While many critics, fans, and bystanders had a lot to say about Beyonce’s latest album, Lemonade, Azealia Banks’ opinion may have been the loudest. The rapper was one of the first to come out and say she wasn’t feeling it, calling Bey a thief and fraud. But now Azealia is back with more shade being thrown in Bey’s direction.
The Fantasea rapper popped off on Twitter after a Beyhive member tried to defend the album and its powerful narrative. But Azealia wasn’t buying it. “ITS NOT. because its coming from an entertainer. she’s capitalizing on a national convo, w/o actually having 2 participate in the conversation. she can’t be interviewed unless the questions are approved beforehand,” Azealia tweeted.
The rapper then moved the conversation into how she felt Beyonce was not genuine in her motives of discussing politics or the narrative of black women. “She’s purposefully strayed away from political discourse her entire career to make sure she didn’t alienate white ppl,” she continued. “And now that black women’s suffering is a national conversation, she wants to hop on it and make our suffering ‘trendy’…she needs to stay under Jay-z’s foot where she belongs, and stay out of the creative woman’s way.”
But the conversation didn’t end there. Banks then began discussing the issue with author, Ta-Nehisi Coates. He came to Beyonce’s defense saying, Lemonade was a “tremendous artistic achievement. Deeply inspiring to anyone who’s trying to make art of any kind.”
Banks fired back at the author, suggesting that Beyonce did not come up with the concept herself. “She’s not an artist, she’s a poacher. she takes food out of darker skinned women’s mouths & pretends to be inspired.” The rapper also tweeted about Beyonce being “Jay-Z’s property,” and said she only wants “to see her dance, i’m not interested in Beyonce’s mind because she doesn’t have one.” Those comments have since been erased.
“You forgot that Beyonce is america’s way of having a black woman without actually having to DEAL with a black woman,” she concluded her longwinded rant. This probably won’t be the last of Azealia Banks on the matter. But for now, check out the rapper’s back and forth commentary below.
ITS NOT. because its coming from an entertainer. she’s capitalizing on a national convo, w/o actually having 2 https://t.co/7me7EFdFBx
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@DVNLVZU participate in the conversation. she can’t be interviewed unless the questions are approved beforehand.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@DVNLVZU she’s purposefully strayed away from political discourse her entire career to make sure she didn’t alienate white ppl.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@DVNLVZU and now that black women’s suffering is a a national conversation, she wants to hop on it and make our suffering “trendy”.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@DVNLVZU she needs to stay under Jay-z’s foot where she belongs, and stay out of the creative woman’s way.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
I disagree. Beyonce is only trying to capitalize on a national conversation and make herself the star of it. https://t.co/VTPs67SRWJ
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@tanehisicoates She’s not an artist, she’s a poacher. she takes food out of darker skinned women’s mouths & pretends to be inspired.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@tanehisicoates Beyonce spent her entire career purposefully avoiding “blackness” but now that it’s a trend she’s trying to capitalize on it
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
No, you’re drinking the Roc Nation Concubine juice… those two women are not artists, they’re just THERE. https://t.co/93G8Y52MFb
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@DVNLVZU If she wants to help us, she’ll SHUT UP and let the new vanguard of black women come forth, instead of poaching from us.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016
@DVNLVZU you forgot that Beyonce is america’s way of having a black woman without actually having to DEAL with a black woman.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 1, 2016