Meet Nicki Minaj's New Controversial Boo, Kenneth "Zoo" Petty

Whenever a known celebrity makes a drastic change in their love life, the internet's ears perk up, and for rap Queen Nicki Minaj, it's no different. She recently made things Instagram official with her new boo, Kenneth Petty.

She shared the photo on her birthday, Sunday, December 9th, along with these Adele lyrics, probably because it'd be corny to quote your own music, I'd imagine:

"Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happens?… it’s no secret… that the both of us… are running out of time."

The lyric might be referring to the fact that Kenneth is also from Queens, Nicki's hometown. 

The web, as the web does, began searching frantically for who Kenneth is in an attempt to learn more about the man who captured the attention of one of the modern world's most successful recording artists, which comes just as her nemesis Cardi B announced her divorce from Offset. And as it turns out, there are some things about his past that are pretty unsavory.

There's a reason Mr. Petty's got his mugshot listed online, and it isn't for a DUI. He's listed as a registered sex offender for the convicted rape of a 16-year-old (Petty was also 16 at the time) in 1995. In the report regarding the crime, it indicates that Petty used a sharp object. He also served seven years in prison in the mid-2000s for first-degree manslaughter, only to be released in 2013.  

There's been a lot of search around Kenneth Petty's occupation and how much he earns — a valid question when you consider that Minaj's own net worth is estimated to be around $75 million. After scouring around the internet, however, it's unclear was Petty actually does for a living.

The drama surrounding Nicki Minaj's relationship with ex Safaree Samuels has yet to die down, and many are comparing Petty to her old boo, not necessarily in the looks department, but for the potential maelstrom of drama that could be coming Nicki's way.

Safaree alleged that Nicki cut him one night so badly that he "almost died," a tweet he sent out in response to the "Chun-Li" rapper's allegations that he used her credit cards to pay for escort services behind her back.

In spite of all the past drama between the two, in the wake of Nicki's relationship announcement with Kenneth "Zoo" Petty, many are saying that the rapper and Safaree should make amends.

Nicki has yet to address the past surrounding her new boyfriend, and it doesn't seem like she wants to hear all of the criticism from her fans and followers either. She disabled the ability to post comments on her December 9th Instagram post/relationship announcement, most likely in response to all of the people who questioned why she would be dating a two-time convicted criminal. 

And Nicki made it very clear she isn't bothered about the drama surrounding her new relationship either. "Oh they wanna talk? Let's give'm smthn to talk about *Shania voice*," she recently captured some PDA-filled photos of the couple on Instagram. 

The heart wants what the heart wants, we guess.