Nicki Minaj Has Retired: Here's Why We Must Celebrate Her Decision

Rapper Nicki Minaj has shocked her fans around the globe by announcing retirement to “have a family”. The 36-year-old took to Twitter to make the announcement writing, “I’ve decided to retire & have my family.” According to CNN, Minaj recently told listeners of her “Queen Radio” show that she and boyfriend Kenneth Perry had applied for a marriage license and would be wed in “about 80 days.” The singer’s fans, however, aren’t ready to believe that Minaj is giving it all up to simply have a family. Why does it seem like such an outlandish idea? Even a successful woman deserves to take a break from her career or give it up completely if that is what she wants.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Rapper Nicki Minaj has announced retirement to “have a family.”
• Her decision must be celebrated because not every woman has the agency to make that call even today.
• Successful women have every right to retire at the peak of their career, if that is what they want.
• What's the point of working hard for success, fame, and money, if you can't make a call on when you want to stop and savour all that you have earned?

Even a successful woman deserves to take a break from her career or give it up completely if that is what she wants.

One writes this assuming that Minaj isn’t taking a break under pressure from her partner to start a family. With such a successful career, which very few female hip hop artists in recent times can boast about, it might seem like an immature or impulsive decision on Minaj’s part to many. What is the point of working so hard, making a brand out of your name and amass success, wealth and fame when you are going to give it all up so soon. But then again, what indeed is the point of all the success and wealth if you can’t slow down the pace of your life to enjoy it?

I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, ❌ in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. ✅ Love you for LIFE 😘♥️🦄

— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 5, 2019

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Minaj began her career at the age of 22. She has been making music and focusing on her career since the past 14 years now. A lot of women have to put their personal lives on the back burner to achieve success in our society. A woman can’t have it all, we are told, because household duties and childcare largely remains women’s agenda, even today, no matter who you are. So a woman can either have a successful career or a fulfilling family life, simply because the social structure around them makes it difficult for them to maintain the ideal work-life balance. To be able to take a break from work for maternity and then jump right back into to it when they are fit enough, as they have a strong support system around them. Having said that, a lot of women also feel that they have earned their retirement, having spent a better part of their youth concentrating on their careers, they wish to now turn their attention full time to family life, and there is nothing wrong with that. To each her own.

A lot of women also feel that they have earned their retirement, having spent a better part of their youth concentrating on their careers, and they aren't wrong.

Minaj isn’t the first woman to hang her boots at the peak of her career, whatsoever be the reason. Besides, retirement can also be temporary, we all know that. Life works in strange ways, and who knows, maybe Minaj would want to return to making music actively. What those around her and those who love her, must do, is to celebrate her decisions, because they make her happy. Not many women have that kind of liberty even today. Their life decisions are made for them. They are told to quit their work and focus on their family life.

So even Minaj’s retirement is a call for us to celebrate, here's a successful independent woman exercising her agency on her life and decisions. She has a body of work worth boasting and she had the guts to say “I’m done,” when she wanted too. If that isn’t worth rooting for, then what is?

Picture Credit: The Golden Grenade

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Yamini Pustake Bhalerao is a writer with the SheThePeople team, in the Opinions section. The views expressed are the author’s own.