Azealia Banks Begs To Be Dropped From Universal
Azealia Banks signed to Universal two years ago, on the promise of her great single “212.” And now that she’s on one of the biggest labels in the world, we’ve only gotten an EP and a mixtape out of the New York rapper, and her oft-promised debut, Broke With Expensive Taste, has seen its release date continuously pushed back. If we’re to believe Banks, some version of the album has been done since at least mid-July 2013. Since then, however, Broke With Expensive Taste has had a series of delays and, most recently, we’ve been promised a March release. At this point, all that’s clear is we’re not hearing this album anytime soon.
What’s unclear is how much of the problem lies with the label and how much of it can be chalked up to Banks’ constant shit-talking. Either way, Banks is not happy with her current situation. Perhaps feeling some Grammys FOMO, Banks tweeted her frustrations yesterday: while her bosses were schmoozing in L.A., the rapper was sitting at home with hot wings and ranch dressing. While she didn’t take any drastic measures (such as, say, leaking her whole album), the Twitter tirade gives some hint as to the troubles that the rapper has been facing. It’s likely that nothing will come of this and Banks will continue to be sidelined, but I hope that’s not the case. If Universal doesn’t want to work with her, I’m sure there are a lot of labels that would. Regardless of its quality, her debut album would at least be a conversation starter, and Azealia’s rabid fanbase would certainly convert into a lot of sales.
Read Banks’ tweets below.
I REALLY should have signed with Sony.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
Can someone at Sony buy me off of Universal please?? i'm really in hell here.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
Please Help : Serious Inquiry.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
I would literally give anything to be on XL right now.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
I'm tired of having to consult a group of old white guys about my black girl craft. they don't even know what they're listening for or to.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
I'm literally begging to be dropped from Universal.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
Universal needs to just hand me over to another label who knows what to do with me.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
My fans really need some new music. I've been gratefully riding off of mixtape fumes for the past two years … http://t.co/oipI48CvBl
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
I had a nice cry, now I'm going to get some wings. #lifeofahumancommodity #universaldoesntcare #theyreatthegrammys #hotwings
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014
Drowning my sorrows in blue cheese and ranch dressing.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) January 26, 2014