Azealia Banks

Azealia Amanda Banks (born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter.

Azealia Amanda Banks was born on May 31, 1991, in New York City's Manhattan borough; she was the youngest of three.

Her single mother raised her and her two siblings in Harlem, after their father died of pancreatic cancer when she was two years old.

Following her father's death, Banks says that her mother "became really abusive—physically and verbally. Like she would hit me and my sisters with baseball bats, bang our heads up against walls, and she would always tell me I was ugly. I remember once she threw out all the food in the fridge, just so we wouldn't have anything to eat."

Due to escalating violence, Banks moved out of her mother's home at age 14 to live with her older sister.

At a young age, Banks became interested in musical theater, dancing, acting, and singing.

At 16, she starred in a production of the comedy-noir musical City of Angels, where she was found by an agent who sent her to auditions for TBS, Nickelodeon, and Law & Order, all without success.

At this point Banks decided to end her pursuit of an acting career, citing the stiff competition and overall sense of nonfulfillment.

Because of this lack of fulfillment, she began writing rap and R&B songs as a creative outlet.

She never finished high school, instead choosing to follow her dream of becoming a recording artist.

Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18.

Under the moniker Miss Bank$, she released her debut recording, "Gimme a Chance" online on November 9, 2008.

The recording was accompanied by the self-produced track "Seventeen", which sampled the Ladytron song of the same name.

Banks sent both tracks to American DJ Diplo.

Later that year, she signed a development deal with record label XL Recordings and began working with producer Richard Russell in London, leaving the label later that year due to conflicting ideas.

After leaving XL Recordings, Banks dropped the 'Miss Bank$' moniker and formally became Azealia Banks, which preceded a move to Montreal.

Using YouTube as a portal, she uploaded several demo tracks, including "L8R" and a cover of "Slow Hands" by Interpol.

After her Canadian visa expired, Banks returned to New York, where she sold keychains at a Manhattan jazz club and danced at a Queens strip club to make ends meet.

"That's when I was really depressed", Banks said.

"I don't have a manager, I don't have a boyfriend, I don't have any friends, I don't have any money. Here I am working at the strip club, trying not to say the wrong thing and get into fights with these girls who don't give a shit."

Banks's song "212" has been listed as one of the best songs of 2011 and one of the defining songs of the decade by music publications, including Rolling Stone and Billboard.

In September 2011, Banks released her debut single, "212", as a free digital download from her website.

It was released officially on December 6, 2011, as the lead single from her EP 1991.

The track attained moderate European chart success, peaking at No. 14 in the Netherlands, No. 12 in the United Kingdom and No. 7 in Ireland.

Though unsigned at the time, Banks began working with British producer Paul Epworth on a debut studio album.

It was announced in December 2011 that she would feature on "Shady Love", a track on American band Scissor Sisters' fourth studio album, Magic Hour, though the feature was uncredited.

She has since released two mixtapes (Fantasea in 2012 and Slay-Z in 2016), a studio album (Broke with Expensive Taste in 2014), and two extended plays (1991 in 2012 and Icy Colors Change in 2018).

An accompanying video was released in January 2012 following its radio premiere from Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1) on January 4, though the single's release was canceled for unconfirmed reasons.

Banks released the track "NEEDSUMLUV (SXLND)" online on January 16, 2012, coinciding with what would have been the 33rd birthday of the late singer Aaliyah, who is sampled on the track.

A week later saw the emergence of a second track, "Bambi", produced by Paul Epworth and selected as the soundtrack for a Thierry Mugler fashion show in Paris.

In May 2012, Banks announced plans to release a mixtape—originally titled Fantastic—titled Fantasea.

Preceding its release the tracks "Jumanji", "Aquababe", and "Nathan" (featuring rapper Styles P) were made available online.

Fantasea was released via Banks's Twitter account on July 11, and was succeeded by the unveiling of her online radio project Kunt.FM the following week.

She subsequently signed with Interscope and Polydor Records before separating in 2013.

Banks became an independent artist and started her own independent record label, Chaos & Glory Recordings.

She later signed to Parlophone and Warner Records before quitting her label in 2023.

Complex noted in 2014 that "she gets more attention for her public feuds than she does for her music".

In 2017, Banks had her film debut in the musical drama Love Beats Rhymes, portraying the lead character.

Banks's works have garnered acclaim from critics, drawing on various sounds including house, rap, pop, electronic music, and avant-garde.

Throughout her career, Banks's social media presence and outspoken views, especially on U.S. politics and race, as well as disputes with other artists, have attracted significant controversy.