

Minaj's profanity-laced lyrics, skin-baring music videos and unique, animated flow first catapulted her to fame in 2010.

Known for her bold sartorial style that includes neon costumes and wigs, Minaj -- whose hits include "Starships," "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda" -- is considered one of rap's most influential female artists.

The Grammy-nominated artist born in Trinidad and Tobago cites Foxy Brown and Jay-Z as major inspirations, and has crafted a lightning-speed sound distinctive for her use of alter egos and accents, especially British cockney.

She's "a sparkling rapper with a gift for comic accents and unexpected turns of phrase," wrote a New York Times critic in 2018. "She's a walking exaggeration, outsize in sound, personality and look."

"And she's a rapid evolver, discarding old modes as easily as adopting new ones."

Agence France-Presse