Kelly Price calls Black women ‘DEI hires’ in social media rant

Kelly Price rants about her harshest critics: “Black women, you are some of the most nasty, disrespectful people.”

Kelly Price is frustrated with the social media discourse surrounding her appearance. Recently, the R&B singer and songwriter took to Instagram Live to clap back at the users, especially Black women, who trolled her in the comments about her looks. 

“Black women, you are some of the most nasty, disrespectful people on God’s planet earth,” she told viewers, noting how the demographic has been her harshest critic. “The things that you say about other Black women…but you’re an activist, and you are educated … find yourself, because a degree does not give you class.”

Kelly price goes off on black women. pic.twitter.com/VcKRym8tpP— Hip Hop Fev3r (@Hiphopfev3r) September 3, 2025

Noting that she is not afraid to stick up for herself as a “Black girl born and raised on the South Side of Jamaica, Queens,” Price went on to call Black women “DEI hires” and throw jabs at the record-high unemployment rates Black women have faced under the second Trump administration. 

“I’m letting you have it right now, because ain’t nothing you can do about that,” she continued. “And while you’re looking for a new job, I’m still going to be selling out theaters and venues, looking like a fat slob in clothes that you said I look nasty in, and my feet are so damn big, and who dressed me. I’m still going to be making my money.”

In her rant, the singer also called out the male social media trolls: “Any man who feels the right to disrespect a woman who has never done anything to them… you’re a bi**h. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.” 

Ultimately calling out the Black people’s “BS,” Price’s rant sparked mixed reactions in her post’s comment section and timelines across social media. 

“You do know that the main people that purchase your music and go to your shows are BLACK WOMEN? You do know that black women are not DEI hires because they are the most educated women in the world,” one user commented, receiving over 300 likes.  “You do know, your voice can be taken away from you but their education and experience can’t? Pls do better and think before you talk. If you have an issue with a specific person or persons, direct your anger specifically at them. Also, did you forget you are who you speak of? A black woman?” 

Meanwhile, other users, including boxer Claressa Shields, came to Price’s defense. 

One user wrote: “You’re blessed because of who you are. Screw these people because like you said, “they’re keyboard thugs.” Most folks that do that are looking for something they lacked as a juvenile and that’s attention, love, and morals. Keep being YOU! Sidebar: I understand the lash out because sometimes enough is enough and we’re human not perfect.” 

If it don’t apply to you shut yo ass up. Ain’t nobody making stuff up bout y’all ass. Knowing damn well y’all be fake “girl girls” & fake “women empowerment” Kelly price read y’all just like she was supposed to. I hope whoever talked about her feet being big that she stick it up…— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) September 3, 2025

As the internet continues to debate Price’s outburst, the 52-year-old singer’s ultimate message to trolls was: “If you don’t like me, get the hell off my social media. It don’t affect my bottom line.”

“I do not expect that I’m going to be everybody’s favorite, whether it’s what I look like, what I sound like, what my clothes are, or any of those things. The one thing you will never catch me doing is going to someone else’s social media page and talking in a disparaging way about them disrespecting them to the utmost,” she said. “We complain so much about how other races, ethnicities and classes of people treat people of color, but I can absolutely tell you that it never compares to the mistreatment that we do of each other. We need to get it together.”