Randy Jackson Set to Stay With American Idol

Randy Jackson may not be leaving "American Idol" after all. That's what the latest round of gossip and some unconfirmed media reports are suggesting.

According to Hollywood Reporter, Jackson, who purportedly relinquished his jury position on the reality singing show at the end of last season, could still end up being a part of the next season. His return has been made possible after ABC executives failed to sign up pop superstar Enrique Iglesias and now they have turned their attention to Jackson for the same vacant position.

The 56-year-old music mogul made an appearance on "The View" on Monday where he was asked to comment on his 'Idol' situation. He refused to confirm whether he is still associated with the hit show or not, but he did say: "The dawg is alive and well!"

Later that day, "The X Factor" creator and former "Idol" judge Simon Cowell all but confirmed Jackson's re-signing but tweeting: "Just heard randy is back on idol. Right decision."

Jackson was initially earmarked for the mentoring role but HR claims that he will continue to judge the contestants instead of taking the teaching route.

In the meantime, speculation is rife that rapper Nicki Minaj will be joining the Idol jury panel. For some people, the idea of a rapper judging a singing competition seems strange but Jackson disagrees with such mentality.

"Everybody can have a point of view.  If you're a performer, an entertainer, if you're in the industry…anybody in the industry with a successful career definitely knows something about talent," he said.