Azealia Banks has criticised Nicki Minaj for not speaking out about racial discrimination sooner.

The 'Anaconda' hitmaker complained that black women are ''rarely rewarded'' for their contribution to pop culture after she failed to receive a nomination for the Video of the Year prize at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards but Azealia has now hit back saying she only spoke out against discrimination once it started to affect her personally.

After claiming that the only reason anyone speaks about race is because of her, the '212' hitmaker responded to a fan who asked on Twitter if she thinks it's a ''good thing that Nicki and others have now spoken out too''.

Azealia tweeted back: ''No because she only started speaking out when it effected her. And she always pulls a pussy move and says ... 'that's not what I meant' trying to save with white audiences when she gets caught. (sic)''

Another Twitter user wrote to Azealia, 24, to comment that it's ''funny these artists are only being woke when white people are overlooking them but they were quiet when you spoke'', to which she replied: ''EXACTLY (sic)''

The outspoken rapper-and-singer - who claimed ''all'' of her music videos ''deserve'' VMAs and her album a Grammy following Nicki's comments - took to Twitter this afternoon (07.31.15) to vent her frustrations.

She wrote: ''Every single one of the conversations about cultural appropriation and fairness in the music industry began at my fingertips.

''I was the only one brave enough to speak up now everyone just dives right in and Christopher Columbus' my ideas as their own.

''But I was called crazy and told to shut up. Then here come all these rap n****s literally quoting me verbatim ....

''Then all of a sudden the industry has time to address the issue...... Still trying to pretend like I haven't been shouting this for years (sic)''