S. Samuel
R&B diva Mariah Carey has stepped forward to clear the air on reports suggesting there is tension between her and fellow "American Idol" judge Nicki Minaj.
Rather than take the gossip seriously, Carey playfully questioned how they could have sparked a feud in such a short time span.
MTV News paid a visit to the “Idol” set at Lincoln Center on Monday (September 17), and the judges — including Minaj and Carey — were all smiles, immediately putting to rest tales of bad blood between the two. “How are we gonna feud in two days? A feud takes a little longer to spread out [than that],” Mariah responded, laughing, when asked if she and the YMCMB rapper were seeing eye-to-eye. “It’s fun, it’s music, it’s singing, it’s laughter,” she added, while Minaj chuckled along with her, looking amused at the beef rumors. (MTV)
Rumors of tensions boiling heated up across the Internet at the start of the week.
Mariah Carey wasted no time proving what we told you 2 weeks ago — there’s only room for one diva on “American Idol.” Carey and Nicki Minaj went at it during the first “A.I.” taping Sunday in NYC. When Nicki started critiquing a contestant, Mariah would interrupt — not once, but many times. Each time Mariah interrupted, Nicki fought back by loudly talking over Mariah. One “A.I.” spy said Mariah and Nicki tried to cover their disdain for each other but everyone saw through it, adding, “These girls just don’t like each other.” You may recall, we reported when producers called Mariah to tell her that Nicki would probably be joining her as a judge, she hung up the phone. (TMZ)
Minaj’s new reality television gig made nationwide headlines over the weekend.
The “American Idol” judges’ panel is now complete with the naming of singer-rapper Nicki Minaj and country crooner Keith Urban. The Fox network officially tapped the pair with an announcement Sunday, confirming rumors surrounding them both just hours before the first round of auditions for next season was due to begin in New York. Minaj is getting $12 million for a one-year deal on the hit Fox singing series, a person in the music industry with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal. (Wall Street Journal)
An “American Idol” executive also confirmed the move and explained why Nicki fit the bill.
Not long after last season’s “Idol” finale, with its traditional crowning of the Cute Scruffy White Guy with Guitar (Phil Phillips), attracted the smallest wrapup audience in the show’s history, Fox execs promised investors and TV critics the show would undergo a shakeup. And “shakeup” has come to mean bringing in a new crop of celebrity judges. “Nicki is someone who represents a different side of the music industry, who has now crossed into mainstream culture with her unique artistry, style and flair. Keith is one of country music’s true stars who brings with him charm, wit and knowledge about the industry,” said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, the chief executive of “Idol”-producing FremantleMedia, by way of explaining the new judges. (Washington Post)
