Azealia Banks compares skin bleaching to getting hair extensions in bizarre Facebook video

Not scared of a controversy, Banks fired up at her critics, saying the process of skin bleaching and lightening was no different to many other cosmetic and beauty procedures.

“What’s the difference between getting a nose job and changing your skin colour?” she asks in the video. “Nobody was upset when I was wearing 30-inch weaves and tearing out my edges and doing all that type of sh*t like that. You guys loved it.”

The 25-year-old added she thinks the “stigma” about skin bleaching comes from: “The damage you’ve seen people do to themselves with these really, really, really bad products. I consider skin lightening to be anything that’s removing a layer because it lightens your skin.

“So even if you’re using some acne medication with some other sh*t in it, that says to brighten your skin. And that’s another thing ... when you see a serum and it says ‘brightening’ or ‘illuminating’ — that’s bleach.”

In the past, Banks has slammed other artists for cultural appropriation. In April, she called Beyonce out for “perpetuating that sad black female sufferance” following the release of her album Lemonade. And her long-running feud with Iggy Azalea kicked off in 2014 when she accused the Aussie rapper of not caring about “black issues”.

But in the video, she said anyone who compared her past views to the decision to bleach her skin was “just stupid”.

I don’t really think it’s important to discuss the cultural significance of skin bleaching anymore because just as African-American people in this world, or Black people, you assimilate,” she said.

“There are things that you accept not out of necessity, but things that become the norm because it’s just happening all of the time.”

Despite these comments, fans were quick to label her a hypocrite.

“Gurl. You know damn well this video didn’t make ANY kind of sense. Whatsoever. You rambled on, about how society holds onto European standards of beauty higher than other standards of different cultures, but then confess to conceding to this standard and getting all the sh*t done. It’s clear, you’re insecure, and it’s cool, everyone is to some degree, but don’t roll this sh*t around in sprinkles,” Facebook user Riverdale Bailey commented on the video.

When Facebook user Alicia Marie commented the rapper’s confession was hypocritical after she “went so hard about Iggy”, Azealia responded:

“There’s no difference between a hair relaxer and skin lightening cream. All of you women on this post are wearing weaves but that would never lead me to assume that you hated yourself or hate your own hair. It’s not fair to pin ‘self-hate’ on me. Very harsh.”

While some were outraged at her choice to bleach her skin, others had questions, with one fan asking if she ever plans to stop bleaching once her skin becomes “light enough”.

“100%. I take breaks all the time,” the rapper replied.