It’s Official: Nicki Minaj Lands ‘American Idol’ Gig With Mariah Carey

By: Taren Vaughan

Is Nicki Minaj officially a judge on American Idol now? Rumors were going strong for awhile that Nicki Minaj was joining the hit talent show as a judge along with superstar singer Mariah Carey and that it supposedly sparked a beef between the two entertainers. While fans of the show seemed to have mixed feelings about Nicki joining the show, it was rumored that the whole idea of it was something that Mariah was not too thrilled about at all as she was under the impression that she would be the only female judge. Although Mariah herself didn’t confirm her feelings about Nicki being on the panel with her, sources close to the singer said that Mariah felt that the animated and colorful Young Money rapper would be a distraction as a judge due to her outrageous behavior, taking the spotlight away from the contestants. Regardless of whether Mariah is truly pissed or not, it turns out that Nicki Minaj has been officially invited to become a judge on the show in addition to Mariah Carey and Keith Urban according to The NY Daily News:

After months of speculation and a rotating roster of bold-faced names, “American Idol” has finally made its decision.

Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban will be joining Mariah Carey at the judges table for season 12, and veteran host Randy Jackson will fill out the fourth slot, Fox announced Sunday.

Minaj, 29, and Urban, 44, will be taking over the seats vacated by Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler from previous seasons, a decision that The Hollywood Reporter calls an attempt to shake things up for the singing competition show.

“It’s official, your new #IdolJudges are @MariahCarey, @NickiMinaj, @KeithUrban & @Yo_RandyJackson!” host Ryan Seacrest tweeted early Sunday morning.