American Idol Feud: Nicki Minaj Calls Steven Tyler A Racist

Nicki Minaj is taking aim at former “American Idol” judge Steven Tyler, after the Aerosmith rocker criticized the show’s new team, suggesting the drama on the panel is taking away from being able to properly foster young talent.

“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,” Nicki wrote on her Twitter page on Monday.

Among the comments that set Nicki off? Steven suggesting that the new panel – which includes Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and original judge Randy Jackson alongside Nicki — needed “camaraderie.”

“I know that they’ve got something going on on the judges’ panel, [and] it shouldn’t be that, it should be just the opposite: They should have something going on, which is called ‘camaraderie,’” he told MTV. “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?”

Steven’s comments were no doubt referring to the spat between Nicki and Mariah earlier this year during a stop in Charlotte, N.C. (Click HERE to read Nick Cannon’s take on the incident.)

The Aerosmith frontman then went on to question Nicki’s judging skills, suggesting she would have passed on rock icon Bob Dylan.

“These kids, they just got out of a car from the Midwest somewhere and they’re in New York City, they’re scared to death; you’re not going to get the best [out of them]. … If it was Bob Dylan, Nicki Minaj would have had him sent to the cornfield! Whereas, if it was Bob Dylan with us, we would have brought the best of him out, as we did with Phillip Phillips. Just saying,” he told MTV.

The latter comment seemed to really upset Nicki, who branded the singer a racist.

“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 Tweeted. “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***yourself and worry about yourself babe,” she continued, later adding, “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.”

Nicki likely referenced Barbara Walters because the rapper previously suggest “The View” host did her wrong by taking Mariah’s side when the two had their audition table spat. Nicki also claimed previously that Barbara did not contact her team for her side of things. For Barbara’s part, she previously said her team did reach out to Nicki’s camp, but did not get a reply.

— Jolie Lash