Nicki Minaj’s father has reportedly been killed in a hit and run car accident in New York City. According to TMZ, Nassau County Police say Robert Maraj was walking between Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue on Friday evening (February 12) around 6 p.m. local time when he was hit by a vehicle heading northbound.
Police say the driver then fled the scene and is still on the lam. The 64-year-old was taken to a local hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries over the weekend. The Homicide Squad is currently investigating the case and asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect.
Nicki has yet to speak on her father’s death on social media. Their relationship has been somewhat strained over the years, so it’s unclear what their status was at the time of his death. In 2010, she told Details, “He drank a lot and did drugs, and he would get violent when he did. When he set fire to the house, he was attempting to kill my mother.
“She got out before it burned all the way down. I’ve always had this female-empowerment thing in the back of my mind — because I wanted my mother to be stronger, and she couldn’t be. I thought, ‘If I’m successful, I can change her life.’”
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Then in 2018, the Grammy Award-winning artist shared a pair of videos to her Instagram account featuring snippets of the Making Of A Queen documentary that touched on her tumultuous childhood.
“I remember when my mother would let my father be violent with her and she always brings up this story about when I was a little girl and I would stand in front of my mother [with my arms open]. That’s why maybe some people would describe me as abrasive or bitchy or whatever because I vowed from that age no man would ever abuse me, call me out my name, treat me like that. Then all of a sudden, that was my life.”
HipHopDX sends our condolences to Nicki and her family.
