Rapper
Nicki Minaj has defended singer Jesy Nelson amid allegations of “Blackfishing “
against the English singer after the release of her new single ‘Boyz’.

Minaj defended
Nelson in an Instagram live on Monday where she appeared with the British
singer.

“It’s a lot
of women out here in the United States that tan, get bigger lips, get all types
of s**t done to themselves,” Minaj said.

“I wear
blonde hair straight down to my feet, contacts, whatever… as long as you’re not
hurting nobody or speaking negatively about someone’s race you should be able
to wear whatever you want to,” the rapper added.

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“What we
won’t have is someone texting and telling influencers to talk badly about this
girl, I know singers that tan a lot. It’s their f*****g business, it’s their
f*****g right. It’s different when someone comes out and pretends to be Black,”
Minaj continued, according to the Metro.

Nelson
released the music video for her new single but faced allegations of
blackfishing, a term that refers to someone who changes their appearance to
appear Black or racially ambiguous.

Nelson has
rubbished those allegations, saying that she loves the culture of the  Black people.

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Nelson explained her deep tan and said, “when I was in the [Boyz] video with you, I was in
Antigua before that for three weeks. Leigh-Anne said to me in the group, “Are
you sure you’re not mixed race because you tan so well. My hair is naturally
curly, I get it from my dad.”

Nelson
posted on Instagram  after was accused of
blackfishing in the music video for her debut solo single, “Boyz,” that
featured Nicki Minaj.

Nelson had
left the band Little Mix in December 2020 after nearly 10 years, explaining
that her time in the group had taken a toll on her mental health.