Entertainment
Nicki Minaj labeled ‘hypocrite’ for defending Jesy Nelson in ‘blackfishing’ row after accusing Miley Cyrus of cultural appropriation
Nicki Minaj fans aren’t happy with the rapper for siding with Jesy Nelson amid the singer’s ongoing blackfishing drama (Picture: JesyNelson / leighannepinnock / backgrid)
Nicki Minaj has come under fire for her ‘hypocrisy’ after the rapper defended Jesy Nelson amid ‘blackfishing’ claims.
Furious fans pointed out that Nicki’s stance appears to go against everything she previously said in 2015 when she famously accused singer Miley Cyrus and other artists of cultural appropriation.
Indeed, this week saw Nicki brazenly wade into the ongoing debate surrounding former Little Mix star Jesy amid the release of her music video for solo single, Boyz.
The 30-year-old singer was once again accused of blackfishing, a term that refers to someone who changes their appearance to appear Black or racially ambiguous.
However, Jesy has vehemently denied this and insisted she merely ‘loves Black culture’.
During an Instagram Live together on Monday, 38-year-old rapper Nicki took aim at Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 30, for allegedly accusing Jesy of blackfishing, as well as passionatly defending her collaborator against the claims.
Nicki previously accused Miley Cyrus of cultural appropriation after the singer started to release hip hop inspired music, before eventually ditching it for rock (Picture: Reuters/Lucas Jackson)
However, in 2015, Nicki sang a different tune when she took issue was some seemingly shady statements former Disney star Miley had made about her before the MTV Video Music Awards.
As she collected her Best Hip Hop video award, the Super Bass rapper snarled: ‘Now, back to this b***h that had a lot to say about me the other day in the press… “Miley, what’s good?”‘
When quizzed about her decision to confront Miley publicly, the Anaconda rapper told The New York Times Magazine that she belived Miley was guilty of cultural appropriation.
Nicki explained: ‘The fact that you feel upset about me speaking on something that affects black women makes me feel like you have some big balls.
‘You’re in videos with black men, and you’re bringing out black women on your stages, but you don’t want to know how black women feel about something that’s so important? Come on, you can’t want the good without the bad.’
The Massive Attack hitmaker continued: ‘If you want to enjoy our culture and our lifestyle, bond with us, dance with us, have fun with us, twerk with us, rap with us, then you should also want to know what affects us, what is bothering us, what we feel is unfair to us. You shouldn’t not want to know that.’
Over the years, Nicki has also previously accused rappers Iggy Azalea and Cardi B of cultural appropriation, so her comments about Jesy came as an unexpected shock to some fans.
One person wrote: ‘Never forget nicki Minaj criticized Miley over black phishing, Queen of hypocrisy strikes again!!’
‘Nicki is a hypocrite. Give Jesy the same energy you gave Miley, sis’, another wrote.
One fan commented: ‘Wasn’t Nicki also the one who went off on Iggy for blackfishing in her last music video, but then shes defending jesy? As if jesy is not doing the same thing? Or when she attacked Miley for being a culture vulture at one point? But now she switching up!? Hum chileee anyways so…’
Leigh-Anne, Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards have yet to address the drama.
However, the three remaining Little Mix members appear to have unfollowed Jesy on social media.
PR Simon Jones, who counts Little Mix among his clients, seemingly addressed the controversy on his Instagram stories.
More: US Showbiz news
He wrote: ‘What a backfire’, before sharing a screengrab of Leigh-Anne’s BBC Three documentary Race, Pop & Power, in which she confronted her experiences of racism while in Little Mix. ‘Anyway. Go watch this documentary again.’
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MORE : Everything said in that explosive Jesy Nelson and Nicki Minaj Instagram live
