Azealia Banks

Azealia Amanda Banks(/əˈziːliə/ə-ZEE-lee-ə; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper and singer. Raised in theHarlemneighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music throughMyspacein 2008 before being signed toXL Recordingsat age 18. She subsequently signed withInterscopeandPolydor Recordsbefore separating in 2013. Banks became an independent artist and started her own independent record label, Chaos & Glory Recordings. She later signed toParlophoneandWarner Recordsbefore quitting her label in 2023.
Banks's song "212" was called one of the best songs of 2011 and one of the defining songs of the decade by music publications, includingRolling StoneandBillboard. She has since released three mixtapes (Fantaseain 2012,Slay-Zin 2016, andYung Rapunxel Pt.IIin 2019), a studio album (Broke with Expensive Tastein 2014), and two extended plays (1991in 2012 andIcy Colors Changein 2018). In 2017, Banks had her film debut in the musical dramaLove Beats Rhymes, portraying the lead character. Banks's works have garnered acclaim from critics, drawing on various sounds includinghouse,rap,pop,electronic music, andavant-garde.
Throughout her career, Banks'ssocial mediapresence and outspoken views, especially onU.S. politicsandrace, as well as disputes with other artists, have attracted significant controversy.Complexnoted in 2014 that "she gets more attention for her public feuds than she does for her music".
Azealia Amanda Banks was born on May 31, 1991, in New York City'sManhattanborough; she was the youngest of three.Her single mother raised her and her two siblings inHarlem, after their father died ofpancreatic cancerwhen she was two years old.Following her father's death, Banks says that her mother "became really abusive—physically and verbally. Like she would hit me and my sisters with baseball bats, bang our heads up against walls, and she would always tell me I was ugly. I remember once she threw out all the food in the fridge, just so we wouldn't have anything to eat." Due to escalating violence, Banks moved out of her mother's home at age 14 to live with her older sister.
At a young age, Banks became interested in musical theater, dancing, acting, and singing. At 16, she starred in a production of the comedy-noir musicalCity of Angels, where she was found by an agent who sent her to auditions forTBS,Nickelodeon, andLaw & Order, all without success.At this point Banks decided to end her pursuit of an acting career, citing the stiff competition and overall sense of nonfulfillment.Because of this lack of fulfillment, she began writing rap andR&Bsongs as a creative outlet. She never finished high school, instead choosing to embark on a career as a recording artist.
Under the moniker Miss Bank$, she released her debut recording, "Gimme a Chance" online on November 9, 2008.The recording was accompanied by the self-produced track "Seventeen", which sampled theLadytronsong of thesame name. Banks sent both tracks to American DJDiplo.Later that year, she signed adevelopment dealwith record labelXL Recordingsand began working with producerRichard Russellin London, leaving the label later that year due to conflicting ideas.
After leaving XL Recordings, Banks dropped the 'Miss Bank$' moniker and formally became Azealia Banks, which preceded a move toMontreal. Using YouTube as a portal, she uploaded several demo tracks, including "L8R" and a cover of "Slow Hands" byInterpol. After her Canadianvisaexpired, Banks returned to New York, where she sold keychains at a Manhattan jazz club and danced at aQueensstrip club to make ends meet."That's when I was really depressed", Banks said. "I don't have a manager, I don't have a boyfriend, I don't have any friends, I don't have any money. Here I am working at the strip club, trying not to say the wrong thing and get into fights with these girls who don't give a shit."
In September 2011, Banks released her debut single, "212", as a free digital download from her website. It was released officially on December 6, 2011, as the lead single from her EP1991.The track attained moderate European chart success, peaking at No. 14 in the Netherlands, No. 12 in the United Kingdom and No. 7 in Ireland.
Though unsigned at the time, Banks began working with British producerPaul Epworthon a debut studio album.It was announced in December 2011 that she would feature on "Shady Love", a track on American bandScissor Sisters' fourth studio album,Magic Hour, although the appearance was uncredited.An accompanying video was released in January 2012 following its radio premiere fromAnnie Mac(BBC Radio 1) on January 4,though the single's release was canceled for unconfirmed reasons. Banks released the track "NEEDSUMLUV (SXLND)" online on January 16, 2012, coinciding with what would have been the 33rd birthday of the late singerAaliyah, who is sampled on the track.A week later saw the emergence of a second track, "Bambi", produced byPaul Epworthand selected as the soundtrack for aThierry Muglerfashion show in Paris.
In May 2012, Banks announced plans to release amixtape—originally titledFantastic—titledFantasea.Preceding its release the tracks "Jumanji","Aquababe",and "Nathan" (featuring rapperStyles P) were made available online.Fantaseawas released via Banks's Twitter account on July 11,and described as "thrilling document of a phenomenally gifted performer in a state of flux".
Banks's first EP,1991, was released in the UK on May 28 and in the US the next day.The 4-track EP, which includes212, was not eligible for theUK Albumschart, but the title track charted at No. 79 on theUK Singleschart.It also reached No. 133 on theUS 200,while reaching No. 17 on theUS R&B/Hip-Hopchart,No. 12 on theUS Rapchart,and headin'US Heatchart.In 2013,1991was certified gold by theAustralian Recording Industry Association.
Banks was scheduled to release her second single, "Esta Noche", fromFantasea, on September 25, 2012, but it was pulled the day of its release due to sampling disputes between Banks and its producer,Munchi.Banks collaborated with both Lady Gaga and Kanye West, but these songs remain unreleased.On December 31, 2012, Banks released "BBD", a collaboration with Sup Doodle andApple Juice Kid.
Early in 2012, Banks revealed that her debut album would be calledBroke with Expensive Taste, and said it would include contributions from musicians includingToko Yasuda,Theophilus London, Kevin Hussein, andAriel Pink.She initially said the album's lead single would be a track titled "Miss Amor" and that it would be accompanied by aB-side, "Miss Camaraderie", both produced byLone,but these plans changed: in January 2013 she announced that the first official single from the album would be "Yung Rapunxel", which was released in March 2013 onSoundCloud.
In May 2013, Banks announced that the second single fromBroke with Expensive Tastewould be "ATM Jam", featuringPharrell.On June 29, she debuted the song at the2013 Glastonbury Festival,with New York City radio stationHot 97premiering a clean, shortened version of the studio recording three days later.On July 11, the full studio version of "ATM Jam" was released onBBC Radio 1.Banks confirmed in November 2013 that "ATM Jam" would not appear onBroke with Expensive Tastedue to negative fan feedback and personal disinterest regarding the song.
Banks announced in mid-July that after a long battle, she had parted ways with Universal Music Group. She reportedly has possession and the rights to the work she released with Interscope.On July 28, 2014, Banks released the official second single fromBroke with Expensive Taste, titled "Heavy Metal and Reflective", on her own label,Azealia Banks Records.
Banks surprise-releasedBroke with Expensive TasteunderProspect Parkon iTunes on November 7, 2014.The physical album was released on March 3, 2015.In 2015, Banks performed at theCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festivaland posed nude for the April issue ofPlayboy, shot byEllen von Unwerth.In late 2015, Banks revealed that she was unable to release new music until March 2016,due to the separation from her label, Prospect Park, but as of February 2016 she was officially cleared of her contract and able to release new music.
In February 2016, Banks released the single, "The Big Big Beat", with its official video uploaded to Vevo in April.The song would serve as the lead single to Banks's second mixtape,Slay-Z, which was released on March 24, 2016.In July 2017,Slay-Zwas reissued to iTunes, Spotify, and other online music stores under her independent record label, Chaos & Glory Recordings. The re-issue would include theLunicecollaboration, "Crown", which was released as the project's sole bonus track.
In early 2017, Banks launched her online store, CheapyXO. The site features artist merchandise from Banks as well as original skin care products.The site also includes "CheapyXO Radio" which links to a playlist curated by Banks herself. Banks would later relaunch the site in 2020 to include her podcast,Cheapy's Two Cents, as well as, "Botantica XO", which is composed of spiritual items.
Banks announced that her next project will beFantasea II: The Second Wave, a follow-up to 2012 mixtapeFantasea.On June 5, 2017, Banks released the song "Chi Chi"intended to be the lead single fromBusiness & Pleasure,however, it was later demoted to a stand-alone single.On June 26, 2017, Banks released the promotional single, "Escapades", from the upcoming albumFantasea II: The Second Wave.After a yearlong hiatus from touring, Banks returned to New York City to embark on aNorth American tourwith 20 dates across the U.S. and Canada. The tour began on October 4 in Chicago and concluded on October 31 in San Francisco.Banks also performed across Europe in a handful of shows during 2017.
It was announced in 2015 that Banks would make her acting debut as the main character in theRZA-directed musical drama filmCoco(now known asLove Beats Rhymes).The film was officially released on December 1, 2017.
On January 31, 2018, Banks announced that she had signed a US$1 million record deal withEntertainment One.On March 9, 2018, she released "Movin' On Up" to iTunes and other streaming platforms as the second promotional single fromFantasea II: The Second Wave.The song was previously featured in the 2017 filmLove Beats Rhymeswhich Banks starred in. In March 2018, she announced that the first official single from her forthcoming album would be "Anna Wintour". It was released on April 6, 2018, and the official music video for the single was released on May 24, 2018.On July 6, a second single, "Treasure Island", was released.In November, Banks announced on herInstagramaccount that she would release the Christmas-themed EPIcy Colors Changeon December 7. A demo of the title track was released in December 2017. The project was released on December 19 after several delays, with a promotional single, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?", released on December 13.Another promotional single fromFantasea II: The Second Wave, "Playhouse", was released exclusively onSoundCloudon April 12, 2019.Banks first teased the track back in 2016 by playing the entire song on the live streaming app,Periscope.
Banks separated fromeOne Musicin 2019. Consequently, she announced in May of that year that she had been working on a project calledYung Rapunxel: Pt. II. The title references Banks's debut single offBroke with Expensive Taste,"Yung Rapunxel". It was released through SoundCloud on September 11, 2019, before later being taken down.
On December 16, 2019, Banks released the promotional singles "Count Contessa" and "Pyrex Princess" on various streaming platforms. "Pyrex Princess" is a song fromBusiness & Pleasure, previously released on August 22, 2018, before being taken down. "Count Contessa" was previously published on SoundCloud in 2013.A music video for "Count Contessa", directed by Rony Alwin and shot in Bali, Indonesia, was previously released on December 8, 2015.
Throughout the first quarter of 2020, Banks debuted her podcastCheapy's Two Centsand released multiple promotional singles, including "Slow Hands", anInterpolcover previously uploaded in 2012,as well as "Salchichón" being produced by frequent collaborator Onyx.Additionally, Banks released multiple tracks exclusively on her SoundCloud, such as "Diamond Nova", which previously served as the B-side to her 2013 single "ATM Jam", featuring and produced byPharrell,as well as the Spanglish single, "Nirvana".
On June 9, 2020, Banks released the lead singlefrom her as-yet-unreleased albumBusiness & Pleasuretitled "Black Madonna" featuring producerLex Luger.On December 23, 2020, she released the promotional single "Mamma Mia" on all platforms, where it was previously released on her SoundCloud account since April 2020.Banks released the single "Six Flags" featuring Slim Dollars on January 7, 2021.
On July 7, 2021, Banks released the single "Fuck Him All Night". A perfume of the same name was launched months later.She also announced that she was under new management.
Banks began teasing a track titled "New Bottega" in August 2022.On November 9, she announced that she had officially signed toParlophoneRecords, underWarner Music Group.In January 2023, she posted an Instagram Story stating that she had left Parlophone and announced that she would instead release "New Bottega" independently.After several delays, "New Bottega" was released by the Australian dance music labelSweat It Outon March 10, 2023, as a collaboration between Australian house producerTorren Footand Banks.However, the following May, Banks said she had not authorized the release and criticized Torren Foot's rework of the song, which she called "a piss poor remix of [her] master track". She also criticized Sweat It Out for marketing "New Bottega" as a dance recording instead of a hip hop song.
Banks has said she admires American recording artistsBeyoncéandAaliyah, calling the former "the queen of everything. She's the most remarkable performer and musician. And this is just my humble opinion, but I just think she's better than everyone else making music right now."Banks is inspired by, and has drawn directly upon, black gay culture, such as the filmParis Is Burning, in her music.
AllMusiccharacterizes Banks as "a stylish vocalist who combineshardcore hip-hop,indie pop, anddance music".Meanwhile,The Guardian's John Robinson considered Banks's style "an appealing blend ofMissy Elliottanddance-pop".In regards to her musical style, Banks has frequently been noted for the use of profanity in many of her songs, particularly herreclamationof the word "cunt",examples including her debut single "212", in which she uses the word more than ten times, or other songs such as"Fierce", in which she refers to herself as the "cunt queen".Banks attributes this to her upbringing in Harlem, saying, "...I'm from Harlem. I went to art school; I grew up with the cunts. And that term doesn't come from me! People think I invented it, but I didn't. To be cunty is to be feminine and to be, like, aware of yourself. Nobody's fucking with that inner strength and delicateness. The cunts, the gay men, adore that. My friends would say, 'Oh you need to cunt it up! You're being toobanjee.' Banjee means unrefined and rough. You need your cunts: they fix your hair for you and do your makeup. They give you confidence and give you life."She is also known for her often fast-paced rapping, or "flow".In a review of Banks's debutEP1991, Chris Dart ofExclaim!found Banks's rapping speed "remarkable", commenting that she "manages a feat that takes most rappers the better part of a career to master: the perfect marriage of bangin', club-friendly beats and smart, crisply delivered lyrics".
Since writing "212", Banks has adopted an alter ego, "Yung Rapunxel". This alter ego was adapted from Banks calling herselfRapunzeldue to a longweaveshe wore while working atStarbucksas a teenager. Banks discussed this withRolling Stonesaying, "Yung Rapunxel is that girl who pisses people off but doesn't really mean to. She's actually a sweetheart! But people are so taken aback that she's so herself; she's not even trying to be unique or different. She literally just lives in her head; she does what she wants to do. So, the lipstick is here for someone who is happy to be themself."
In October 2019, Banks announced that she would perform under the name Azilka (Russian:Азилька) during her tour inpost-Soviet countries.
On August 8, 2020, Banks announced that she intended to end her life byeuthanasiaand document the process on film.
In February 2021, Banks publicly announced her engagement to American artistRyder Ripps,but the next month Banks announced the end of the relationship.They had made an audiosex tapeand sold it as anNFT.
In November 2023, Banks posted an Instagram story in which she accused American record producerDiploof sexually coercing her during the time they worked together when she was 17 years old. She said that he would pressure her to have sexual relations with him in exchange for music and then refuse to give her the tracks. She also accused him of sexual misconduct towards other women, calling him "someone who needs to becanceledfrom the [music] industry".
In July 2016, Banks admitted to lightening her skin due to skin blemishes caused by herbirth controlregimen and defended the process ofskin bleaching.In December 2016, she revealed that she had had amiscarriageand asked her fans for advice and support.
BuzzFeed Newswrote Banks "has been frank about her own mental health issues".In 2020, during a plea deal in Manhattan Court to avoid prison time, she was ordered to seek mental health treatment.The British magazinegal-demreported that she hasbipolar disorder.
Banks identifies asbisexual. During the few instances where she has discussed her sexuality with the press, she has expressed dissatisfaction with society's labeling of others based onsexual orientation. In an interview withThe New York Times, she said, "I'm not trying to be, like, the bisexual, lesbian rapper. I don't live on other people's terms."
Banks has been accused of both homophobia and transphobia, withOuteditors calling her a bully to the LGBT community rather than an ally.In 2015, she used language thatPinkNewscalled homophobic when she called a flight attendant a "fucking faggot" during what is described as an "in-flight meltdown".Later that month, Banks posted whatBillboardcalled a "Twitter tirade" against the LGBT community when she tweeted, "LGBT community are like the gay whiteKKK's. Get some pink hoods and unicorns and rally down rodeo drive... If I am to be a part of an LGBT community I want to be in it with people who aren't so weak or so easily moved ya know."In 2020, she said gay men were "appropriating horse culture" by using harnesses,ketamine, and sexual lubricant.
Banks has expressed a broad range of views on trans people over the years. In 2016, she shared that one of her siblings was atrans manand congratulated him on histop surgery.In 2021, she said thattrans womenare "just gay boys on hormones using male aggression to force their ways intowomen's spaces",and argued in 2023 that state funding for other healthcare issues should take precedence over funding forgender-affirming surgery, which she compared tocosmetic surgery.In 2025, she expressed support for trans people and criticizedJ. K. Rowlingfor her "paranoid"views on trans women.When asked about her own past comments, she denied being transphobic and said that she had been reacting to "activist" rhetoric; she also argued that "a female and a woman are two different concepts".
Banks is known for publicly speaking out on African-American civil rights issues, with a commentator atSplice Todaydescribing her as having "that hot New York temper where she will pop off if you cross her the wrong way".In December 2014, she called for over $100 trillion to be paid to African Americans asfinancial reparations for the enslavement of their ancestors, citing U.S. reparations to Native American communities and German reparations to Jewish survivors ofthe Holocaustas precedents.On Twitter, she urged young African Americans to take an interest in such issues, adding, "We are the children of the people who perished in the name of modern capitalism and we deserve a piece of that fucking pie".She added that reparations could be used to improve educational prospects for black Americans.
In 2016, Banks took to Twitter to express her endorsement ofDonald Trump's2016 presidential campaign, clarifying that "I have no hope for America ... I think Donald Trump is evil like America is evil and in order for America to keep up with itself it needs him ... politicians are inherently evil, I trust the one who is most transparent."She retracted her endorsement of Trump in October 2016, posting on Facebook: "I made a major mistake endorsing toupey-toupee. Women's rights are important and we must protect them."Nonetheless, after Trump won the presidency, she posted, "He is my fucking hero right now. I am elated."
In April 2022, Banks posted an Instagram story repeatedly chastising Ukraine in the2022 Russian invasion of the country. She claimed, without evidence, that Ukraine's presidentVolodymyr ZelenskyypreventedAfrican exchange students from leaving the country, in reference to Ukrainians authorities who barred Black immigrants from fleeing at the onset of the war.She also claimed without evidence that Ukraine was using its embassies in African countries to recruit mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. Banks said that Zelenskyy was trying to provoke a global nuclear war and urged Ukraine to surrender.In a previous Instagram story from April 1, she had praised Russia's presidentVladimir Putin, saying that she "really fucking love[s]" him and calling him her "favoritesuper villainever".
Banks moved from Los Angeles to Miami in 2021.In January 2023, she said that she did so because she had become disillusioned with the politics of Los Angeles and that she felt "way safer" in Florida.She also praised Florida's governorRon DeSantis, whom she called "focused on the basic shit" and "practical about a lot of things".
In July 2024, Banks attended a rally in support of Trump's2024 presidential campaignin Florida.On November 4, the day before the election, she posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she would be voting forKamala Harrisdue to concerns overElon Musk's involvement with Trump; she wrote that Musk "belongs nowhere near American politics".On November 6, she posted an image on X, purportedly of her ballot with Donald Trump selected, captioned, "I lied, I voted for Trump yesterday."
Banks has developed a reputation for disputes with several public figures onsocial media,particularly Twitter, withComplexnoting that "she gets more attention for her public feuds than she does for her music".
Banks has been involved in altercations with crew and passengers aboard commercial flights, resulting in her being removed from airliners, and she has accused some foreign airlines of racism against her.She also denounced "racists" in Israel and Australia and said she would never return to either country.
In May 2016, Banks posted what several media outlets described as a racist and homophobic rantagainstZayn Malikon Twitter, later targeting young actressSkai Jackson.As a result, Banks was dropped by her UK booking agency and a then-upcoming hip-hop festival, and her Twitter account was suspended.
In October 2016, Banks filed a police report against actorRussell Crowe, claiming that he choked and spat at her before proceeding to call herthe n wordduring a party in his hotel suite. However, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office dropped the case in December.RZAsupported Banks’ claims the following year during an interview withThe Breakfast Club, but also condemned her alleged "obnoxious and erratic" behavior.Crowe in turn claimed that he removed Banks from the premises because she threatened to physically assault other attendees.
In December 2016, Banks posted a series of videos onInstagramdetailing her cleanup of a closet in her apartment where she claimed to have been practicingwitchcraft. She admitted to practicing "three years worth ofbrujeria". The video appeared to show dried blood, feathers, and thecarrionof dead chickens.In January 2021, she received criticism after posting a video on Instagram of her digging up and cooking her dead pet cat. She later said in an interview that she did not eat the cat and exhumed it fortaxidermizingpurposes.
In January 2019, Banks posted xenophobic remarks about Irish people after performing in Ireland, in which she used ethnic slurs and mocked theGreat Famine.That August, she posted xenophobic remarks about Swedish people after performing in Sweden, adding that she "would really love to see someone bomb the shit out of this place".
Studio albums
Headlining
Featured act