After releasing her debut single 212 in December 2011, Azealia Banks enjoyed an overwhelming response to the song as she landed her first top 10 hit in the UK, where she sold over 600,000 copies while pushing another 300,000 copies back in the US.
It was a solid start to Banks’ career, who had received the recognition from several artists, including Pharrell, who would work with the rapper on her 2013 single ATM Jam. Her distinctive sound was what hip hop fans were looking for at a time where the only pioneering star that was celebrated in female rap was Nicki Minaj.
She then signed her first major record deal with Interscope, who quickly put her in connection with Lady Gaga’s team, who were looking to get Banks featured on 2013’s Artpop. But following a string of controversial comments, endless feuds, and not-so-nice remarks about other rappers, the 29-year-old was more or less blackballed from the music industry.
It even left her to post some concerning messages on social media which appeared to imply that Banks had contemplated taking her life.
What Happened To Azealia Banks?
While Banks was riding high off the success that came with her single 212, she also landed the opportunity of working with the likes of rapper Kanye West, which not only boosted her reputation as a female rapper but also her connections.
In April 2012, Banks signed a contract with Interscope’s Troy Carter, who was also managing Lady Gaga’s career at the time, which is how the collaboration idea initially came about.
Before the two could even get in the studio together, the Liquorice rapper had accused Gaga of stealing her style following a tweet from Mother Monster which read: "I will be providing a list of acceptable attire for #SwineFest throughout the week. Item 1: Seashells. Item 2: Seahorses. 3: Starfish.”
In response, Banks wrote: "hmmmm sounds a lot like Azealia Banks' mermaid balls. Of COURSE gaga wants to play mermaid again….Pffft. Not picking a fight. Just all looks soo familiar….To me.”
Banks had also made some remarks about Gaga to her industry friends, which eventually got back to the pop star, who decided to no longer work on their collaboration, consequently scrapping the song entirely.
But that didn’t stop Banks from making a handful of accusations against her, insisting Gaga had allegedly stolen her music from the demos that were sent during the time they had planned to work on a song together.
“Make sure u let them know where u got the title for red flame from. U stole that from the demo I sent u,” the Anna Wintour rapper tweeted in 2013.
“Seriously. . . This one is free. Next time I’m charging. Team Katy,” she concluded.
Two years after the release of her debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste, Banks parted way with Interscope, putting her back on the independent route, which saw her release two mixtapes: Slay-Z in March 2016 and Yung Rapunxel: Pt. 2 in September 2019.
While continuing to put out music, Banks continued feuding with a handful of celebrities while also taking swipes at stars such as Zayn Malik, who she launched a racist attack against in a series of disturbing tweets.
Banks has also made comments about Lizzo’s weight, questioned Nicki Minaj’s success in female rap, and slammed Beyonce for “always trying to steal from talented women.”
Needless to say, if her career was over after parting ways with Interscope in 2014, Banks had certainly put a nail in the coffin with the amount of drama she caused with other artists in the music industry - to the point where her own fans questioned their support for the rapper.
In August 2020, Banks worried her followers when she tweeted about being sick of being someone “people continue to make fun of,” adding that the scrutiny and public ridicule was making “life harder than its worth.”
She continued: “I’m not begging for attention or asking for sympathy/empathy, I’m just ready to go.
“I think I’m done here. This pandemic, extreme lack of social interaction, no intimacy, combined with constant public ridicule is making life harder than it’s worth… I think I will end my tenure here on earth soon.”
Fans were quick to reach out to Banks after getting the impression that her tweets were a desperate cry for help.
That same month, she appeared to be in good spirits again when she took to Instagram to post a photo with the caption: “I’m fine better than I was before.”
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