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Jesy Nelson says 'I love Black culture' after trolled over blackfishing in ‘Boyz’

‘Boyz’ also features Nicki Minaj on the guest vocals and hip-hop heavyweight P Diddy in a guest appearance in the music video

Jesy Nelson, the former Little Mix songstress, was slammed for blackfishing after she dropped her solo debut single ‘Boyz’ on Friday, October 8. The peppy number also features Nicki Minaj on the guest vocals and hip-hop heavyweight P Diddy in a guest appearance in the music video.

After facing heat from the Internet, Nelson decided to address the allegations via an interview with Vulture. The 30-year-old singer-songwriter refrained from apologizing and defended that she was very much aware that she was a White British woman. Speaking of her debut single, the R&B crooner was seen wearing racy ensembles while sporting a very tanned complexion. In May 2021, a Buzzfeed article had also accused Nelson of blackfishing. 
 
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'I love Black culture. I love Black music'

In her interview with Vulture, the ‘Power’ hitmaker asserted, “I'm very aware that I'm a White British woman; I've never said that I wasn't.” She continued, “But I mean, like, I love Black culture. I love Black music. That's all I know; it's what I grew up on.” When asked about why some Instagram followers were blocked after their accusation, Jesy said that it must have been done by a member of her team. “I would never intentionally do anything to make myself look racially ambiguous, so that’s why I was initially shocked that the term [blackfishing] was directed at me.”

The Essex-born star also claimed that she never got accused of blackfishing when she was with the band as she was still doing the same things. “The whole time I was in Little Mix I never got any of that. And then I came out of [the band] and people all of a sudden were saying it.” For her very first solo single, Jesy recruited the Queen of Rap- Nicki Minaj for a guest feature. Within a few minutes of the song release, Jesy Nelson and Nicki Minaj grabbed one of the top spots on US iTunes charts. Iconic hip-hop producer and entrepreneur P Diddy made a guest appearance in the stunning music video of ‘Boyz’. Interestingly, Nelson sampled Diddy’s hit single ‘Bad Boy for Life’ for her latest release.

‘Jesy Nelson is never escaping blackfishing comments’

Social media users rushed to Twitter to discuss the latest controversy. “She never looked black to me. People just wanted a conversation”, claimed one user as another pitched in, “How does the way she look affect y’all directly? y’all look for anything to cancel people and it’s getting tired.” Another posted, “She’s not hurting anyone with her tan and curly weave… like can she live tf.” Whereas, one user tweeted, “That didn't address anything.. she still doesn't even look white, she was literally the same skin tone as Nicki in the video.”
 
One person asserted, “Jesy Nelson is never escaping blackfishing comments. At this point don’t be surprised when she randomly appears with a bbl next music video.” One added, “Jesy Nelson is blackfishing and her song is only doing well because of Nicki.” Meanwhile, one stated, “Someone needs to tell Jesy Nelson she is not Black. Stop the Blackfishing. #wtf” One user concluded, “Jesy Nelson is white woman from England cosplaying as racially ambiguous and using Black American aesthetic and Black people as props. It’s weird. I thought she was mixed my entire childhood wtf it’s weird.”