Azealia Banks may fear no one in the Twitterverse, but it seems her latest verbal fire has gotten her dropped from headlining an event.
After going in on both Skai Jackson, whom she accused of not writing her own tweets but insists that the verbal exchange was between Banks and Jackson’s mom, and former One Direction member Zayn Malik for “mood boarding” her and unleashing some pretty explicit, racist and homophobic tweets, the Rinse FM “Born and Bred” Festival decided to remove Banks from the line up.
.@bornandbredLDN ANNOUNCEMENT pic.twitter.com/JkwoXLChya
— Rinse FM (@RinseFM) May 11, 2016
Soon after Banks took to her Twitter to apologize for her rants. In a series of tweets she posted (then deleted), Banks offered up sincere apologies to the fans who were offended but none to the targets of her verbal venom. She also went to tell critics that her online persona is a reflection of her, not the city she was bred in or her culture.
Big apologies to anyone who was offended by any of the things I said. Not sorry I said it. But sorry for the way I made people feel
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016
Everyone except the targets of my tirades.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016
Not using my blackness or my NYC persona to excuse anything. I am Azealia Banks and I am who I am.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016
Again, I say what I mean and I mean what I say. Not apologizing for my words WHATSOEVER, apologizing for the way people feel.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016
Because it’s not nice to make people feel bad. But as an individual I have the creative freedom to say whatever the fuck I want.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016
Remember that offense is never given, it is only taken. I apologize to everyone who TOOK offense.
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016
Many also attribute the drop from the festival to her war of words with the UK’s Grime community, after the community clapped back against Banks’ claims that they are a “disgrace to rap culture.” UK singer MNEK was one of the first to respond after he claimed that she invited him to dinner last year and she responded with a homophobic slur, stating she only offered him dinner to “see if he would give one of [her] boys a blow job.”
To which he responded along with countless artists from the Grime scene including Sleeks, System Killer and Kozzie:
@AZEALIABANKS it's not about being sensitive. U just cursed us all. U should of got your hair done before you starting talking ?
— SLEEKS (@SleeksSection) May 11, 2016
People need to realise, we ain't looking for acceptance out here. We set the ting ??
— SYSTEM KILLER (@BigFris) May 11, 2016
@AZEALIABANKS clapped ! pic.twitter.com/scenHdHIWN
— Kozzie (@OfficialKozzie) May 11, 2016
Azealia has since deleted all of her tweets and offered up another apology and an advisory to those viewing her page, stating, “I love to disturb people, because only by disturbing them I can make them think.”
Thoughts on everything (loads of typos) pic.twitter.com/kmGhgkrKyz
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016
— BRUJA DEL BLOQUE (@AZEALIABANKS) May 11, 2016