TMZ: Nicki Minaj's Father Dies after Being Struck by a Hit-and-Run Driver — Details

Singer Nicki Minaj suffered a great loss recently when her father died in a hit-and-run accident. The news of the rapper’s father’s death was confirmed by her representative.

According to TMZ, Nicki Minaj lost her father, Robert Maraj, to a hit-and-run accident last week. The musician’s father was only 64 years old when he died, as confirmed by the Nassau County Police in New York.

The authorities revealed that the incident occurred last Friday at around 6 p.m. ET., Maraj was walking on the road between Raff Avenue and Roslyn Road when a car hit him and continued driving.

Nicki Minaj at the Oscar De La Renta SS19 Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week on September 11, 2018, in New York City | Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty Images

The vehicle was heading north when the accident happened, and the driver fled the scene. Unfortunately, witnesses who saw the incident happen weren’t able to give meaningful descriptions to the police.

Minaj’s father was critical when he was taken to a hospital in the area. Sadly, over the weekend on Saturday, he succumbed to his injuries, and the homicide squad is now investigating his case.

The squad has asked that anyone who has any helpful information in identifying the suspect should contact them. They currently don’t have a useful description of the vehicle involved in the case.

Minaj’s representative confirmed her father’s death but had no further comments at the time. The singer’s loss came a few years after she became a mother for the very first time.

On September 30, 2020, the “Super Bass” vocalist and her husband Kenneth "Zoo" Petty welcomed their first child in Los Angeles. Minaj had initially announced via Instagram in July 2020 that she’s pregnant.

At the time, the musician shared several images of her baby bump on the social media platform. Her mother, Carol Maraj, took to Instagram to congratulate her when the child was birthed.

In the post, she shared fan art that showed her daughter cradling her newborn child. Her mother's celebratory post came a few days after the “Starships” singer welcomed her child.

Minaj’s real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, and she was born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Her father was a part-time gospel singer, and he also worked as a financial executive.

He was a drug addict and had a strained relationship with his daughter. During a Wendy Williams interview, the artist shared how her father once burned down the family home after an argument with his wife.

She luckily survived, and Minaj and her brother were safe at a friend’s house as Carol had dreamt about the house burning down. When the singer was five, her mother moved them to the Bronx, New York.