Steven Tyler -- I'm NOT a Racist!

Steven Tyler says Nicki Minaj is dead wrong ... he's not a racist ... and has now issued an Angus T. Jones-style quasi-apology for the controversial comments he made about the new "American Idol" judge.

Minaj had publicly unloaded on Tyler ... after the Aerosmith singer insinuated Nicki doesn't appreciate rock music and "would have sent [Bob Dylan] to the cornfield" if he had appeared on the show.

Nicki fired back on Twitter, "That’s a racist comment. You assume that I wouldn’t have liked Bob Dylan??? why? black? rapper? what? go f*** yourself and worry about yourself babe."

But yesterday, Tyler finally explained himself on the Canadian talk show, "eTalk," saying, "I apologize if it was taken wrong, Nicki ... but I am the farthest from [being a racist]."

He added, "I am the last thing on this planet as far as being a racist. I don't know where she got that out of me saying I'm not sure how she would've judged Bob Dylan."

No word if Nicki has accepted the "apology."