There are some reasons to be wary of this news -- namely that pretty much every rapper who has ever worked in TV has been burned. (Remember when Mos Def was on Dexter?) And there's a spate of TV shows about rappers growing up, like this one, that have alternately languished in development (Nas) or should never, ever be made if there is to be peace in the world (Common). 

Still, if anyone can pull off this kind of stepping in to multiple audiences, it would be Nicki. At the very least, it will have some killer looks, shots at other celebrities, and a tie-in mobile game. And who knows, maybe she'll become the Shonda Rhimes of ABC Family, producing several shows at once that are all equally awesome while ignoring Drake's phone calls.