LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Rapper Nicki Minaj on Monday (July 20) announced she was expecting her first child, posting photos of her baby bump.

"#Preggers," wrote the "Bang, Bang" singer on her Instagram account, beside a photo of her wearing a bejewelled bra while cradling her naked belly.

"Love. Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement & gratitude. Thank you all for the well wishes," she wrote in another posting.

Minaj, 37, shocked fans when she announced in October that she had married her childhood friend Kenneth Petty and that she was retiring to have a family.

However, she has since released several singles and has said she is working on a new album.

The "Starships" singer burst onto the music scene 10 years ago with her first album "Pink Friday" and is known for her outspoken comments, feuds with other singers, colorful wigs and alter egos.

She won six American Music Awards, became a controversial judge on "American Idol" and was included on 2016 Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.