The Azealia (Azalea) Take Over
Photo Credit: Adapter for the Beachcomber
The Azealia (Azalea) Take Over
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February 8, 2012 • Eric Browne, Staff Reporter
Filed under A&E, Top Stories
At the end of last year two ladies burst onto the music scene with names so similar confusion was bound to happen. Azealia Banks, a girl from Harlem who raps faster and harder than any other rapper, male or female, in the game right now, and Iggy Azalea, an Australian native who’s high fashion style, thick beats, and powerful lyrics catapulted her into the public eye. These two bring two completely different rapping styles to the table and both are likely to blow up in 2012.
When Azealia Banks released a song in late 2011 titled, 212, with a basic black and white music video it turned her into an overnight sensation. With a minimalist electronic beat that gives the song a fun upbeat vibe, 212 automatically gets the listener hooked, she then unleashes wicked rhymes with a no-holds-bar attitude. She explicitly raps about sex and hot guys and all the things she wants to do to them. But don’t think she can’t sing, Banks released a cover of Interpol’s, Slow Hands, that is so beautiful and fluid you wouldn’t think she just released one of the dirtiest songs to hit the airwaves by a female artist in years. And with only a handful of songs released but countless fans to her name 2012 will be Banks make it or break it year. Banks called out Kreayshawn earlier this month saying, “As much as Kreayshawn would love to be considered part of this ‘rap game,’ she’s not. . .” and truer words have never been spoken, but all Banks needs to do now is put out more good music so that people won’t call her a hypocrite.
Then you have Iggy Azalea, who has a completely different style in almost every way from Banks except for the fact that their lyrics are some of the most edgy out there right now. Azalea released a free mixtape in late September last year titled, Ignorant Art, it features nine tracks of pure, fluid rap. She doesn’t rely on a over-produced dubstep or bubble gum pop beats, she has thick, pounding beats that’ll make you feel like no one can touch you. The best track on Ignorant Art has to be My World it starts with a thundering beat and, when she starts rapping, lyrics to match. She’s a white girl from Australia, but don’t think she’s just the next overrated white girl internet sensation like Kreayshawn. Azalea actually knows how to rap, and if you doubt her, well, her lyrics in My World sum up her feelings on it: “My world, rhyme vicious / White girl, team full of bad b*tches”. She knows she’s good and doesn’t care about any of the critics.
Azealia Banks has an indie, white girl style wearing high waisted tan pants and a button up blue top tied showing her mid-drift to her live shows, but with a faux fur coat she brings her Harlem swag in full force. Iggy Azalea is the complete opposite, wearing high fashion outfits with just a touch of ghetto to give her an edgy, hood vibe that completes her image. Both girls have great style and bring a new look to a scene that is just trying to outdo or “outweird” the last person. When you have Lady Gaga constantly wearing things that don’t even seem like clothing, Nicki Minaj trying different, bizarre hairstyles, and even Katy Perry and Ke$ha now wearing outfits that seems like Lady Gaga’s throw away pile, it’s refreshing to have two new women with a style that hasn’t been worn time and time again.
Even if you don’t particularly care for rap I’d highly suggest checking both Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea out. They bring a new and deeply needed edge to a rap scene that is becoming more and more like pop every day. If they both keep releasing hit song after hit song 2012 will be an Azealia(Azalea) filled year.
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