Taking a break from a bike ride recently (July 1), Azealia Banks spoke to her fans via Facebook Live, offering up an explanation for her lightened skin, a process she calls, "a continuation of the falsification of self that comes with being a black person in America." In the 20-minute clip, the rapper repeatedly references signs of assimilation such as speech patterns in drawing parallels to defend her cosmetic changes.

"What's the difference between getting a nose job and changing your skin color?" she asks above. "Nobody was upset when I was wearing 30-inch weaves and tearing out my edges and doing all that type of shit like that. You guys loved it....As a black person in this world you assimilate. There are things you accept. This has become the norm because it's happening all the time...To say it negates anything I've said about the current situation of blackness in America is ignorant and stupid...What do body modifications have to do with somebody's level of intellect? The two don't correlate."

The following day, she penned more comments on the issue to Facebook, writing, "Whether or not you decide to wear an Afro isn't going to change anything about the dire position black peoples bodies are in globally. What we need is a clear plan and to stop getting hung up on petty shit that doesn't matter. Me having an Afro puff or dark skin is not going to stop a police officer from gunning down innocent citizens."

Watch her live video up top with the following messages included just below.

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