Azealia Banks is next up on PAPER magazine! The 21-year old recording artist got animated for their July 2012 summer music issue.
Inside, the musical theater actress/former Starbuck barista talks about growing up in Harlem in New York City, her throwback Internet surfing days and her decision to work in a different city other than NYC for her upcoming debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste:
ON BEING A PART OF THE WEB GENERATION:
My generation, that’s just what we’re into,” she says.“When we got home from school, that’s how we kept up with each other: AOL, Zynga, Angelfire, Napster, shit like that.” Banks says her family got its first Internet connection when she was 9 or 10. “You’d be on there and you’d go to, like, sex.com!” She laughs. “You’re mad obvious with it when you’re a kid. You know how many times they probably sold sex.com? It’s like the go-to URL.”
ON COMPLETING HER ALBUM OUTSIDE OF NYC:
“For me there’s three options of where to live: L.A., London and New York,” she says. “London’s too expensive and New York’s too exciting: too many parties, too many of my friends. If I wanna make this my life, I have to live somewhere I can work, somewhere I can focus.” She laughs. “My album will not come out in September if I live in New York.”
She also talks about the reality of the music business and compares it to a machine:
“The music industry is like a machine,” she says. “It’s always going, and this new generation of artists — me, A$AP Rocky, Rita Ora — we’re the fuel that’s keeping it going. And once you get in that machine you’ve gotta run with it. There’s a crazy inertia that’s been going for years and years and years, and it’s not gonna stop for you, so you’ve gotta keep fucking working. The minute you stop working, that’s when you get stuck in the gears. And that’s when it grinds you up and spits you out.” But doesn’t that constant work leave zero time for normal-person stuff? “That’s what you give up when you sign that contract,” Banks replies. “This hustle and bustle becomes your normal-person shit.” [SOURCE]
Just two weeks ago I read she was quitting her rap career and ditching the music industry because it was “fake”. Now she’s on the cover of a magazine with her legs spread out like a dirty h0e…WOW
Can a girl not change her mind?
@I HATE FOOLISHNESS
What a drastic mind change.
I was just wondering why the spread eagle pose is the go to pose for female rappers?
BEcause they all hate on lil kim but they dress like her, pose like her and buy her old wigs. HAVE A SEAT….. this girl looks like she needs to get tested and she looks gross …. where are those chicks that used to be on def poetry presents …give them record deals.
What’s up with the legs wide open?
Have you ever heard her music ?
I am beyond sick of this same tired whore image. I’m so “hardcore”, “I like sex and don’t care what anyone thinks”. No one tries anything original with female artists anymore – like keeping their legs closed. And it’s at the expense of girls and young women – projecting a message, a norm. No wonder so many little pre-pubescent and teenage h0es are running around thinking this is normal – just what you do.
That’s the same pose that Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj were made to do to show that they are all under the same program, which is the MK-ULTRA “$EX KITTEN” (Beta) programming. That is why she has the Mickey Mouse chain over her vag!na. Mickey Mouse” a.k.a. “Disney” programming is part of the MK-ULTRA protocol. To make a long story short, she is a flesh and blood mannequin, and her task is to program black females to be degenerates and wh0res, which she will do, and they will do lol. I listened to her “track” a.k.a. spell, “Jumanji”, and she sounded like she was having a damn stroke. All her words were garbled smdh. What an idiot, but based on the music that people listen to, it is easy to see why so many people are so confused.
Thank you Judah!
The Mickey Mouse, the up side down stars, and the one eye (which she can be seen doing in other shots from this shoot), are all key hints of this.
SMH….so sad.
THAT POSE is lil kim’s original style. She was a dirty rapper that was just as nasty as her male counterparts. People talk about her so much Nicki bites her this chick bites and many more bite her. Get some self esteem, realistic view of your audience and stop support ing this hot mess. I am so sick of STD queens like her promoting this image to our black women. STOP …. its nasty and gross. Please make her go away. Trash Trash Hot trash.
I’ve only heard of her song Jumanji. I’m in my 30′s and a lot of this “new generation” music I don’t care for. Unfortunately, the music industry is filthy and has shown what is really oiling its gears…SEX! I think it’s disgusting that she’s on the cover of a magazine with her legs gaped open with a Mickey Mouse chain covering her private area. And with arrows putting down to it no less on her shirt. What is she exactly saying? Mickey owns her genitals? Lord help this young woman.
That’s exactly what her programmers were saying. The downward arrow or “V” also represents the vag!na. You are very astute.
We talk about Rihanna but at least she had some solid hits under her belt, sold some actual albums and built a fan base before she started acting crazy… she’s talented – let the music speak for itself sometimes
Tacky.
Hmm. The “machine” sounds like a killer.
Can we stop with the legs wide open pose? Not cute at all.
smh when these starts take some innocent kids play wit and shove it up their p*ssy. enough is enough
So true, stop mixing hello kitty (nicki) and child images with this it makes me sick and it promotes someting that is vile. Children’s cartoons and things they like should be on your vagina.
smh when these stars take something innocent, kids play with. ……..shove it up their p*ssy. enough is enough
I don’t know who is to blame for this pose and creative direction and whether the choice was at the hands of Paper or Azealia’s team but this is so corny. Why would they do this pose? Additionally, I really hope that Azealia and her team creates an image for her that isn’t sooo sex-driven. Or at least if they do it, to do it with a little more taste. Other than that, love her music and can’t wait for this album!
Lately she is making me like her more than Nicki. Her songs are WAY better than Nicki’s new stuff.
Yes you ain’t never lie about that….the only problem I have with her is that it’s very hard to understand her because of her accent…..but I found a youtube video of one of her songs with the lyrics & she acutally kills it….& wayyyy bettter then Nicki Garbage!!
Who is this again?
Just another girl on the IRT…
@Indigo yuhsssss!!!!
I know she has a serioussssssss potty mouth and talks a lot about sex but their is something about this chick that I just cannot help but like and be interested in x
Nothing new, she will be old news tomorrow; NEXT! The nusic industry is like a machine, lately it is a broke down machine stuck in the WRONG gear.
She looks STANK. Why do all of these young girls wanna be hoes? None of the white teens and young women go that far. They all are trying to portray themselves as virgins and ya’ll blacks just going for the durty roles. SMH
Well, at least the trick ain’t afraid to show her real talent.
I miss Lauryn. These females are lil kim clones with no self esteem. To top it off they are not even attractive. They look like life took a toll on them. Soon as she makes some money I am sure she will go under the knife.
Why so many gimmincks, over the top poses, self degrading things, over done hair, too much makeup …if you are sooo talented. Talent does not need a gimminck just a mic and a chance. So sick of this chicks biting lil kim. Say what you want be the crotch pose…girl please come again. Then the obsession she has with cartoons …let me guess her alter ego… hmmmm wonder where she got that from maybe nicki. This is really sad. all that talent out there yet the only ones who go big is this. She does rep the average black woman especially today.
I meant she does NOT rep the average black woman. I really want Makeba or someone one educated and cold like lauryn to come out. The only people getting signed are people willing to stoop real low and replicate what has been successful and call it thier own. I guess the real artist are just not up to sell their souls… who can blame them. Black women complain about image in the media… really… than do not support this mess.
People hate on lil kim but they sure do steal her poses, lyrics, style and her get up. FAIL!
Where is eve? I am sick of women rapping how good they can give head, how good they are in bed, how they like other women. Bring something to the table …. PLEASE.