Standing tall with a track record of making headlines that highlight her virtual bouts, Azealia Banks finds her presence in media as proof of being “the most influential female rapper” right behind Nicki Minaj.
The Harlem spitter declared the bold statement on Sunday (Mar. 18) with an Instagram post in the company of a screenshot of a comment made by a fan, where the mentality of those who question Banks’ relevancy was put into question. “People can say you’re ‘irrelevant’ but you been making headlines for 7 years straight. Also you’re the most influential female rapper of the ‘new generation’ (post Nicki).”
In all actuality, it was the fan who crowned Banks as the “most influential female rapper,” but in response, the “Yung Rapunxel” maker did not hesitate to co-sign the statement and even added, “I am definitely…” Popularity is not a factor to Banks. In a lengthy response, she notes how her cultural significance lies in her unapologetic voice and its ability to draw up potent reactions from her foes, fans, and beyond. Even though most of Azealia’s virtual feuds are over artistic variances, she still manages to see the impact she has made on female rap in post generations through the persona, flow style, and fashion of a young Azealia. For the rapstress, such a vision only confirms her sanity, as many are fond are labeling her as “mentally unstable” due to her erratic rhetoric, notably evident in Banks’ past-feuds with Erykah Badu, Remy Ma, and Wu-Tang Clan‘s own RZA. Not only does Banks feel justified about her mental normality, but she has also discovered that her profound presence in modern day rap has inspired many of her idols and deems the act as “the truest success.”
“I am definitely the most influential female rapper post nicki Minaj. I may not be the most popular .. but definitely the most influential. My words are powerful, when I speak the people ALWAYS react. I have a way of putting pressure on people to create the art world I want to live in. I see loads of girls running around with my 2011 aesthetic and whether they credit me or not… I can 100% see the impact I’ve had on female rap culture. It makes me know that I’m not, and was never crazy. I’m happy to contribute to the arts in whatever way I can. Even if people don’t give me the credit… I can see how my influence has inspired so many of the artists I looked up to as a child and so many artists that came after me. That to me is the truest success. When I see new girls come up wearing the looks I wore and adopting my themes I feel validated. Like I’m doing the job god put me on earth to do.”
Banks’ 2011 debut single “212,” an EDM/hip-hop infused jingle introduced the world to her grand potential at becoming the next big music star, making noise in the U.S. and abroad, eventually going platinum in the British Phonographic Industry amid the release of her first EP, 1991. Once her first studio album dropped, Broke With Expensive Taste, Banks persona as an avid multi-talent was certified in the lane of pure artistry and hip-hop enthusiasts only wanted more from the habitual emcee. Banks 2016 effort, Slay-Z, is a modern-day interbreed of hip-hop and EDM, even though the mixtape is mostly embraced by the EDM community, the Harlem original still manages to drill the New York-born genre into her tunes respectively.
