By , Nellie Andreeva
Published May 02, 2016
Nicki Minaj is set to executive produce and appear in a scripted comedy series for ABC Family based on the rap star’s life growing up in Queens, New York. The project, from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, will film a pilot episode in Minaj’s hometown this winter, with the intention to continue to series.
Born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj moved tot he U.S. as a child. Written by Kate Angelo ("Sex Tape"), the untitled series will focus on Minaj growing up in Queens in the 1990s with her vibrant immigrant family and the personal and musical evolution that lead to her eventual rise to stardom.
"Nicki Minaj is a force to be reckoned with at everything she touches," said ABC Family’s EVP Programming and Development Karey Burke. "Nicki is an international superstar, yet not everyone knows how inspiring and hilarious her true story is, and we cant wait to share it with the world."
Minaj, Kaplan and Angelo executive produce with Stella Bulochnikov and Brian Sher ("Boss"), as well as Gee Roberson.
"This is one of the more unique adventures I’ve ever embarked on," said Minaj. "I couldn’t be more proud and excited to team up with an amazing group of people to give the world something really special."
Minaj studied acting at Manhattan’s prestigious LaGuardia High School and originally pursued acting before launching a successful music career. Minaj, who is in the midst of her worldwide Pinkprint tour, is the first solo female artist to have seven singles charting simultaneously on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Her third full-length album, "The Pinkprint," became the second highest-selling female debut of 2014 and arrived at No.2 on the Billboard Top 200 and No.1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.
Additionally, Minaj’s double-platinum "Anaconda" set the record for most Vevo views in 24 hours. Minaj also achieved the highest digital sales for any female artist in history with over 50 million track sales between solo and feature performances. She and Adele are the only two artists in history to sell 1 million copies of five different songs in one year.
Minaj made her acting debut with a voice role in "Ice Ace: Continental Drift" and a co-starring role in the feature comedy "The Other Woman." She recently wrapped her first starring movie role in MGM’s "Barbershop 3." On TV, Minaj drew attention with her appearance on "Saturday Night Live" last year where she was a musical guest but did a couple of skits and portrayed Kim Kardashian and Beyonce.
This would mark Kapital Entertainment’s third series for ABC Family, along with drama "Chasing Life" and comedy "Kevin From Work." The six-and-a-half-year old production company has seven on-air series —"Secrets & Lies" on ABC, "The Mysteries Of Laura" on NBC, "Life In Pieces" on CBS, "Instant Mom" on Nick as well as "Chasing Life" and "Kevin From Work," and the upcoming comedy "Divorce" on HBO. Kapital also has a pilot at Showtime that is in pre-production.
Angelo started her writing career in TV with stints on "Will & Grace" and "The Bernie Mac Show" before segueing to features where she penned "The Back-Up Plan" and co-wrote "Sex Tape." She’s repped by UTA and attorney David Fox.
Minaj is managed by Gee Roberson at Maverick.
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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/nicki-minaj-lands-abc-family-comedy-series-commitment