Nicki Minaj was born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and grew up primarily in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York City.

Quick Scoop: Where She Grew Up

  • She spent her early childhood living with her grandmother in the Saint James district of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Around age five, she moved to South Jamaica, Queens, where she was raised and later attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

So if you’re answering “where did Nicki Minaj grow up,” the most accurate short answer is that she grew up in Queens, New York, after being born and spending her first years in Trinidad and Tobago.

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