If the facts of Nicki Minaj’s career are anything to go by, the New York City rapper is setting a new standard for any and all female rappers that come after her. Plagued by being a minority in a male dominated industry, Nicki Minaj has knocked down doors of Hip-Hop and have expanded far beyond many would have believed during her debut. With the era for her third studio album, The Pinkprint, officially ended, Nicki Minaj isn’t simply waiting around until she releases new music. Shifting her focus to Hollywood, along with starring in “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” Nicki is setting out to do her own thing in her previously announced ABC Family television show, “Nicki,” based on her life growing up in New York City. Working to find the perfect cast members for the show, Ms. Minaj has officially announced the stars that will be living out her early life across the television. Via The Hollywood Reporter, check out just who will be gracing our screens each week.
Ariana Neal (Get Hard, Fruitvale Station) will play the pop star in her early years before she rose to fame in the network’s scripted comedy Nicki.Other castmembers include Selita Ebanks (Real Husbands of Hollywood), who will play Nicki’s mom, Grace; Wesley Jonathan (The Soul Man), who will play Vincent, Nicki and Jaylen’s father; and McCarrie McCausland (Army Wives), who will play Jaylen, Nicki’s older brother. Whoopi Goldberg is also set to guest star as Nicki’s neighbor, Miss Martha. Minaj, who is executive producing, will also appear in the show, which will launch after ABC Family rebrands itself to Freeform.
Matched with a promising cast, “Nicki” is shaping to be a new venture of Onika’s that we have to keep our eyes on. Set to air in 2016, if you haven’t learned already, there’s no stopping Nicki Minaj.
