Rapper Nicki Minaj will be star witness in brother's child rape trial

Lawyers for Minaj's brother allege the allegations are an attempt to extort money from the star. Photo / Getty Images

Rap goddess Nicki Minaj will be the star witness at her brother's child rape trial, reports the New York Post.

Minaj will be, in fact, the crux of the defence, reports the New York Post. In opening statements in Nassau County, the brother's lawyer said on Thursday the whole case was an attempt to extort US$25 million (NZD$35.6 million) from the hugely successful "Anaconda" rapper.

The little girl's mother, Jacqueline Robinson, "related to Nicki that, 'I can make the charges go away for $25 million,'" said David Schwartz, lawyer for Minaj's brother, Jelani Maraj. trying to extory $31.8m (NZD $35.6m)from the rap star through her brother's trial, reports News.com.au.

Robinson and the brother had just married when Robinson's then-11-year-old daughter told officials in graphic detail that her new stepfather was raping her as often as four times a week, prosecutors say.

In her own opening statement, assistant district attorney Emma Slane told jurors that the girl's brother, who was then eight, first revealed the abuse to child services.

The boy said he'd been beaten by his stepdad after walking in on him having sex with his big sister in a spare bedroom, the prosecutor alleged Thursday.

Child services called the cops; a search warrant at the house recovered a pair of the girl's pajama pants, soiled with the stepdad's DNA, the prosecutor said.

"He had sex with that 11-year-old girl sometimes four times a week," the prosecutor told jurors.

But Schwartz claimed in openings that the mother put the DNA on the pants herself, then made sure cops found them as part of a frame-up.

"Why would [Robinson] lie and force her children to lie? I can give you 25 million reasons why," the defence lawyer told jurors.

"Jackie became obsessed with Nicki Minaj - getting her hands on her money," the lawyer added.

"An evil Jackie targeted him," the lawyer said, pointing to Maraj, "trying to get him to marry her, and then just four months after they were married, we have this."

Minaj has stuck by her older brother, posting his US$100,000 (NZD $143,575) bond when he was busted in December. Neither the defence nor prosecutor would say whether Minaj will take the stand.

But defence's private investigator Les Levine said she will be called on her brother's behalf. He would not say on which day.