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Nicki Minaj is the most exciting female rapper for a generation, according to a number of leading music magazines – despite the fact she is yet to even release her debut album.

Mariel Concepcion, associate editor of Billboard says “There hasn’t been a female rapper in nearly ten years to make as much noise as she’s made”… while Brendan Frederick of Complex Magazine claims that “Nicki’s flow is so creative that you can count on her delivering at least a few instant, easy-to-remember quotables, which is the key to having a successful verse on a pop or R&B song.”

XXLMagazine’s Deputy Editor Rob Markman points to her crossover ability as the reason for her early success. Her solo single Your Love reached the Top 20 in August and she has appeared as a guest artist on a number of hit tracks over the last few years, including Ludacris’ My Chick Bad, Usher’s Lil’ Freak, Christina Aguilera’s Woohoo, Sean Kingston’s Dutty Love and Jay Sean’s 2012.

Minaj’s record label Young Money Entertainment are just hoping her status as the next big female rapper will be cemented with the release of her debut album on 23^rd November.

Onika Tanya Maraj, better known as Nicki Minaj, is an American rapper and hip hop singer.

Born 8^th December 1984 in Trinidad, Maraj moved to Queens, New York City at the age of five. Although growing up with an abusive, alcoholic and drug-addicted father, she found solace in music and developed a passion for rap and hip hop at a very young age. Her career began in 2004 when she began singing background vocals and recording hooks for local New York rappers, and she soon set up her own MySpace account to highlight her solo work. It was through this medium she was discovered by the hip hop record label Young Money Entertainment, although she was not immediately signed.

Maraj first appeared on ‘The Carter Edition’ of the label’s The Come Up DVD series. This was followed by a number of mixtape collaborations with the rapper and Young Money CEO Lil Wayne, including 2007’s Da Drought 3 (on the song Don’t Stop, Won’t Stop), 2008’s Dedication 3 (on Still I Rise) and 2009’s No Ceilings (on Sweet Dreams). In April 2007 she released her first solo mixtape, called Playtime Is Over, which was followed by 2008’s Sucka Free – and these releases led to her being named Female Artist of the Year 2008 at the Underground Music Awards.

The singer released her third mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty, in April 2009 and signed up to record her debut album with Young Money Entertainment. She spent the rest of 2009 and early 2010 working on the album and collaborating with a number of established R&B artists, including Mariah Carey (on the single Up Out My Face), Ludacris (on the number eleven hit My Chick Bad), Usher (on the Top 40 song Lil’ Freak) and Jeffree Star (on his debut album Beauty Killer). Then, on 13^th April 2010, she released her first solo single – Massive Attack (ft. Sean Garrett and Amber Rose). After collaborating with Christina Aguilera on the single Woohoo, Maraj’s second solo single Your Love was released on 1^st June and shot to number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Maraj is due to release her debut studio album on 23^rd November 2010.