Claim: Nicki Minaj was born near mainland South America.
Evidence: Born in Saint James , Trinidad and Tobago -LRB- a district of Trinidad 's capital Port of Spain -RRB- and raised in South Jamaica , Queens , New York , Minaj earned public attention after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.
Trinidad and Tobago -LRB- -LSB- ˈtrɪnᵻˌdæd_ən_təˈbeɪɡoʊ -RSB- , -LSB- - toʊˈ - -RSB- -RRB- , officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago , is a twin island country situated off the northern edge of the South American mainland , lying just 11 km off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 km south of Grenada.