Los Angeles, Jul 21 (IANS): Popular rapper Nicki Minaj announced her pregnancy by flaunting her baby bump in colourful posts on Instagram.

The rapper and her husband Kenneth "Zoo" Petty are expecting their first child together. She shared the news on Instagram through several glamorous pictures of herself showing off her pregnant belly, reports people.com.

In two of the photographs, Minaj is seen in a curly, bright-yellow hairdo, an intricately decorated bikini and sparkly stilettos. In one, she is seen wearing a ruffled bottom, white knee-high stockings and a blue done-up hairstyle, completing it with a bright-green bow.

"#Preggers," she captioned the first image of her cradling her belly.

"Love. Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement & gratitude. Thank you all for the well wishes," Minaj captioned a third image.

The news comes nine months after she exchanged vows with Patty, and 10 months after Minaj, 37, announced her intention to retire and focus on her family.

"I've decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me … Love you for LIFE," she wrote on Twitter at that time.