S. Samuel
Music network MTV has released an Azealia Banks interview where she promises to address hip-hop critics with help from Styles P days prior to announcing a dissociation from the rap game.
In ther interview, Banks proclaimed her collabo alongside the Ghost would silence haters who question her hip-hop credentials.
“It’s so New York and it’s so raw and it’s so just … everything that needs to be said,” she added, going on to address the criticism she’s received from the hip-hop community so far. “I’m that rap girl who’s out here and doesn’t have another rapper behind her, but she’s got all this mouth and she’s all over the place. So [this collaboration] was cool for me [because I’m like] ‘What ya’ll gonna say now, when I bust out with that Styles P record?’ Ya’ll not gon’ call me fake and make fun of me for having one song. Yeah, I make lil dance music and ya’ll got jokes, whatever — watch when I come out with the Styles P record.” (MTV)
Over the weekend, the Harlem femcee clarified “rap retirement” reports.
“don’t let the stupid rap blogs tell u i’ve stopped rapping.. cause i haven’t.. i’m still here.. i just know that being as REACTIVE of a person as i am… i can’t be reading EVERYONE’S thoughts all day. its easy for people to hide behind their twitter pages. so they’ll say sh*t they wouldn’t say if you were to ever be face to face. and when they say these things… and find out that i’m a REAL person.. and they get a REAL response.. they don’t know what to do… … then I’m standing there looking like the bad guy because i got too real. [sic]” (Azealia Banks’ Tumblr)
Prior to those remarks, she announced plans to fall back on Twitter and the rap game.
In a post on her tumblr.com page entitled “no longer wishing to be a rapper”, she writes, “i never was… and as soon as i started paying attention to bulls**t urban media, i started getting myself in trouble. From now on i’m a vocalist, and will not be associating myself with the ‘rap game’… or whatever the f**k that means… “no more twitter for me… it makes me entirely too accessible. Catch me on tumblr… it’ll be more interesting. (Contact Music)
Recently, Banks downplayed receiving mainstream accolades from the likes of mega stars Kanye West and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The Harlem-born 20-year-old seems almost aggressively unastonished by the attention. “I definitely have more money [now] and sh*t,” she admits, “but that’s all virtual stuff. I’ve been making music for a while. And I could read about myself on the Internet for a while.” And meeting the likes of Kanye? “It’s cool, but they’re just people. The skies don’t part and glow orange.” As Banks begins recording her first album, is she listening to anyone for inspiration? “Everyone,” she says, but mostly “Azealia Banks.” (GQ)
Check out the “212” music video below:
