AceShowbiz -

Cher Lloyd might not be the 2010 winner of "The X Factor", but she took one step ahead of her fellow "X Factor" friends by landing a record deal in the U.S. with rap mogul Jay-Z. "Even though Cher didn't do terrifically well in the X Factor finals, there's been a hell of a lot of interest in her," a source said.

Before sealing the deal with Roc Nation, Cher reportedly was in the middle of bidding war between will.i.am and Jigga. "All the labels are on the lookout for sassy, young female artists with bags of attitude, and Cher fits that bill perfectly," the source gushed. "will.i.am's backing only intensified the battle to get her signature."

Actually, Cher has caught Jigga's attention before will.i.am set his eyes on the girl. Early this month, Jigga's partner Tinchy Stryder testified, "Cher is a real target for Jay-Z because she's proved she can sing really well, rap - and she's got great stage presence."

The insider went on, "After weighing up the pros and cons, it was thought that the team at Roc Nation would be best placed to turn her dreams of stardom into a reality." Now the singer who finished at the fourth place on the "X Factor" is sharing home with young rising star Willow Smith.

Although Cher and will.i.am did not end up in the same label, that doesn't stop them to make a duet. Previously joining forces on the live stage of the TV show, Cher and the Black Eyed Peas star have entered studio for a duet track. "Cher loyd (sic) and I went in the studio and made a mega smasher... Hey cher, when should we release the song we recorded in london???...(Its a smasher)," he tweeted.