4:58 PM PST 11/26/2012 by Sophie A. Schillaci
Nicki Minaj’s American Idol feuds are expanding.
The newly-minted Idol judge, whose reported clashes with fellow judge Mariah Carey have already made headlines, is firing back at former Idol judge Steven Tyler after he made comments that the Young Money rapper/singer is deeming “racist.”
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In an interview with MTV News, Tyler suggested that Minaj and Carey “Shut the f--- up” and continued, "They should have something going on so thick and beautiful that they can lay it over the new talent that's trying to birth itself. It needs to be birthed, not judged by 'entertainment' factors. It needs to be judged by people that [are] honest, true, that have the 'it' factor. Not the 'it' factor because they can fight. The f--- is that all about?"
Tyler went on to speculate that if Bob Dylan auditioned for the judges today, Minaj would “have had him sent to the cornfield!”
Minaj promptly took to her Twitter account to respond to the Aerosmith frontman.
"Steven Tyler said I would have sent Bob Dylan to a cornfield??? Steven, you haven't seen me judge one single solitary contestant yet," she wrote. "I understand you really wanted to keep your job but take that up with the producers. I haven't done anything to you. That's a racist comment. You assume that I wouldn't have liked Bob Dylan??? why? black? rapper? what? go f--k yourself and worry about yourself babe."
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Then, referencing Carey’s infamous interview with Barbara Walters in which she said Minaj had threatened her safety, Minaj continued: “LOL lets make him a shirt that says ‘No Coloreds Allowed’ then escort him down 2 Barbara Walters so he can tell how he was threatened w/guns. When Steven 1st went on Idol he was ridiculed by his peers & fans alike. Called a sell out. So what does he do? Ridicule the next judge.”
In October, a source told The Hollywood Reporter that Minaj and Carey’s rumored feud is “all for show” and that “they know the parts they're supposed to play.” But surely Tyler isn’t in on Fox’s so-called publicity stunt, so what do you think of the Minaj-Tyler smackdown?
Did Tyler take it too far? Or is Minaj taking his comments too personally?
Season 12 of Idol debuts on Jan. 16 on Fox.
Email: Sophie.Schillaci@thr.com; Twitter: @SophieSchillaci
