Ayra Starr says she had a Nicki Minaj fan page used for trolling before she became famous

Nigerian singer Ayra Starr seems to be a Nicki Minaj fan. On February 19, 2025, she collaborated with Jola Ayeye and Feyikemi Abudu on the I Said What I Said Podcast to discuss some interesting aspects of her life and the dilemmas she faced. One interesting detail that she shared with the hosts is that she had a troll page back in the day, as she said:

“I did have a troll page. I am not gonna lie, before I became Ayra Starr. I had a Nicki Minaj fan page.”

This wasn’t the first time she mentioned the Hey Mama singer in a conversation. During a 2023 interview with Brut, she revealed having a difficult time with people who showed dislike towards Minaj. As seen in a clip of the interview that went viral on social media recently, Ayra Starr said:

“But to be honest, I just love music so much so I would stan whoever I was listening to at that time, even Nicki Minaj like I would fight people in school that said she wasn’t good. I was like, ‘You said what?’ And I wouldn’t speak to them for like a week because they said Nicki Minaj was not good.”

In the same interview, she recalled returning home from boarding school around the age of 10 or 11 and seeing her younger sister rapping like Nicki Minaj. It felt like a competition. So, she started listening to Minaj's music while falling asleep, trying to memorize the lyrics since she wasn’t familiar with pop culture at the time.

She also shared that Nicki Minaj helped boost her confidence in school at a young age and believed the rapper played a significant role in empowering young Black girls.

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Ayra Starr said she enjoyed the process more than feeling pressurized about her work

During the I Said What I Said Podcast, Ayra Starr was asked to reflect on the pressure she felt while working on albums. The singer replied that she enjoyed the process more than anything else. However, she wished she could feel more pressure. Yet, she said:

“I am very very comfortable with myself and the process like I am just like okay, if this one doesn’t go well, at least I got to be creative.”

Ayra Starr continued:

“I have seen so many times how artists like it, doesn’t come in one day, doesn’t happen in one album or sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t and I am good with that as long as I get to give myself creatively, I know the next one is going to be crazy and if it’s not, I will try again.”

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In other news, Ayra Starr made history as the first female artist in 16 years to win the Best African Music Act at the Mobo Awards. She also took home the award for Best International Music Act at the event in Newcastle.

The Mobo Awards, established in 1996, honor Black culture and music in the UK. In her acceptance speech, she thanked everyone for their support and her team. She gave a shoutout to her mother while expressing her excitement.