“Love & Hip Hop” star Safaree Samuels is most commonly known for dating Nicki Minaj. Safaree is not really remembered in the music game for anything besides the fact that he was with Nicki, but he has sprung to the surface again with some shocking nudes going viral.
The New York native is more than some nudes and actually has an impressive track record. Check out five things you (probably) didn’t know about Nicki Minaj’s ex-boyfriend.
1. Safaree’s Got Moves
A while ago, Meek Mill went on a massive Twitter rant and roasted Safaree for twerking in an old dance video that had surfaced. Safaree shot back and claimed it was something that “wasn’t gay, but just Jamaican”. After doing some more research and digging up some other older videos, it turns out he has some phenomenal dance moves. Check out the twerking video above.
2. Safaree’s Career Actually Started W/ Nicki Minaj
Safaree grew up in Brooklyn and always was a hip-hop fan. He idolized groups like Ludacris and Lil Wayne, and decided to begin his own rap career in 2004. This was when the collective Hoodstars was formed. It consisted himself, Lou$tar, Seven Up, and actually Nicki Minaj herself. This is how they met. The group disbanded after a decent amount success, which included making a WWE soundtrack. After disbanding, Safaree followed Nicki and helped her out as a solo artist.
3. Jamaican Heritage Is Important To Him
The entire Samuels family is Jamaican descent, something that definitely played a big factor in his upbringing. Growing up with his mom and two sisters in the Flatbush neighborhood Brooklyn, he had a strict but solid foundation and was always taught the right thing. His mother made him get a job at 14, never letting him quit. His West Indie values remain with him to this day, and he has spoken many times about the importance his Jamaican heritage.
4. Nicki Minaj Allegedly Mistreated Him
His time spent dating Nicki, which was about 12 years exactly, apparently had a lot rough patches. She reportedly abused him mentally and physically, and he even filed a lawsuit against her seeking justice for everything that happened. Things took a turn for the worse when the couple was nearing their breakup, as she hit and chased him out their house with a wooden baseball bat and further proceeded to beat the crap out a Mercedes-Benz that she gave him. After the split, Nicki said that Safaree called her mother in tears multiple times, to no avail.
5. Safaree Is Hollywood-Ready
Now 36 years old, his rap dreams have slowed down a bit. He hasn’t really seen success in music for anything besides being a hype man, despite releasing four individual mixtapes. This has led to him picking up acting. Safaree has acted in several shows, and albeit some were reality shows, he was pretty entertaining. He debuted in 2015 on Wild ‘n Out, and returned last year. He has also had roles in both Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood and the New York version the show, Scared Famous, Wild Safaree, and Leave It To Stevie.