Jesy Nelson’s departure from Little Mix came as a huge shock to fans, and it wasn’t clear when – or if – she would return to the music business. She has now launched her solo single, “Boyz”, with an iconic sample of the track “Bad Boys For Life” by P Diddy, Black Rob and Mark Curry (or BBFL here.)

She also made sure to mention her old band, Little Mix, in a moment that many will remember from the original video.

Her former bandmates have remained at three, though soon two of those members, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, will likely take maternity leave after becoming pregnant at similar times.

But Nelson clearly breaks with his roots, switching to hip hop beats with some notable megastar appearances.

The original video was nominated for Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2002, and featured cameos from big names like Ice Cube, Shaquille O’Neal and Mike Tyson.

It is clear that Nelson is in good company as she begins her career as a solo artist. News week breaks down references to the original video – and its mention of Little Mix.

‘Boyz’ in Perfectville

The first sound we hear is incredibly recognizable – as we arrive in Perfectville. BBFL starts off with the exact same sound, only to take us to Perfectown, US, instead.

In a piecemeal reinvention here, the sprinkler is on as an elderly man walks out to get his paper. The houses, they look like they come from WandaVision.

Suddenly, the peace and quiet is marred by the arrival of cars and a huge tour bus, from which come men, women and the star, Jesy Nelson.

In the original, it’s Diddy hopping off the tour bus, with a wheelbarrow full of fried chicken.

Even the “For Sale” sign is the same, with the same phone number on it.

Playing golf through Diddy’s window

One of the most memorable moments in the BBFL clip sees Diddy hitting black golf balls on his flat roof and accidentally slipping through a neighbor’s window.

Nelson, on the other hand, is less disturbed when she walks into her countryman’s house, winking and laughing with her friend as they continue to hit balls with the word “Boyz” across it. of them.

Eventually, the irritated neighbor comes over to talk about how this can’t go on, and a familiar face is seen, but not the same person as in the original.

In the original, Ben Stiller awkwardly asked Diddy (though he tripped over which name to use) to stop hitting golf balls, before inviting himself to every party to come.

This time, Diddy went from golfer to angry neighbor, knocking on Nelson’s door and demanding answers.

Yelling at my ex

At this point, a conversation took place in which Diddy tried to determine who this neighbor was.

While Nelson doesn’t have the plethora of options that Diddy has (Puff Daddy, Sean Combs, Love, P Diddy, etc.), he opted for the jugular with one of them.

Diddy said, “Hey Jeezy, Jesy, Little Mix, whatever you call yourself these days.”

Fans were probably wondering if Nelson’s band would get a name at some point, and while the song itself doesn’t indicate its origins, that moment made sure they weren’t forgotten.

Nicki Minaj in the garage

In the original BBFL video, Diddy and the other rappers spend a lot of time in the garage playing, which was made up of speakers and white walls.

Here, Travis Barker was playing the drums while Diddy spat on the mic, and in Nelson’s video, Minaj is the one dropping a few verses.

This is where the video makes some changes, because while the garage was a must-see location in the original clip, Minaj cannot be kept in a box and instead she and Nelson are seen sitting in a car while his verse continues.

It’s not similar to the music video, but it shows Nelson making even the most iconic video his own.

The end

The ending isn’t the same at all, as BBFL shows a huge party in the neighborhood before Diddy is forced to come to terms with all the new people moving across the road.

In his case, it was the rap-rock group Crazy Town, to which he said, “This is the neighborhood.”

Nelson, however, ends up with Minaj in the car, before showing off filming clips of his video, with Diddy making a few mistakes during his time in Stiller’s place.

Nelson’s new song, “Boyz”, is now available.