Steven Tyler to Nicki Minaj: Sorry, But I'm Not Racist
Aerosmith Rocker Apologizes, Tries to Stop Feud
Steven Tyler and Nicki Minaj's feud has hopefully ended after the Aerosmith star and former "American Idol" star apologized for his comments. Minaj perceived Tyler's comment- he said had Bob Dylan been a contestant, she would have "had him sent to the cornfield"- as racist.
"I apologize if it was taken wrong, Nicki," the rock-and-roll Hall of Famer said on Canadian entertainment program "eTalk." "I am the farthest from- what did she say I was?- a racist. … I was just saying that if Bob Dylan came on the show, he would've been thrown off, so maybe I spoke out of turn. But a racist I am not, Nicki."
Minaj, in response to Tyler's original comments, had taken t o Twitter to attack the rock icon. The popular hip-hop artist didn't hold back, claiming that the Aerosmith front man was simply attacking her because he was no longer a judge on "American Idol."
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"Steven Tyler said I would have sent Bob Dylan to a cornfield??? Steven, you haven't seen me judge one single solitary contestant yet!" the 29-year-old tweeted not long after his first comments. "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?" she continued on her Twitter rant. "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."
Though Tyler apologized for his comments being misconstrued, he did not say sorry for condemning Minaj's arguments with fellow "American Idol" judge Mariah Carey.
"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 … which is called camaraderie," he initially told MTV. "[The show] needs to be judged by people that [are] honest, true, that have the 'it' factor. Not the 'it' factor because they can fight."
