Is Nicki Minaj self-managed? Rapper talked about launching her own management company and record label

Nicki Minaj, known as the "queen of rap," juggles music, brand deals, and collaborations, requiring a manager to handle her career and personal affairs. While Nicki Minaj was self-managing briefly following her association with SALXCO, the rapper is no longer self-managed but managed by WME Management since January 2024.

WME is part of the William Morris Agency, which merged with Endeavor Talent Agency in 2009. WME also manages other music celebrities like Adele, Eric Church, Olivia Rodrigo, Jordan Davis, and many more.

According to Billboard, before Nicki Minaj was signed to SALXCO, she was managed by Irving Azzoff at Full Stop Management from 2019 to 2021. Prior to Azzoff, the Side to Side rapper was repped by Gee Roberson and Cortez Bryant.

---

Nicki Minaj first talked about her own management company in a Joe Budden interview

On March 9, 2024, Nicki Minaj sat down with Joe Budden, where the subject of management was brought up.

"I am creating my own management company," Minaj said.

Minaj also shared that the decision was initially taken by her own management, but as it became a work in progress, she wanted to bring others along for the ride as well. Nicki then added:

"I'm also doing my record company... I have a couple of artists I will start the record company with."

Minaj delved into the details of her record label in a March episode of Queen Radio, adding:

"I have a record label now... When I get behind an artist, y’all know how I do s*** for people that’s not even signed to me. Imagine what I’ma do for the ones that’s signed."

Elsewhere in the episode, Nicki shared that it was Wendy Goldstein - the co-president of Republic Records - who encouraged her to announce her record label on the show. The Super Freaky Girl rapper then added that her record label will feature a diverse range of musical acts, clarifying:

"Don’t think my label is just rap, or Black, or anything. We got some other genres of music.

---

Minaj admitted to being influenced by Lil Wayne in creating her own record label

Towards the end of her Queen Radio episode from March, Nicki Minaj touched on the influential role Lil Wayne had played in the starting years of her rap career, saying:

"When I came in this game I didn’t have no paperwork with Lil Wayne. But he had us on tour, he had us in a studio, he was getting on my mixtapes."

The Super Bass rapper continued:

"So I understand the importance of having somebody else doing the heavy lifting for you. I understand why people are coming out and they’re so, you know, microwaveable and they’re here today and gone tomorrow, because there’s no structure. There’s no real person that believes in them. That’s like, 'Nah, I’m gonna make it my business to see you shine'."

Having Wayne by her side throughout the years, Nicki now intends to do the same for the up-and-coming artists that sign with her record label. According to Billboard, while Nicki didn't reveal the name of her label at the time, she did confess that artists like Nana Fofie, Tate Kobang, London Hill, and Rico Danna, would all be on her label's roster.

---

Minaj, who completed her fourth solo headlining tour - Pink Friday 2 World Tour - on October 11, announced she'd be taking a hiatus from work to spend quality time with her family.