Nicki Minaj to Mariah Carey - "I’m gonna knock you out!"

Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey reportedly disagreed on a contestant's performance during an audition today in Charlotte, North Carolina. Minaj suddenly lost it and erupted on Carey. "I'm gonna knock you out!" Minaj threatened Carey, according to TMZ.

As you can see on the clip by TMZ, Nicki is clearly furious as she shouted, "I told them I'm not fckn' putting up with her fckn' highness over there."

It all happened while the two of them were sitting at the judge's table with Keith Urban in the middle.

Minaj: Get this sht in self control.  Get in control.  Get in control.

Jackson: Settle down, settle down

Minaj: Don't lose your head.  Don't lose your head (inaudible).  Don't tell me I'm a gangster.

Minaj: (inaudible) every 5 minutes.  So every time you patronize me, I'm-ma take it back, and if you've got a fckn problem, handle it.

Minaj: I told them I'm not fckn' putting up with her fckng highness over there.  Figure it the fckn out.  Figure it out.

Minaj: I'm not gonna sit here every fckn minute to have you come down and harass me every minute everyday.

Carey seems to be talking back at Minaj but it's hard to understand what she's saying.

Mariah Carey is not Happy with Nicki Minaj at Idol

Nicki Minaj is the top candidate to become an American Idol judge, but it will be at the expense of Mariah Carey, who we're told hung up the phone on AI execs when she was told about it, according to TMZ.

Mariah Carey Idol Judge

It's now official Mariah Carey, the pop diva will join "American Idol" as a judge in season 12.  The 42 year old will reportedly rake in around $17 million. It is higher than what Jennifer Lopez made in her first year on the show.

‘American Idol’ seeks replacements for Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler

Mariah Carey, the reported front-runner for one of the empty judges seats, the 42-year-old diva would provide one of the few A-list names big enough to replace J.Lo and eclipse Spears on "The X-Factor."

Mariah Carey is in talks to join American Idol as a judge, reported by People."She's in play," an insider tells the magazine. "They are in serious talks."

The report comes a day after Steven Tyler's exit and amidst heavy speculation that Jennifer Lopez also won't return for Season 12. Lopez told Today's Natalie Morales on Thursday, "it's maybe time for me to go."

Jennifer Lopez is leaving 'Idol'

Jennifer Lopez announced on Ryan Seacrest's radio show this morning that she is leaving the show.

"I honestly feel the time has come to get back to do what I do," she said. "I had put it on hold because I love 'Idol' so much. You have a lot of other responsibilities and other things you want to do."

"It's been a long thought-out process," Lopez told Seacrest on his syndicated morning radio show. "I signed on to do one year and ended it up doing two years ... I didn't know I would be moved so emotionally working on the show and with the contestants."

"Even last year the decision was super tough. For one year, it was fine but to do it again, I had my movies, my music and this and that. And it worked together for a while but then it gets complicated. It started to feel like it was a lot and something had to give. That's where I am right now. ... I could do Idol' for the rest of my life but that would mean giving up a lot of other things. We had an amazing run."

Lopez is set to launch a tour with singer Enrique Iglesias and is a TV producer, along with Marc Anthony, on Univision's "Q'Viva."

Steven Tyler Quits ‘Idol’

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rocker Steven Tyler on Thursday bowed out of his job as a judge on top-rated television singing contest “American Idol” for the coming season, saying he wants to dedicate himself to his band, Aerosmith.

Tyler’s departure comes as his fellow judge, Jennifer Lopez, also weighs whether to return to the program that once reigned supreme atop US TV ratings but has seen its audience shrink in recent years. Third panelist Randy Jackson seems a likely bet to return this fall for the program’s 12th season as either a judge or in a mentoring role.

“I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I’m back,” the band’s lead singer said in a statement.

“I’ve decided it’s time for me to let go of my mistress ‘American Idol’ before she boils my rabbit,” Tyler added, in a reference to the thriller movie, “Fatal Attraction.” “I got two fists in the air, and I’m kicking the door open with my band.”

Tyler, 64, and Aerosmith had amassed numerous hits like “Walk This Way” and “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” since gaining fame in the 1970s, but the group had reached a lull a few years back when the singer decided to join “American Idol” as a judge.

The addition of Tyler and Lopez to the judging panel in the season that began in January 2011 sparked great interest in the Fox TV network’s hit show.

But the most recent season that ended in May had the lowest-rated finale in 11 years with just 21.5 million Americans tuning in to watch Phillip Phillips win the title and recording contract that comes with it. More than 30 million viewers watched the show’s finale in its heyday in 2006 and 2007.

Mark Darnell, president of alternative entertainment for Fox, called Tyler “a terrific judge, a true friend, and great mentor” on the show.

“We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock ‘n roll legend, he would go back to music,” Darnell said in a statement.

Indeed, Tyler’s return to performing seemed foremost on his mind in March when Aerosmith announced it would go on a North American tour that began June 16, and release their first album in eight years, “Music From Another Dimension,” on November 6.

The flamboyant rocker’s departure leaves a big hole on the “American Idol” judges panel as he has been a fan favorite. He helped create one of this past season’s dramatic moments when young Jessica Sanchez was voted off by fans, then saved from elimination after Tyler and fellow judge Jackson stormed the stage in her defense. Sanchez went on to the finals.

Still in doubt is the fate of Lopez, another music superstar, who just this morning on NBC’s “Today” show seemed still undecided about her next move.

“It’s been on my mind a lot, as you can imagine,” she said. “You know, I signed on to ‘American Idol’ to do one year, and ... I wound up doing the two years. And now it’s like, ‘OK, do we continue on this journey?’”

American Idol's Finale has the lowest-rated and least-watched performance finale

American Idol's Finale has the lowest-rated and least-watched performance finale
Despite of strong showing of Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips.

The show last Tuesday before either Phillips or Jessica Sanchez is crowned the winner Wednesday has delivered the shows lowest-rated and least-watched performance finale ever, according to Nielsen.

"Idol" earned a 4.2 rating/13 share in the key demographic of adults aged 18 to 49, its worst outing since the show premiered back in summer 2002.

The one-hour performance finale delivered 14.4 million total viewers, another record low for "Idol" and far worse than the two-hour season finale for "Dancing With the Stars" that started at 9 p.m. (17.4 million, also a new low for that show).

On the bright side for Fox, "Idol" easily won the 8 p.m. hour and provided a solid lead-in for the season finale for "Glee" at 9 p.m. (7.6 million).

Many fans and commentators have predicted Phillips will win the show, although Sanchez is considered the more accomplished technically of the two. On Tuesday, Phillips won plaudits for his new song "Home."