Nicki Minaj, the queen of rap, has been making headlines for years with her chart-topping music, provocative lyrics, and unapologetic style. But when she married Kenneth Petty in 2019, the world was introduced to a new side of the rapper – her personal life.
Petty, a registered sex offender with a troubled past, has been the subject of much controversy and speculation. But who is Kenneth Petty, really?
He and Minaj Met in High School
Kenneth Petty and Nicki Minaj met when they were teenagers attending LaGuardia High School in New York City. They briefly dated at the time, but lost touch over the years before reconnecting in 2018.
Minaj has spoken fondly of their early days together, even referencing their teenage romance in her 2019 hit “Zanies and Fools.” “I met my husband when I was 17 out in Queens / If you love it, let it go, now I know what that means / While he was up North for a body / I bodied everybody and got known for my body,” she raps on the track.
He and Minaj Have Been Back Together Since 2018
After reconnecting in 2018, Minaj and Petty went public with their romance in December of that year. The couple shared a series of intimate photos on Instagram, with Minaj captioning the post “He want me to be his wife – his MISSIS like SIPPI NOW.”
Not long after, Petty debuted a massive neck tattoo of Minaj’s birth name, Onika. The couple’s whirlwind romance culminated in their marriage in October 2019.
He’s a Registered Sex Offender
Petty’s legal troubles have been well-documented. In 1995, he was convicted of attempted rape in the first degree and spent four years in prison. He is listed as a level two registered sex offender in New York state.
When Minaj’s followers began bringing attention to Petty’s past on her social media posts, she turned comments off and defended her man. “He was 15, she was 16 … in a relationship.
But go awf Internet,” she wrote. “Y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life. Thank you boo.”
In addition to his sex offender status, Petty pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree for killing a man named Lamont Robinson in 2002. He was originally charged with second-degree murder during the 2006 trial, but a plea bargain reduced the charge. Petty was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released after serving seven years.
Minaj Has Repeatedly Defended Their Relationship
Despite the controversy surrounding Petty’s past, Minaj has repeatedly defended their relationship. In a 2019 episode of her Queen Radio podcast, she spoke out against critics of her relationship.
“When a person is with a n�� that loved them before they had a dime in their pocket? How do you not understand that? How do you not understand happiness vs clout?” she said. “It’s the truth, money cannot buy me happiness and good sex.”
He and Minaj Got Married in October 2019
Minaj and Petty tied the knot in October 2019, with Minaj confirming the news on Instagram. “Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty 102119,” she captioned a video of some “bride” and “groom” swag, also revealing she hyphenated her last name.
The couple’s wedding was a low-key affair, with a source telling PEOPLE that Minaj “wanted to keep her wedding low-key.”
In July 2020, Minaj confirmed she was expecting her first child with Petty. The couple welcomed their son on September 30, 2020, with Minaj revealing the sex of her little one two weeks later.
“Thank you to Queen B, Kim & Ye, Riccardo Tisci, Winnie, Karol & everyone who sent well wishes during this time. It meant the world to me,” she wrote on Instagram. “I am so grateful and in love with my son. Madly in love.”
He’s Made Cameos in Minaj’s Music Videos
Petty has broken into the music business by appearing in two music videos with his wife. The first was for her 2019 hit “MEGATRON,” and the second was “Hot Girl Summer,” Minaj’s 2019 collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion.
