City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Capstones Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Fall 12-14-2018 What can we learn from rapper and provocateur, Azealia Banks? Robert A.R. Dozier Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/312 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact:
[email protected] What can we learn from rapper and provocateur, Azealia Banks? By Rob Dozier “My name is Azealia Banks and I’m from New York City. Are you ready to have a good fuckin’ time?” It’s no easy feat for an artist to distill down what they’re trying to do creatively and artistically in one line, but for Banks, making sure you know where she’s reppin, and just having a “good fuckin’ time,” does seem to hit the main points. It’s April 2015, and the Harlem-born rapper is kicking off her set on Coachella’s opening day, her second appearance at the California music festival, the first time being in 2012. In the three-year gap between those performances, Banks had gone from promising rap neophyte to established artist, carving out a lane as someone willing to experiment with different sounds, pulling from hip-hop to house and dance music with three projects—a mixtape, Fantasea, an EP, 1991, leading up to her first full-length album, Broke With Expensive Taste, all debuting to varying amounts of critical acclaim.