| |
Celeb News: Azealia interview by Pitchfork.
Member Since: 8/31/2013
Posts: 20,892
|
Azealia interview by Pitchfork.
Azealia Banks, limber and relaxed in blue jeans covered with the faces of dead white men and a neon-yellow tank top emblazoned with the word “WITCH,” is feeling lighter. It’s been less than 24 hours since the surprise release of her debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste, which was delayed for at least two years amidst reports of behind-the-scenes turmoil with Interscope, the label that she says invested $2 million into making her a mainstream star, and then let her out of her contract earlier this year with little to show for it. For the first time in a long time, she has a real opportunity to stop and appreciate what she’s accomplished.
But after having her career put on hold for so long, she’s not relaxing too much. “I was on the phone with my manager last night, like, ‘What are we going to do next? I need to start working on the next album,’” she tells me as we sit inside her room at the W Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. “He was like, ‘You should just enjoy this!’ And I'm like, ‘Noooo!’”
In three years, Banks went from toast of the town—a seemingly can’t-miss star whose breakout hit, “212”, galvanized clubs and year-end lists alike in 2011—to what she calls “untouchable” following an acrimonious relationship with Interscope. After a protracted legal battle with the label, she was able to walk away with all the rights to the songs that would make up Broke With Expensive Taste, which allowed her and her team to hunt around for another label to release the album—but they weren’t able to find any takers. “Everyone loved the record, but they were just like, ‘Well, you know, you're kinda crazy,’” the 23-year-old says with a laugh. “And rightfully so.”
Now that the album’s out, she hopes to go on tour early next year. Then, there’s the long-promised Fantasea II EP to finish, along with a long-gestating “fable” she’s written to accompany Broke With Expensive Taste.
Pitchfork: Can you see yourself ever signing to another major label?
AB: No. You know what my ideal situation would be? Just to make money from touring and record sales, fund my own album, and then sell it back to the label. That would be ideal for me. Because I don't wanna work with people. I don't want your opinion, I'm not interested.
Quote:
It’ll be like, “For a couple of years, we’re gonna **** with blue-eyed soul, and here’s Duffy, here’s Adele”—who’s great—but now we’ve got a thousand white girls singing blue-eyed soul. It’s so regurgitated and corny. You have it in everything. You have it in indie rock. You’ll have Interpol, and then the National, and it’s just like, “Really, dude? Really?”
Or it’ll be like, “We’re gonna pop off the white-girl rapper,” so we’ll have Gwen Stefani and Fergie, and then it’ll get worse and worse and worse. And you’re just like, “What the **** is this?” The whole trend of white girls appropriating black culture was so corny—it was more corny than it was offensive. Trust me, I’m not offended: All the things I’m trying to run away from in my black American experience are all the things that they’re celebrating. So if they ****in’ want them, have them; if they want to be considered oversexualized and ignorant every time they open their ****ing mouth, then ****ing take it. But more than that, the art is not good. These songs are not goodIt’s like, “Oh my God, you’re doing this black woman impression, is that what the **** you think of me, bitch? I need to meet the black woman that you’re imitating because I’ve never met any black woman who acts that bizarre.” It’s crazy that this becomes mainstream culture. All of America is celebrating **** like that. It’s so weird.
|
More at:
http://pitchfork.com/features/update...azealia-banks/
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/24/2008
Posts: 469
|
you can't really say she's not an intelligent woman
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 11/17/2011
Posts: 52,363
|
Quote:
|
Everyone loved the record, but they were just like, ‘Well, you know, you're kinda crazy,’” the 23-year-old says with a laugh. “And rightfully so.”
|
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 337
|
Zee WENT IN lls
She is mad intelligent and speaks the truth no matter who doesnt like it. It's that NY swag ppl are attracted to.
I wish this was a video interview lol
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/10/2012
Posts: 14,915
|
Her new manager told her to just drop the album? I ****ing love him already!
Now come through with that review, Pitchfork.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 4,224
|
Omg. They rarely interview artists before the album and pan dem. Come through pitchfork 
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 12/21/2011
Posts: 14,053
|
I want to die to the horn section of Miss Camaraderie too Azealia 
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/4/2014
Posts: 2,599
|
That bit about all of those companies turning her down because shes "crazy" (apparently beefing with people and stating your opinion or feelings makes you crazy) actually makes me really sad... 
I get she has a tongue of fire but...
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/31/2013
Posts: 20,892
|
Quote:
Originally posted by BambooBanga
Omg. They rarely interview artists before the album and pan dem. Come through pitchfork |
hopefully a 7+ !
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 11/11/2011
Posts: 15,290
|
So happy for her triumph.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 3,551
|
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 3/25/2012
Posts: 10,076
|
Great Interview! 
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/4/2014
Posts: 3,221
|
Quote:
|
“Everyone loved the record, but they were just like, ‘Well, you know, you're kinda crazy,’” the 23-year-old says with a laugh. “And rightfully so.”
|
 I love her.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/10/2012
Posts: 14,915
|
Quote:
Originally posted by Zylo
That bit about all of those companies turning her down because shes "crazy" (apparently beefing with people and stating your opinion or feelings makes you crazy) actually makes me really sad...
I get she has a tongue of fire but... |
She's just a liability and its really her own fault. Don't be sad for her though bc she's really happy right now.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 4,224
|
Why is she not started on her new LP though? With all that extra time she had already. Why is Fantasea II listed as an EP now? What's going on!
I don't wanna sound greedy, but I figured considering how long the album has been done she'd be further along into the next projects and not starting off.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 3/6/2011
Posts: 9,523
|
Her music is perfect. I just wish she kept that down to earth image from 212 and let the music speak for itself. No crazy costumes, no over the top videos, etc Just her and the music. I think that would fit her to a T.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/4/2014
Posts: 3,221
|
Quote:
|
Or it’ll be like, “We’re gonna pop off the white-girl rapper,” so we’ll have Gwen Stefani and Fergie, and then it’ll get worse and worse and worse. And you’re just like, “What the **** is this?” The whole trend of white girls appropriating black culture was so corny—it was more corny than it was offensive. Trust me, I’m not offended: All the things I’m trying to run away from in my black American experience are all the things that they’re celebrating. So if they ****in’ want them, have them; if they want to be considered oversexualized and ignorant every time they open their ****ing mouth, then ****ing take it. But more than that, the art is not good. These songs are not good. It’s like, “Oh my God, you’re doing this black woman impression, is that what the **** you think of me, bitch?
|
I SCREAMMMMEEDDDDDDD
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 3,551
|
omg
death at the Iggy shade, amongst other things. it's all very legit tho. no one can slam her for it.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 10/6/2011
Posts: 1,735
|
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 17,938
|
How big is a chance that this woman is more intelligent than your faves?
|
|
|
|
|
|
