There is no doubt that having children will test a marriage – even if you are one of the best-selling female rappers all time. As Nicki Minaj explained in an interview for the Vogue December cover story, The challenges of being a new parent made her doubt herself and made things difficult for her and her husband Kenneth Petty.
In 2019, frustrated by what she believed was the loss of the freedom to be her authentic self, Minaj tweeted that she was retiring from rap to focus on her family. And that’s exactly what she did, marrying her high school crush and giving birth to her now three-year-old son, whom she calls Papa Bear.
As the “Super Bass” rapper explains, she believed that being a wife and mother would outweigh her desire to make music. But she soon realized that she just couldn’t put the mic down for good.
“Maybe subconsciously I was hoping that I would just focus on being a mother, and I was looking forward to that idea. It was like a relief. she says. “But what happens is you find out you have to work.”
Minaj and Petty handled the challenges of raising their baby on their own, a grueling 24/7 responsibility that she says took a toll on their marriage.
“I’m not going to lie, things have gotten difficult between us.” she says.
Minaj said she believed her long history with Petty would allow them to overcome their challenges. But he added that the inevitable doubt that comes with motherhood never really goes away, saying: “There’s no such thing as confidence in parenthood.”
“I wish someone had told me – although I’m sure I couldn’t have understood it – that there is a certain level of anxiety and you think it will go away, but in actually, it gets even scarier. . Very often you think: I don’t know how to do that! she says.
Nicki decided to accept the role of a working mother and return to doing what she loves, making music. His latest album, “Pink Friday 2,” is set to be released in December.
Like it or not, the title alone will force fans to judge the new album as a follow-up to her successful debut studio album, 2010’s “Pink Friday.” But Nicki is up for the challenge and sees it a chance to return to the music she wants to be known for.
“When I look back on a lot of my music, I think: Oh, my God, where was I in that?” she told Vogue. “So for this album, I went back to the old game plan.”