Today, Dec. 8, marks the birthday of Queens rapper and first lady of Young Money Nicki Minaj. She now turns 36.

Since signing to YMCMB in 2009, and being taken under the wing of Lil Wayne himself, the charismatic, animated rapper has dropped three albums, 2010's Pink Friday, 2012's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and 2014's The Pinkprint.

There's good reason why Nicki is hip-hop’s hottest female MC. Since dropping off The Pinkprint, Nicki has found ways to maintain her presence through dope guest verses on tracks from Beyonce, MigosJessie J, Skylar Grey, G Herbo, Katy Perry and more. Outside of hip-hop, she’s been on the cover of almost every magazine and continues to expand her brand.

Nicki’s never one to hold anything back, and she’s always have been open about her sexuality and personal opinions. The Young Money rapper's notoriety skyrocketed in 2015, as she embarked on her first world tour, started her full-fledged acting career in Barbershop 3 garnered more endorsement deals with Myx Moscato, MAC Cosmetics and more. It was also in 2015 when she began her very public rap romance with Meek Mill.

And rest assured, Minaj is still having rap bitches for her entrees. Nicki is as nimble on the mic as ever.

Although Nicki was a bit quieter than usual in 2016, 2017 saw her return in a major way following her split from Meek Mill. Near the beginning of last year, she found herself engaged in a classic rap beef with Remy Ma, which has since been seemingly squashed, and a short time later, she reunited the Young Money team when she, Lil Wayne and Drake appeared on her single, "No Frauds." Nicki commemorated XXL Magazine's birthday last fall by gracing the cover of our 20th anniversary issue. In the special interview, Nicki affirms her selling power as she discusses the qualities that enabled her rise to superstardom, one of which was her ability to rap her ass off. It's hard to disagree.

The Pinkprint artist has remained in the spotlight for most of 2018, most notably with the release of her critically acclaimed fourth studio album Queen, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and has been certified gold by the RIAA, her successful Apple Music Beats 1 show, Queen Radio, and her highly publicized dispute with Cardi B.

Happy Birthday, Nicki!

See Photos of Nicki Minaj's Different Looks Over the Years

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