Azealia Banks appeared on Hot 97 this morning for her most intense interview ever. In between tears, curse words, rants and music from her latest disc, she takes on TI, Iggy Azealea, the music industry and cultural appropriation is a way most artists wouldn't dare. More inside...
A month ago, Azealia Banks dropped one of the most brilliant albums of 2014, Broke With Expensive Taste. Sadly, her artistry has been great overshadowed by her social media presence, where she's been cast as a bitter angry Black woman. This morning on Hot 97, she appeared with Ebro, Peter and Laura, to reveal her truth and show who she really is. Turns out, she is an angry Black woman - with good reason.
During the 45min interview, Azealia takes on everything from industry politics, cultural appropriation and racism to her REAL issues with TI and Iggy Azalea. You'll find that she's a young Black woman who's passionate about hip hip and holding onto her cultural identity. Here are the highlights:
On TI (15:00)
You out here trying to promote this white bitch. They got your wife on VH1 and that bitch can’t fu**in’ read. You’re a fu**in’ shoe shinin’ coon. How dare you.”On Iggy (8:44)
“That Macklemore album wasn’t better than Drake’s record. That Iggy Azalea shit is not better than any black girl that’s rappin’ today. The Grammys are supposed to be accolades of artist excellence. Iggy Azzlea is not excellent. I have a problem when you’re trying to say that it’s hip-hop and you’re trying to put it up against black culture.”On Iggy biting off Nicki
“Nicki Minaj over the past two, three, four years has done so much to create this social presence, like consciousness, and then here you go. She’s like Re-Up and Roman Reloaded, and here go fu**in’ Iggy like Reclassified. It’s like a cultural smudging was what I see.”On cultural smudging
"All it says to white kids is like ‘oh yeah, you’re great, you’re amazing, you can do whatever you put your mind to. And it says to black kids, you don’t have shit, you don’t own shit, not even the shit you created for yourself. And, it makes me upset.”On being outspoken
“Everyone’s got it all wrong. I definitely have some really strong opinions and some really strong things to say about things, but I’m never trying to force my opinion.”On feeling shunned by the industry
“At the very fu**in’ least, ya’ll owe me the right to my fu**in’ identity. And to not exploit that shit. That’s all we’re holding onto, like hip-hop and rap. And Bill Cosby, and whatever the f**k it is. Ya’ll putting that on TV for the youth to fu**in’ see.”
Photos via Azealia Banks Instagram
