Music: In Homage To Azealia Banks

Azealia Banks has arrived. The 19 year-old New York MC/singer made it to no.1 in NME’s 2012 cool list, featured in the top 3 in the BBC Sounds of 2012 poll, and has had over 4 million YouTube hits on her controversial ‘212’ single. Lover of the C word and self confessed ‘Larry David’; if you don’t know about her yet, you probably should. Why? Well firstly her music. Her elicit perfectly rapped verses in 212, punctuated by an eerie melodic nursery rhyme, display a remarkable vocal range. The boombastic lyrics & crazy beats can get me out of bed and out of the door quicker than you can say, “lying naked under a sheet in a wood cabin”, which incidentally, is what Banks said when asked what one of her key looks is. This leads me to my next reason why she rocks; she dresses like Barbie’s crazy kid sister on acid. Mickey Mouse, rainbow pastels, military, retro 70’s tack, purple hair; the works. And lastly; as one would expect, she has opinions, and isn’t shy to voice them. Banks told NME, “Sometimes women don’t know they’re in control because they’ve been tricked by men for centuries and f**king thousands of years. We’ve been tricked by men to feel like we aren’t the ones in power, but we are”. Aside from 212, Banks has had viral hits with Liquorice and the rather more delicate cover of Interpol’s Slow Hands. Thank the lord she’s launching her debut EP just in time for the summer with a UK tour lined up for Autumn, tickets on sale tomorrow. Yes going please!