Azealia Banks

Azealia Banks captured the attention of global audiences in 2011 with the release of her unapologetically brazen single “212”: raw, powerful and electrifyingly original, it prompted Pitchfork to dub Banks “the coolest girl on the planet” and placed highly on countless end-of-year lists before going Platinum. Marked by fierce individualism and dizzying rhyme schemes, the track defied convention by injecting hip-hop with a dangerously potent dose of house music’s momentum and energy.

Banks didn’t appear out of nowhere: prior to “212”, she’d been hustling since 2008, releasing self-recorded tracks on SoundCloud before catching the ear of Diplo and Richard Russell, who signed her to British label XL Recordings at only age 17. Though her partnership with XL ended due to creative differences, Banks found success through independent means, self-releasing “212”, the single that would make her a household name in a few short months, as a free download online. After signing with Interscope, Banks released her debut EP 1991, containing her breakout single along with three other cuts that further developed her house-influenced sound, an unconventional take on hip-hop built on incisive lyricism, club-ready production and pure, unfiltered attitude. Hitting No 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart, the record introduced an audacious and experimental creative force to the global music scene.

The years that followed saw Banks tour internationally, working with Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Rick Ross and Pharrell before releasing the 2012 mixtape Fantasea, and her 2014 debut album Broke With Expensive Taste. After taking detours into cinema (appearing in the RZA-directed musical drama Love Beats Rhymes) and entrepreneurship (Banks is the founder and creative director of lifestyle brand CheapyXO) the artist released the Icy Colors Change EP in late 2018. Currently finalising two upcoming full-length projects, Banks has stoked anticipation with singles “Anna Wintour”, “Pyrex Princess” and “Playhouse”, released in April 2019.