Nicki Minaj finally fulfilled her dream of becoming a wife this week after marrying her childhood sweetheart Kenneth Petty.

Last month, the Starships rapper had worried fans by announcing she would retire in order to get married and start a family.

It came as a shock to most as Nicki, 36, had been busy working on her fifth studio album. This week, the rapper somewhat backtracked on her comments and admitted she had no idea fans would be so disappointed if she quit music.

Sadly, the fact that one of the most successful female rappers didn’t realise her worth was shocking.

Although Nicki’s relationship with Kenneth was initially shrouded in controversy due to his colourful past, getting married is undoubtedly the happiest time of her life.

So why should she feel as though she has to choose between being happy and her career?

In 2019, you should be able to have it all without question.

She’s a wife (Picture: Nicki Minaj / Instagram)

Women all around the world with regular office jobs are faced with this predicament all the time, but you wouldn’t expect it of a global superstar with the means to come and go as she pleases.

‘I’ve decided to retire & have a family. I know you guys are happy now.

‘To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, X in the box – cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE [sic], Nicki told her fans in September.

She now says: ‘It was really about the fifth album. Where do I stand with it now?

‘I didn’t know my fans would act like that with the tweet. It hurt my feelings because I feel like the way I did it was maybe insensitive to my fans. But I didn’t think people were going to take it – I didn’t know it was going to be that big of a deal.’

It was especially a big deal because female rappers have recently shown that a woman really can have it all.

Cardi B was told she would ruin her career by having a baby (Picture: AP/Instagram/iamcardib)

If Nicki ever needed a case example of an artist at the top of her game who so-called ‘risked’ it all to have a family, she need look no further than Cardi B.

Granted, they’re rivals with no love lost between them but Cardi is the proof that a female artists can juggle family with being a superstar.

In September 2017, Cardi secretly married Migos rapper Offset and didn’t announce it until several months later – all the while continuing to slay the charts and streaming figures.

After announcing her pregnancy in early 2018, the Bodak Yellow rapper gave birth to her and Offset’s daughter Kulture in July that year.

When she revealed her baby news, Cardi openly spoke of how those in her circle warned she’d ruined her career before it even started. At this point, Cardi hadn’t even released her debut studio album but, as well all know, she went on to win the best rap album at the Grammys with Invasion of Privacy.

And she pretty much had a newborn at home.

But that’s not to say there aren’t double standards in music.

Nicki’s feeling that she had to choose between her personal and professional life stems from the stigma that rap is strictly a man’s playing field with exclusivity for only a handful of women.

Sometimes, the double standards are overwhelmingly obvious.

T.I. recently caused a stir with his list of the best rappers of all time when he said he couldn’t include both Lil Kim and Nicki because of their similarities in impact and style.

‘Nicki would not be here doing the things that she is doing if Lil Kim wouldn’t did that,’ T.I. explained.

But that could be said for so many of the other male rappers on that list.

In that same train of thought – would Jay Z really have done what he did if it weren’t for his pal Biggie paving the way of him and so many others? They both made it into his top five, so why wasn’t it that easy for Nicki and Lil Kim?

Meg has been studying for a degree this whole time (Picture: MTV)

But it’s not all bad. There are other success stories for women in rap achieving accomplishments outside of having children.

Megan Thee Stallion had the ultimate #HotGirlSummer but was studying for her college degree the whole time.

The 24-year-old is in her third year at Texas Southern University and we all know how stressful those dissertations can be.

So imagine writing essays and studying for exams while travelling around the US, performing shows and releasing music like Megan has done?

The music industry is like swings and roundabouts – one week you’re up, the next you’re not as popular but it’s fickle enough that there’s always the chance to make a comeback if timed perfectly.