Nicki Minaj Opens Up About Feud With Mariah Carey [Video]

Nicki Minaj, in a sit-down interview with American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, opened up about the perceived feud between her and fellow Idol judge, Mariah Carey.

Minaj, who credits her fans with providing her with the push to take American Idol producers' offer of a spot on the judging panel, was excited at the prospect of judging alongside her own Idol. In the interview, she claims that she had long been a huge fan of Carey.

“Imagine someone that you loved your whole life, imagine you meeting them and then all of a sudden feeling like you did something horrible to them, but you just don’t know what you did,” Minaj told Seacrest.

Minaj and Carey actually did have a musical history together prior to Idol. The rapper, earlier on in her career, was featured on Carey’s 2010 track “Up Out My Face.” The now-distant pair even shot a music video together for the single, produced by Carey’s husband, Nick Cannon. It featured the two divas as Barbie characters. The song itself received a generally positive review from The Washington Post, mostly because of Minaj’s lines.

"Sometime in the past six months, Minaj became the go-to girl for artists who wanted to add some skank to their tracks without sullying themselves in the process,” wrote the Post’s Alison Stewart. “Here, she enlivens an otherwise polite track from Carey's upcoming remix disc."

Minaj spoke candidly about her perception of her relationship with Carey prior to the start of Idol in her interview with Seacrest, and how that perception quickly changed. “I just really thought that we were friends,” she said. “But that’s the other thing I learned: This industry is so fake! You walk away thinking people are your friends, and they’re not. It’s a couple nice hi and byes, and then really, you better not step on nobody’s toes.

“And God forbid you get a little shine and God forbid you’re maybe witty or quick on your toes or make someone laugh, then maybe you’re making another person feel insecure,” she added. “And you shouldn’t have to dim your light to make another person shine.”

As to whether or not she’d want to come back as an Idol judge, Minaj seemed to hedge her bets. While appearing wary of the idea, she was sure to voice her appreciation of the opportunity she was given, and how she grew to love the people on Idol – including Keith Urban, the Idol judge she had the best dynamic with.

For Minaj, it doesn’t look like she’ll have to make the call about staying on American Idol. It looks like all four of the judges on Idol this year will be replaced for the show’s 13th season.