Nicki Minaj Reveals Last Talk With Her Father Before Fatal Crash

Nicki Minaj reveals the final conversation she had with her father before he died in a car accident.

Nicki Minaj Reveals Last Talk With Her Father Before Fatal Crash

In an interview with Apple Music's Ebro Darden, which premiered on YouTube last Thursday (Jan. 4), Nicki Minaj spoke candidly about the final conversation she had with her father, Robert Maraj, before he died in a car accident in February of 2021. The subject came up when Ebro asked Nicki about "Are You Gone Already," the opening track on her latest album, Pink Friday 2.

Ebro asked her if she was speaking to her son on the first verse of the song. That's when Nicki revealed that the lyrics are actually about her late father.

"So, right after I had the baby [affectionately known as Papa Bear], and it was during [the coronavirus pandemic], and nobody knew what was going on," Nicki explained. "But that day, as I'm rocking him, the phone rings, and I see it's my father. I normally would not have picked up, because I don't like to be on the phone with the baby there. I would've called him back. Something said, 'Pick up the phone.'"

"I picked up, he was very happy, and he was like, 'Baby, I could come on Monday?' because he had been waiting to be able to come to Cali to help me," she continued. "I kept on saying, 'Come on out.'"

"He is this amazing, great person, who livens up the whole house," Nicki said of her late father. "I was like, 'Yes, we were going to get help.'"

Later that night, Nicki's mother, Carol Maraj, called to inform her that her father had been struck by a car in a hit-and-run. He later died from his injuries.

"And then, everything started spinning," Nicki said, detailing how her world shattered upon hearing the tragic news.

For Nicki, it was important for her to begin the album talking to her father and telling him about her adorable son Papa Bear.

"So, I'm telling my father, 'You never got to meet Papa,' she said explaining the lyric, "You never got to meet Papa/He sweet proper, he keep mama on my toes."

What Happened to Nicki Minaj's Father?

On Feb. 12, 2021, Nicki Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in New York. The incident reportedly occurred in the Mineola neighborhood of Nassau County, N.Y.

According to the Nassau County Police Department, Robert was walking on the street between Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue when he was struck by a motorist around 6 p.m. EST. The driver then fled the scene. Robert was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. He would later succumb to his injuries.

The driver, Charles Polevich, 70, was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of incident involving death of a person and tampering with or suppressing physical evidence.

In August of 2022, Polevich pleaded guilty to the two charges. He was sentenced to one year in jail and was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. Additionally, he had his driver's license suspended for six months.