From music icon to devoted mama, Nicki Minaj has embraced every moment with her 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 boy since his arrival in September 2020, frequently sharing glimpses of his stylish outfits and milestones with her fans.

Nicki and her husband, Kenneth Petty, are relishing parenthood after her surprise pregnancy announcement in July 2020. Captioning her 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 bump debut with “#Preggers,” the Grammy nominee received an outpouring of congratulations. “Love. Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement and gratitude. Thank you all for the well-wishes,” she wrote.

Although Nicki has not yet revealed her son’s name, she affectionately refers to him as “Papa Bear.” In a heartfelt open letter on her website in May 2021, Nicki shared how motherhood has transformed her life. “Each day creates a new and fascinating, magical memory that I hide far away into a little cute compartment of my heart; vowing never to forget any of it. Like, he’s just a cute liddo marshmallow. I can’t take it,” she gushed. She also revealed some of his favorite things: “His favorite movie is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and he won’t stop watching it. LOL. He’s so smart, funny, sweet, competitive… it’s kind of crazy how they have a full personality so early on.”

Nicki has often spoken about the profound impact of motherhood on her outlook.

During a February 2022 appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, she said, “When I look at my son, I’m reminded that I am so blessed. I realized, for so many women, this is their dream. Their dream is to have a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 and not everybody gets that blessing. So when you have a little 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦, you are reminded every day like, ‘Oh my God. Thank you God for this little gift.’”

Despite some controversy surrounding Kenneth Petty, a registered 𝓈ℯ𝓍 offender, Nicki has stood by her husband. In December 2019, after fans questioned their relationship, she clarified via Instagram, “He was 15, she was 16 … in a relationship. But go awf, Internet. Y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life. Thank you boo.”

Nicki and Kenneth married in Los Angeles in October 2019, rekindling their romance after initially dating as teenagers. Their journey together, including their joyous parenthood experience, continues to be a source of inspiration and fascination for her fans.