Rapper Nicki Minaj said at an Elon Musk-linked event on October 10 that her pastor is Nigerian, and she asked other celebrities to speak publicly about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria.
Nicki Minaj, 43, spoke at the X Takeover at Tesla’s Giga Texas facility in Austin. Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley organized the two-day event. Elon Musk and his mother, Maye Musk, gave keynote speeches. Minaj spoke about creativity, culture, technology, and building a personal brand.
She said her pastor first gave her a link to Nigeria, and that her many Nigerian fans, known as Barbz, strengthened it. She said reports of violence against Christians then caught her attention.
“I started seeing the brutality in which Christians are being treated there just for being Christians,” she said. She asked why more people were not discussing it.
Nicki Minaj said that some public figures avoid the subject because it is not popular to discuss. She asked more celebrities and influencers to join her and said she wants to do more.
She also told Christians to take elections seriously. “I think Christians as a whole need to wake up,” she said. She said churches should include the elections in their teaching.
Nicki Minaj has worked with the Trump administration on the issue. She spoke at the United Nations with Mike Waltz, the US ambassador. Her advocacy grew after the US government named Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern in November 2025, over allegations of Christian genocide. Nigerian officials and some analysts dispute that description. They say the violence affects both Christians and Muslims and has several causes.
Nigerians responded online with humor. On Instagram, Legit.ng reported that many users joked about the pastor. One wrote, “Imagine the tithe.”
Minaj’s public link to Musk began in May 2026, when she attended a planned Starship launch at his Starbase site in Texas. She said it was her first rocket launch. “Major shout out to Elon,” she said. Officials called off the first attempt after a hydraulic pin on the tower arm failed to retract. NME reported a successful launch on Friday, May 22.
On June 27, Musk’s birthday, she posted a selfie with him on X. “Thank you for saving free speech, Elon,” she wrote. On September 3, she wrote that she, President Donald Trump, and Musk are “one of one.” No report describes a business deal between Minaj and Musk.
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At the Austin event, she recorded a 24-second video with Maye Musk, who was promoting her book, Timeless. Minaj found her microphone was off, so she added a spoken explanation and posted the clip on Saturday. “My microphone was off,” she said. Followers replied warmly.
Minaj has backed Trump since late 2025. She had called his 2015 campaign “childish” and criticized his family-separation border policy. In an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News, she urged viewers to take part in local elections and the November 3 midterms. “Vote red now,” she said. LGBTQ+ advocates, other public figures, and some Barbz have criticized her political turn.
