Everything Nicki Minaj Has Said About Her Son

Nicki Minaj has a pretty sad real-life story and it includes the rapper's longstanding but controversial relationship with her husband, Kenneth Petty. The future lovebirds first met when they were in high school and dated for a little while back then too. Fate led their paths to cross again in 2018, and they quickly rekindled their love. Throughout their relationship, Minaj has caught a lot of flak for dating Petty since he was charged with attempted rape in April 1995 and manslaughter in 2002. However, the "Super Bass" hitmaker doesn't seem bothered by his crimes and has even publicly defended his actions on several occasions. 

The happy couple tied the knot in 2019 and welcomed their son the following year. Although Minaj's kid often appears on her social media, she only refers to him as Papa Bear to protect his privacy. In her "73 Questions with Vogue" interview, the rapper enthused about how much she enjoys bestowing adorable nicknames on her loved ones. "His first nickname while he was in my stomach was 'Bubba.' When he came out, it just transformed into 'Papa Bear.' I can't explain it, but when I look at him that's what I thought," Minaj explained. 

When the interviewer asked if she could give a clue about Papa Bear's real name, Minaj simply said yes and didn't elaborate further. Fans have speculated that her son's name is Jacob based on a video where they could supposedly hear her calling him that. But Minaj quickly put those rumors to rest by writing a TikTok comment accusing the creator of making things up to get attention.

When Nicki Minaj discussed Papa Bear on her fan radio in 2021, she revealed that she almost named him Ninja. Although her loved ones adored the moniker, she decided to go in a different direction at the last minute. For all we know, Minaj could've picked a common name to throw people off or found something even more unique. But what we do know is that Papa Bear shares many of his mother's traits. 

During her 2022 appearance on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," the "Starships" singer shared that her son got agitated whenever she took too long to feed him and started asking, "What are you doing?" Minaj added that it had almost become a catchphrase for him as he walked around asking random people too. He also seems to share Minaj's sense of humor. In March 2022, she posted a video on Instagram of her calling her son's name to get his attention. It was obvious that the sneaky toddler was ignoring his mother on purpose as he adorably cracked a smile and suppressed a giggle before covering himself with a blanket. 

To make things even cuter, Minaj confirmed that this was actually an everyday occurrence in their home. Papa Bear also lives a lavish life, just like his famous mom. It's not uncommon to see him sporting high-end designer gear while lounging on a private plane. Likewise, Papa Bear's first two birthday parties were grand affairs complete with just about everything a child could want.

On the outside, Nicki Minaj seems like a total natural at parenting, but the rapper is the first to admit that she faced several challenging moments as a new mom. Minaj took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to admit that both breastfeeding and pumping were considerably more painful than she had imagined. Speaking to Vogue for their 2023 December issue, the "Super Freaky Girl" hit-maker acknowledged initially assuming that motherhood would bring about a more laidback life, but after becoming a mom, she realized just how much work it entailed. 

Although Minaj thought that she and husband Kenneth Petty wouldn't face communication struggles because of their long relationship, they had plenty of disagreements once the baby arrived. Like every parent, Minaj found herself questioning if she was doing the right thing. She thought that the anxiety would settle but later learned that it only intensified. Minaj even announced her retirement to focus on raising her son, but the iconic rapper later realized she didn't want to walk away from it all. 

Although Minaj felt guilty, she powered through and continued to make music because she knew she'd feel the same way whether she decided to prolong her retirement or return to her career. Regardless, Minaj wouldn't change a thing. On "The Late Late Show," she shared, "Motherhood has made me see more good in people and the universe." As Minaj pointed out, although many people want to be mothers, it's a privilege that only some are blessed with.