Is Nicki Minaj Hip Hop Cred in Jeopardy because of American Idol

Atlanta Music Promoter- Crunkatlanta

With all the Barbies following Nicki Minaj every move. Her decision to become a judge on American Idol. Has it damaged her Hip Hop cred at all? There are mixed feeling amoung the hip hop community. I would say "no" because sometimes they have urban/ hip hop contestants on the show and they aren't given a chance. This way at least they would get somewhat a shot with Nicki on the show.

She became a global name just two years ago with her hit album Pink Friday. But Nicki Minaj has revealed she had concerns about increasing her fame when it came to deciding whether to accept a job on the American Idol panel. 'There's a judgemental culture in hip-hop where sometimes you are afraid of being too famous because it's almost, like, is that even cool?' she tells The Hollywood Reporter in a new interview.

Check out what was said in the interview:

'Being that accessible, someone you see on TV every week? I never pictured myself as that type of person. I'm still surprised that I decided to do it.'

The 30-year-old rapper, who is signed to hip label Cash Money, says she consulted her mentor Lil Wayne along with family and friends over whether to take her place on the panel alongside Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson.

'I had a lot of talks with people - my family, my best friends, my label, Lil Wayne, management and then the producers,' she says.

Minaj, who is rumoured to be pocketing $12 million for the season, made her mark months before the show's forthcoming premiere on January 16, with a well-publicised spat with Carey during the New York auditions, but refuses to discuss the altercation.

Carey diplomatically adds: 'Sometimes things get heated for their own reasons. I don't think the panel has an issue.'

However, the show's British producer Nigel Lythgoe admits that the publicity surrounding the row may have helped fuel the buzz surrounding the show. 'Personally, I'm not over the moon that it happened. But if you asked me, as a professional, is it good for the show? The answer would probably be yes,' he says.