Azealia Banks; 212

Beth Maguire

Newcomer Azealia Banks first popped up on the UK radar in 2012, picking up awards from the BBC’s Sound of 2012 and NME. Thankfully she revives the female rap scene, currently dominated of course by Nicki Minaj, with her first UK release of “212” introducing some magical hip-house (that’s a hip hop and electro house combo) to stir up the charts, stagnantly overwhelmed with pop and dance music of late.

Daringly crude and chock-full of smut, the song features heavy repetition of….dare I say it? The C bomb. The vulgarity of the lyrics demeans the message in some respects, as the song covers serious topics like sexual identity and gender dynamics in a contemporary way, in addition to slightly weakening the enjoyment of the song itself. The up-tempo beat and electro melodies are perfectly catchy and the solid rapping combined with strong raspy vocals in the bridge make a delicious concoction. So surely this is enough to make the song a hit, without having to frequently resort to over-the-top expletives, just to stir controversy to gain the song attention? I feel in this instance, let the music do the talking.

In spite of the overtly vulgar lyrics, you can’t help feeling the need to learn them, just for the fun of singing along, due to Banks’ unshaken flow that almost hypnotises listeners, as the concentration of trying to decipher the lyrics draws you into the song. The clean studio version will certainly receive some airtime, fortunately without excessive swearing, but it seems the official video may exist only in the realms of YouTube due to the brazen lip-synching of certain C and N bombs.

Even regardless of all the shock-value swearing, some controversy already surrounds 212 whether the song is a dig at Nicki Minaj. Lyrics such as “I’m the new shit, boo”, are interpreted as being aimed at Minaj, hinting that Banks fancies herself as the new biggest female in rap. Of course, only time will tell which lady’s career will achieve longevity, but be sure keep an eye on Miss Banks as it is clear she has real, raw talents that Minaj, and the rest of the charts, ought to watch out for.