Nicki Minaj To Become ?American Idol? Judge With Mariah Carey, Nick Jonas Could Be Next

The deal has yet to be ironed out, with a few minor details left, but Minaj "is definitely doing it," a source told Us Weekly. "A few more slight things to sign off on but it is happening."

Representatives for Minaj and AI's home network Fox refused to comment on the development.

Jonas took to Twitter to announced he was being considered for the job as well.

"The rumors are true," he tweeted. "I am being considered to be a judge on American Idol, and it would be a dream come true if it happens."

The glorified karaoke contest once dominated ratings in the U.S., before falling off the rails last season. The show's producers and Fox are hoping to revitalize the series after the departure of judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez at the end of this season.

The signing of Carey was announced on July 23, adding the heft of a five-time Grammy Award winner to a judges panel that currently only sports Randy Jackson's "Yo dawg"-isms and is hosted by human sleep-aid Ryan Seacrest.

Minaj, whose most recent album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" topped the charts in April and scored two number one hits, would add some pop credibility to a show that has paraded has-beens for too long. The 29-year-old will embark on a tour to support her album on Oct. 21 in Nottingham England.

The prospect of Mariah Carey, with her pop dominance behind her, possibly playing second-fiddle to out-there diva Minaj could prove an odd choice. Carey has been notorious for nothing if not her demanding and voracious consumption of the spotlight, something that the fluorescent-haired Minaj has a hard time relinquishing.

"What you've got to realize is you've got to create a panel that gels," show producer Nigel Lythgoe told E! News. "A panel that makes sense together. It's not just about three individuals."

The experiment could go awry, and provide a show that hasn't done will since William Hung bombed some much needed mojo.