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Album: Azealia Banks - '1991'
ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 10/8/2011
Posts: 32,133
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Great EP !
1991 & 212 
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Member Since: 12/23/2011
Posts: 11,321
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Quote:
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14 +12 Azealia Banks - 1991 - EP
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In only 3 days 
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Member Since: 9/3/2011
Posts: 28,911
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OMG OMG OMG 
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Member Since: 8/22/2011
Posts: 27,495
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Member Since: 3/27/2012
Posts: 6,274
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Guys I officially stan for her, I ****ing love every piece of music she makes
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Member Since: 9/3/2011
Posts: 28,911
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Quote:
Originally posted by Giacobbe
Guys I officially stan for her, I ****ing love every piece of music she makes
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Same!
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Member Since: 6/9/2010
Posts: 9,802
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Member Since: 4/10/2012
Posts: 14,915
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Quote:
Originally posted by Reed
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Lol she's adorableeee! I think she kinda stans for Rihanna 
She seems like she'd be fun to chill with too.
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Member Since: 9/3/2011
Posts: 28,911
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Van Vogues ending is hilarious 
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 28,420
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Consequence Of Sound - 3/5 Stars
Just barely a teenager, Harlem’s Azealia Banks would have been discovering Diplo and M.I.A.’s take on Brazilian baile funk with 2004′s Piracy Funds Terrorism. After dropping out of Manhattan’s prestigious LaGuardia High School in 2007 to pursue her dreams of becoming a recording artist, the self-proclaimed musical theater geek was drawing inspiration from Santigold’s eponymous debut, coincidentally co-produced by Diplo. Later, that inspiration came to fruition as Banks worked with the Philly producer himself on “Seventeen”, a brash single that spread more quickly than her recent Twitter tiffs with just about every female emcee. With a taste-making success rate better than Jrue Holiday’s playoff free-throw stats, Diplo squeaks closer to 1.00 as Banks continues to train her Olympic-paced tongue and aggro-bitch wit on the fresh EP 1991.
At only 16:10, the EP’s four tracks are more vulgar and over quicker than the lunchroom girl fights that Banks wants you to believe she has instigated on the regular. “Ya been did that/Ya been with dat/Ya been been that, bitch/But they all forget you when they spin this ****/Making plans against you, cause you ain’t legit,” Banks threatens on “Van Vogue”. Produced by North Carolina’s machinedrum, the underlying glitch-hop contains more bends and abrasive references than Banks’ sometimes unintelligible delivery. When was the last time you heard a dog bark sampled mid pop hook?
The title track balances Banks’ unabashed narcissism (“Elite rap bitch, I gotta send that beat back quick/Tip-tippin on these ******, suck a T.I. dick/Cause you gonna be a bitch *****/I’ma be that bitch”) with an aura of innocence that lingers on her tongue as she sings through the track’s final clicks.
Previous singles “212″ and “Liquorice” close out the EP. Each track attest to the upstart’s ability to form her lyrics around an ever-shifting frame of dance-floor ready progressive beats. For a change of perspective, “Liquorice” casts the now 21-year-old into the role of lovelorn schoolgirl, not the confident badass that rocks the former tracks of the EP.
Still young, Banks has worked with talented producers on 1991 to successfully expand her sound from early influences. Now assisted by the Midas-like touch of producer Paul Epworth, this EP may be the final diss-laden hypefest before your mom starts inquiring about that “liquorice bitch”.
Essential Tracks: “212″ (feat Lazy Jay), “Van Vogue”
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Alt Sounds - 4¼/5 Stars
Azealia Banks has been on the scene for only mere months, which is mind boggling as she’s already grabbing headlines, have the confidence of someone who’s been on the scene for years and already been in a virtual scrap with Iggy Azalea. We were introduced to her way back in December, thanks to BBC’s Sound of 2012, and her presence has been growing and growing at an overwhelming pace since. The Harlem Queen of Crude is no doubt an incredible talent, and after attending the famous LaGuardia School of Performing Arts where her artistic creativities flourished, she realised her talent wasn’t primarily in musical theatre (which was cut throat in LaGuardia), but through manipulating lyrics and experimenting with language by writing and performing rap songs.
After teasing the world with her debut single ‘212’, which dominated charts from all corners of the globe, Banks is back with a brand new EP, a 4 track arsenal sizzling with explosive tracks that are all unique in themselves yet a four perfectly balanced quarters of this ferocious offering. I assume that Banks decided to name the EP 1991 after the year in which she was born into this world, otherwise I’m led to believe it was a pretty big coincidence. Why not? The numeric 1 9 9 1 in that very order symbolise the beginning of Azealia’s journey, and from what I’ve heard from this EP, she’s got an awful lot more up her sleeve.
What adds to the Azealia charm is that she’s a force to be reckoned with, a ball of confidence that’s is insatiable, even if you’re not a huge fan of the coarse language. The EP represents all aspects of music, you can hear raw stems drenched in contradicting genres that are fused together by Banks’ sharp lyrics. The collection opens with title track ‘1991’, where layer upon layer is slowly built upon another, a dense, delectable climb of samples and synths that are buzzing with anticipation of what’s to come. Her jagged language defines her razor attitude and that she’s not to be messed with, although such language isn't usually to my taste, the fact that it’s been embedded in the music tapestry that she’s weaved, makes it a lot more forgiving.
‘Van Vogue’ seems to flow effortlessly from the previous track, an intertwining of hot piano, heartbeat bass and what can only be described as a ‘woof’! Adding subtleties like that is extraordinary, and interesting to say the least as it’s a common sound we hear on a daily basis and probably goes unnoticed as it’s such a usual occurrence. She juxtaposes these regularities with an intensely creepy monologue of a warped male voice at the end of the song that’s just a string of abuse towards a ghostly subject. No idea why she’s included this, but it’s different at least.
The latter half of the EP is made of two tracks that aren’t unfamiliar to us. ‘212’ was the first track heard from Azealia, and after picking myself up from the floor after hearing a string of c-bombs and crude imagery, I couldn’t get enough of the busy urban anthem. One of the reasons Banks continues to amaze me is the way she evidently plays with music in an effortless manner, proving that she is a supreme conductor. ‘Liquorice’ climaxes the EP perfectly, an aural festival of synths, Azealia’s fast paces spitting and a melting chorus, which is reminiscent of a nursery rhyme, hinting at the simpler days gone by spent on the playground.
If you’re wondering if Azealia Banks is worth all the hype at all, then no she’s not. She’s worth a whole lot more, as she’s a proven that she is a gifted artist who has mastered the art of composing urban poetry and striking musical imagery that is more than deserving of the repeat button.
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Member Since: 9/3/2011
Posts: 28,911
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OMFG GOOD FOR HER!!!
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 28,420
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She finally has a Metacritic page, and 1991 is on there but has yet to be rated.
I can't wait for the score and the subsequent meltdowns. 1991 will score fairly well, especially since two of the publications that are counted on Metacritic (Consequence Of Sound & Rolling Stone) have given her a 3 and a 3.5 out of 5. So, that's like a 65 so far?
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Member Since: 9/3/2011
Posts: 28,911
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kin
She finally has a Metacritic page, and 1991 is on there but has yet to be rated.
I can't wait for the score and the subsequent meltdowns. 1991 will score fairly well, especially since two of the publications that are counted on Metacritic (Consequence Of Sound & Rolling Stone) have given her a 3 and a 3.5 out of 5. So, that's like a 65 so far?
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Hope she gets an AMAZING score Keep us updated!
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Member Since: 6/9/2010
Posts: 9,802
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kin
She finally has a Metacritic page, and 1991 is on there but has yet to be rated.
I can't wait for the score and the subsequent meltdowns. 1991 will score fairly well, especially since two of the publications that are counted on Metacritic (Consequence Of Sound & Rolling Stone) have given her a 3 and a 3.5 out of 5. So, that's like a 65 so far?
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I was searching and searching for her page and couldnt find it but im so glad she has one now
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Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 28,420
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Quote:
Originally posted by HausOfGerard
Hope she gets an AMAZING score Keep us updated! |
I will!
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Originally posted by Reed
I was searching and searching for her page and couldnt find it but im so glad she has one now |
Me too! I've checked it every day for nearly 6 months now, hoping they would add one.
They just added it today.
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Member Since: 4/10/2012
Posts: 14,915
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Member Since: 12/23/2011
Posts: 11,321
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Quote:
Originally posted by Toya
Are yall on UStream?
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Yes and it's freezing a lot. 
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Member Since: 4/10/2012
Posts: 14,915
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Quote:
Originally posted by Get $leazy
Yes and it's freezing a lot. |
Yeahhh! She said it's bc she's on her phone. For the most part it works okay for me though. She looks so ****ing prettyyyy!
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Member Since: 9/3/2011
Posts: 28,911
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She was PERFECT  I stan for her hard SO MUCH
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Member Since: 4/10/2012
Posts: 14,915
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Here's her Pitchfork review
7.7/10
Quote:
Though it's only been about six months since the release of Azealia Banks's debut single "212", the room's still trashed from when she first stormed the scene. On the strength of that one track, the hot-shot Harlem-based MC with a slyly aggressive flow became not just a rising star but a boundary-busting symbol of hip-hop's ever-changing mores. While some listeners gasped at the supposed audacity of Rihanna's suggestive chant, "cake cake cake," Banks, grinning, was like, "****, ****, ****." Around the time Ye and Jay were extolling jet-setter excess on Watch the Throne, Banks drummed up the sort of publicity you can't buy thanks to a charismatic, low-concept video shot on a DSLR. And as for the guy still stuck on the "no homo" refrain, the openly bisexual Banks waited until he wasn't looking and then slipped out the door with his girl and his best friend. By the measure of pretty much any metaphor you can throw at her right now, Azealia Banks is the girl with the most cake.
Banks' first official release, a four-song EP titled 1991, still finds her standing at a lot of interesting junctions, if not committing to a solid path. She's currently prepping a mixtape (Fantasea, which is slated for July) and a Paul Epworth-produced Interscope debut, Broke With Expensive Taste. But despite her visibility, the half-statement of 1991 reminds us that Banks is still an artist in her development stage.
From its opening "excuse-moi"s and "ooh-la-las," 1991's vibe is an almost comically caricatured version of extravagance and luxury. The title track's beat is runway-ready and Banks, reclined but in control, unfurls her lines like somebody chiseled is feeding her grapes. Like "212", it's an introductory statement, but this time Banks is in no hurry; a few minutes roll by before she gets to the breathy but bombastic hook, "NY rose me, most high chose me/ Let me know what I can-can-can-can do for you."
Like much of the music Banks has released so far, 1991 owes a stylistic debt to New York's vogue ball culture. The title refers to the year Banks was born, but it's also a year after the release of the cult documentary Paris Is Burning, which chronicled the drag ball scene, and a year after Madonna introduced voguing to middle America. She may be riding the crest of a revival of ball imagery right now, but this aesthetic is much more than just a trendy put-on. Ball culture is where she picked up that controversial vocabulary ("I feel like '****' means so feminine... in the vein of, like, voguing," she said in a 2011 interview) and it's also responsible for the particular air of luxury that pervades 1991. Vogue culture values DIY fabulosity and "1991" and "Van Vogue" stay true to that spirit: They don't sound like songs about pursuing wealth so much as they profess of a kind of luxury of the self. Which means she's not rapping about accumulating cars and private jets; the finer things in life, Banks always seems to be saying, are the ones that make you look good.
Some of Banks' best lines are elegantly self-aggrandizing and enemy-deflating ("You gonna be a bitch, *****, I'ma be that bitch"), but she's just as capable of executing those moves in more straightforward terms ("I'ma ruin you, ****"). Even when she's barking her most aggressive lines, Banks' signature is her sly irony, and she lacquers it on deliciously thick here on the previously released "Liquorice" ("Can my hot fudge bitches get with your vanilla friends/ Hey, I'm the liquorice bitch, you know I'm looking for these ****** if these ****** is rich").
Like any new artist greeted with the sort of fanfare, the expectations people have of Banks seem perilously high. As an MC with commercial potential who's repping for hip-hop's two majorly underrepresented groups (women and the queer community), it's easy to saddle Banks with savior-sized hopes. But the long-delayed 1991 is solid and unsurprisingly promising. "What you gon' do when I appear? When I premiere?" she roars memorably at the climax of "212", and 1991 doesn't so much answer that question as add a couple of more dots to the ellipses. But as another example of Banks' versatile skills, it also gives ample reason to stick around for the answer.
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She's so cute.