US rapper Azealia Banks has once again sparked headlines and drawn the ire of Aussies with a raft of harsh words for Australian crowds. Having slammed Aussie punters as “violent and belligerent”, Banks has now turned her attention to the organisers of Splendour In The Grass.
As Tone Deaf reported yesterday, just days after completing a well-received set at the popular Byron Bay festival, the controversial rapper and singer took to Twitter to criticise Australian punters, labelling them “terrible crowds” who are “violent and belligerent”.
Banks’ tweets came in response to Brisbane radio announcer Paul Brown, who tweeted a tongue-in-cheek congratulations to the Harlem, New York native for completing her “first ever full Australian concert”, poking fun at her reputation for storming off stage mid-set.
“Because in all actuality, you guys are terrible crowds to play for,” Banks fired back at Brown. “You’re violent and belligerent and I simply will not put my safety at risk. I would’ve walked off stage had someone thrown something.”
“Plus you guys are too far away and honestly, the show guarantees are never really worth the trip,” the ever divisive artist continued. “But I love my fans and will do anything to make them happy. Sincerely, AB.”
After responding to a fan who suggested the artist should be grateful for the opportunity to play in Australia — “Bitch, I have money. I can go to OZ whenever the fuck I want” — Banks took aim at the organisers of Splendour In The Grass for alleged disrespect.
@bek_plats bitch, I have money. I can go to OZ whenever the fuck I want. Try again.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) July 28, 2015
@sitg plus I saw that shitty blurb u wrote about me in the artist book. It was obviously written by some divisive white person.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) July 28, 2015
@SITG all the things you could've written about me you chose that. … I don't think I want to work with you all anymore.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) July 28, 2015
@SITG truly a waste of my fucking time. I don't need to travel 24hrs to be disrespected.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) July 28, 2015
@brownypaul this is how Australian men turn up dead. Keep fucking around bitch. . .
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) July 28, 2015
“I saw that shitty blurb [you] wrote about me in the artist book. It was obviously written by some divisive white person,” Banks wrote. “All the things you could’ve written about me you chose that. I don’t think I want to work with you all anymore.”
“Truly a waste of my fucking time. I don’t need to travel 24hrs to be disrespected.” Banks then fired more barbs at the direction of Brown, writing, “This is how Australian men turn up dead. Keep fucking around bitch.”
Banks’ recent tirades are hardly the first time the rapper has used social media to lob criticism at Australians. As Tone Deaf reported back in January, after attacking fellow rapper Iggy Azalea, Banks turned her attention to all of Australia, claiming the only reason rapper Lupe Fiasco is able to tour Down Under is because of “cultural fetishism”.
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The rapper also had harsh words for Aussies back in December, when she issued an apparent response to a since-deleted tweet in which she wrote, “You are from Australia… One of the most notoriously racist countries in the WORLD. Your mind isn’t even prepared for this.”
While the comments were largely ignored Down Under, Melbourne band Closure In Moscow took to social media to criticise Banks and her then-feud with Kendrick Lamar, who recently came to Iggy Azalea’s defence.
“Calls out Kendrick on dumb shit then writes off Australia as a place of nothing but White cultural fetishists… DUMB CUNT,” the band wrote. Banks quickly responded, writing, “Look at what you guys do to the Aboriginal people there!!! Are u kidding?!?”
The band then fired back in a since-deleted and ill-worded tweet, writing, “*Musician uses expert opinion to make broad stroke statements about complex social issues* Brb, gotta marginalize another abo.”