Bhad Bhabie is pushing back against long-running accusations that she’s co-opting Black culture.

In a recent interview with Camilla Araujo, posted on Friday (May 23), the Florida-based rapper addressed critics who claim she mimics Black people for fame and aesthetic purposes.

The 22-year-old star, born Danielle Bregoli, made headlines in 2016 after her now viral “Catch me outside” moment during an appearance on “Dr. Phil,” and has since faced scrutiny for her appearance, accent, and repeated use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

“I never purposely put makeup on to be darker, I never told a makeup artist to do it, I never did anything to my body to look like a race,” Bhabie explained around the 47-minute mark of the interview. “I just—I grew up around Black people.”

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The “Ms. Whitman” rapper insisted that she’s not trying to be anyone else, stating that “I’m comfortable being an Italian, Jewish white girl,” despite the internet’s ongoing debate about her persona.

Bhabie also claimed that her way of speaking is a natural extension of her upbringing. “I have an accent. I gravitate towards certain things Black people do. Even from a young age, I never looked at a Black person and was like, I want to be you,” she said.

Bhabie went on to describe growing up in a neighborhood alongside Haitian families, who she says would often braid her hair. 

“I’m appreciative” of the culture, she noted—though some viewers online took issue with how she framed her admiration, arguing that Bhabie continues to benefit from Blackness without fully acknowledging the implications.

Still, the rapper stood firm that her identity is authentic to how she was raised, not a performance. “I’m just being me,” she seemed to suggest, though whether that explanation resonates with critics remains up for debate.