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"Nicki Minaj has confirmed that she is leaving American Idol. The &amp;#039;Super Bass&amp;#039; rapper took to Twitter to announce her long-rumoured departure after one season, adding that it is now &amp;quot;time to focus on the music&amp;quot;. Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn&amp;#039;t trade it for the world! Time to focus on the Music!!! Mmmuuuaahhh!!! \u2014 Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) May 30, 2013 American Idol broadcaster Fox and producers FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment also thanked the musician for her contribution on Thursday (May 31). &amp;quot;Nicki Minaj is a superstar who brought a level of honesty and passion to American Idol and who had a tremendous positive impact on so many contestants this season,&amp;quot; read a joint statement.  &amp;quot;Given her extremely busy career, we understand and respect her decision and wish her the best.&amp;quot;  The news follows the confirmation that fellow judge Mariah Carey has also exited the Fox series. Carey announced on Thursday (May 30) that she will embark on a world tour after her one-year stint on Idol. Randy Jackson revealed his decision to quit the series earlier this month, while Keith Urban has yet to hear about his future on the panel.  Fox executives are thought to be bringing in ex-contestants as judges for next year, with Jennifer Hudson&amp;#039;s appointment said to be a done deal. However, former champion Kelly Clarkson has ruled out joining the show. Previous judge Jennifer Lopez has also played down claims that she could return to the contest at some point. &amp;quot;I feel like it&amp;#039;s in the past for me,&amp;quot; Lopez said. &amp;quot;But I don&amp;#039;t know - they&amp;#039;re a little bit like the Mafia with it! They drag you back in just when you thought you were out!&amp;quot; Watch highlights of Nicki Minaj&amp;#039;s time on American Idol below:      "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/american-idol/news/a486014/nicki-minaj-confirms-american-idol-exit-time-to-focus-on-the-music/>