This year hasn't been a shining example of Nicki Minaj's talents, from flying to a fake music festival and her feud with Cardi B, to throwing shade at just about every big name on the block. And now she's apparently capping the year off with a registered sex offender who was not only convicted for the attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl, but also spent time in prison for killing a man. 

The 'Barbie Dreams' rapper posted a photo of her and her rumored boyfriend Kenny Petty on Instagram, igniting waves of backlash as the public continues to learn more about his dark past. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Barbie® (@nickiminaj) on Dec 10, 2018 at 12:43pm PST

The NYPD Sex Offender Unit database indicates that Petty was convicted in 1995 for attempted rape in the first degree for an incident that occurred the year prior, PageSix reports. Police noted that the offense was “sexual intercourse” and that a “knife/cutting instrument” was used as a weapon. At the time, Petty and his victim were both 16 years old. He was reportedly sentenced to 18 to 54 months in prison, but it's unclear how much of that time he actually served. 

Minaj's fans are especially disappointed because this appears to be her third instance of supporting men convicted of sexual crimes against women. The first was her own brother, Jelani Maraj, who is a convicted child rapist, and the second is rapper Tekashi69, who previously pleaded guilty in a sexual misconduct case that involved him posting a video online of a 13-year-old girl involved in a sex act, according to PageSix.

But Petty wasn't only convicted of attempted rape. He also spent seven years behind bars after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the shooting of a man named Lamont Robinson in 2002, The Blast reports. He was originally charged with second-degree murder, but cut a deal and got the charge knocked down. 

So why was Minaj, our controversial Queen of Rap and champion of women in the music industry, spending her 36th birthday on a romantic trip with Petty of all people? As it turns out, the two have a long history together. They met when Minaj was a 16-year-old herself, and TMZ reports that Petty was her first love.

Apparently the rapper knows all about his past but believes that he's a changed person, that he deserves a second chance (though this might be the third chance), and that he'll be good to her. Sources close to Minaj allege that Petty's attempted rape conviction lacks proper context, which is supposedly that the teens were dating at the time and that the girl's mother filed the charges because she didn't approve of him. 

Minaj's rekindled romance seems to be making her happy, and she even posted more photos of the pair on Instagram with the caption, "Oh they wanna talk? Let’s give’m [something] to talk about," apparently welcoming people's criticism of her choice in men. 

 

 

 

 

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Oh they wanna talk? Let’s give’m smthn to talk about. ???????? *Shania voice*

A post shared by Barbie® (@nickiminaj) on Dec 10, 2018 at 1:52pm PST

Petty, meanwhile, faces another court date in January on misdemeanor charges for operating an unlicensed vehicle along with infractions for running a stop sign and driving with a suspended or revoked license, PageSix reports.

While Minaj's choices are her own to make, it's going to take a lot to redeem herself in the eyes of her furious fans.