ABC/Fred LeeNicki Minaj didn't join American Idol expecting to feud with one of her idols.
But, she admitted today on Good Morning America, being true to who she is has been known to "ruffle other women's feathers."
Mariah Carey's included.
"She's been one of my favorite artists of all time since I can remember, so it's weird that everything kind of, was blown up like that. It didn't make me happy at all," Minaj said of the verbal exchange she had with Carey over the summer that resulted in a flurry of stories about discord—and heightened security—on the Idol set.
"I can't take away what she's done in my life and just in pop culture in general and just having one of the most amazing voices in the world," Minaj continued. "Having said that, I'm an adult and we are passionate on the set and sometimes when you're a passionate woman, you know, sometimes it kind of ruffles other women's feathers, but I'm going to continue to be Nicki Minaj."
Producers had their judges' backs throughout in the meantime, and the panel has remained intact as the 12th-season premiere of American Idol approaches.
"I would consider myself an honest judge," said the 29-year-old, who was decked out in head-to-toe pink two days after being named Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at the American Music Awards. "That's all I'm doing. I've said before, I want them to leave with the truth. I feel like the truth has always fueled me to get better."
Talking about her duet with Justin Bieber on "Beauty and the Beat" at the AMAs, she called the experience "interesting."
"I was surprised when they asked me to perform with him...Of course, I was like, 'I can't turn that down!' The song had just come out, everybody loves the song, so I was like, 'It'll be a good thing, I guess.'"
"I love it, I was just looking at the little body grind," Minaj laughed, mimicking the motion from the replay on the screen in front of her. "We never really rehearsed it together, everything was just so quick, and I had rehearsals the day before, so I had to go and try on outfits and stuff like that. So when I got up there with him, I kinda thought, 'OK, let's make sure everything works and I get my cue and I walk out on time."
And the body grind synced up perfectly!