Nicki Minaj - Nicki Minaj Was ‘Inspired’ By American Idol

Nicki Minaj has been reminiscing about her early impressions of American Idol, now that she’s a bona fide member of the panel, reports MTV.

"I remember watching 'American Idol' in the first season and feeling inspired," Minaj said on Monday during a press conference "I spoke to [season 6 winner] Jordin Sparks the other day and here she is starring in a movie ['Sparkle'] and I said to her, 'I remember watching you and picking up my phone." Minaj didn’t actually vote, but recalled how fond her family were of Sparks. "Because my little brother was more obsessed over the Blake person because he was like, more, you know, hip-hop, whatever," she said, "But I told her [Sparks] that, 'you know you're a part of history, kind of. Because I remember calling and seeing your face and being inspired and hearing your story."

It hasn’t taken Minaj long to settle in to her new role, and she’s even began making waves with the other judges, namely, Mariah Carey. The two just can’t seem to get along as they squabble and interrupt each other, but Ryan Seacrest thinks there’s nothing to worry about. “There are not too many dull moments between the two of them,” Seacrest explained to NBC’s Tonight Show, “but at the end of the day, we all hug and laugh and go home and get ready for another day. They get along fine, but they're strong and candid in their opinion."