When it comes to industry beefs, few other new school hip-hop artists are more familiar with stirring up drama and controversy than fiery female rapper Azealia Banks. Now, the outspoken emcee is taking aim at a new enemy, super producer Pharrell, claiming that her latest single, “ATM Jam,” failed to make a mark on the charts because Pharrell didn’t support it.
“ATM Jam’s” beat and hook certainly come from the music maestro, who’s been on a hot streak thanks to a slew of chart-topping hits this summer. But according to Banks, Pharrell’s resurgence on the music scene is to blame for his lack of support for her song and she claims the single underperformed because he didn’t appear in the song’s video.
“The reason ‘ATM Jam’ did poorly is because Pharell changed his mind about wanting to be associated with me after he had his lite skin comeback,” Banks tweeted.
Banks then went on a mini rant, justifying putting Pharrell on public blast.
“Lite skin n—– are funny,” she tweeted.
“But f— it what’s new? Azealia banks having to scrape claw and fight for what she wants. This is normal for me now,” she tweeted. “The minute I feel like I should give a f— and stop talking s— the good lord reminds me that no one else gives a f— and neither shuld [sic] I.”
Banks then spoke about her future in the music industry and claimed that she wants to restructure the game to help artists and spite the industry’s current bigwigs.
“Once I’m done w my contract with universal somebody better give me an office. I have so many big ideas about music industry infrastructure,” she tweeted. “I just want to fix it all and smile smugly at my superiors from behind my glasses and coffee mug.”
At this rate, we’re not sure that Banks will last long enough in the industry to make any kind of changes for herself or for anyone else. Pharrell may not have shown Banks the same support he’s shown other artists in recent months, but then again, any song worth its weight and might in music gold should be able to stand tall on the charts on the strength of the artist, not the cameo appearance of its producer. It’s clear that Banks has all the (false) confidence in the world, but taking a bite or 10 out of some humble pie and making efforts not to burn every possible industry bridge would help her career a whole lot more than any support from Pharrell.
Check out some of her other beefs below. –nicholas robinson
