Nicki Minaj speaks out in support of Jesy Nelson in the ‘blackfishing’ controversy
Image credit: Rap Basement
In her latest music video, Boyz, Nicki Minaj defends Jesy Nelson against accusations of “blackfishing.”
The term ‘blackfishing’ refers to someone who pretends to be black or mixed-race.
“Y’all gotta stop,” Nicki, who sings on the track, wrote on Instagram.
“If you know someone has been suicidal in the past as a result of bullying, why attempt to gather a bunch of people to abuse them about something else?” she said on Twitter.
As Jesy began to speak about receiving a message from one of her ex-bandmates, Nicki interjected, saying that people should “focus on their own energy.”
Boyz is Jesy Nelson’s first solo album after quitting Little Mix last year, and it features a sample from Diddy’s song Bad Boy for Life.
Jesy is heavily tanned in the video, and her hair is adorned with wigs and braids. She sings of desiring a boy who’s “so hood, so good, so very taboo” while wearing basketball shorts and gold teeth.
Some argue that it is unethical for white people to profit by copying stereotypically black qualities when black people have been marginalised for having the same traits.
“There are a lot of people out here in the United States who tan, acquire bigger lips. When I want to, I wear my hair straight blonde. Minaj stated.”
Newsbeat has reached out to Jesy Nelson’s record label, Polydor, for comment on the video, but has yet to receive a response. Some fans have inquired as to how this video was approved, as well as why the artists chose to debate it live on Instagram.
Last night, George Griffiths, a freelance pop music critic, tuned in. He described it as “very crazy” to Newsbeat. However, George claims that it is unnecessary to tarnish Little Mix’s previous success. Fans rewrite history when they watch members of a pop group argue. But all of those beautiful moments happened, and just because this happened now doesn’t negate all of The Little Mix’s strength and pleasure prior to the separation. “