Azealia Banks and Twitter haven’t had the best relationship, with the outspoken rapper briefly deleting her account back in March (for less than a month) after posting tweets which included comparing the LGBT community to the KKK, and endorsing Donald Trump for president.
This week Banks posted a series of exceptionally graphic tweets taking aim at the former US Vice Presidential candidate and Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. The explicit tweets – one of which called for Palin to be raped – appeared to respond to a satirical article on American parody news site Newslo that quoted Palin as saying slavery wasn’t America’s fault because “negroes loved being slaves.”
Palin published a post on Facebook in response, calling Banks our for her “bizzare” rants and for promoting “pro-rape garbage”.
Hey Female Rapper – listen up, little darling. No one has any idea what you’re wigging out about in these bizarre,…
Posted by Sarah Palin on Tuesday, 5 April 2016
Palin followed up the post by issuing an official statement, outlining her plans to sue Banks over the tweets. “So, for the first time I’m going to enjoy the only retribution some protected ‘celebrities’ seem to understand – I’m suing Azealia Banks and can’t wait to share my winnings with others who have gone defenseless against lies and dangerous attacks far too long,” the statement reads.
“Azealia engages in a form of racism and hate that is celebrated by some in the perverted arm of pop culture, but is condemned by those who know it’s tearing our country apart… Others may keep turning a blind eye to problems like Azealia’s mouth; I choose to take a stand against it and the double standards that result in her actually being rewarded for her divisive tactics and aggressively inciting violence… I think this time I don’t just sit back and swallow it, but put the fear of God in her by holding her accountable. As many of you have for years implored me to do, I’m finally going to sue.”
Banks responded within hours, issuing a public apology on her tumblr page, which initially praises Palin (backhandedly) for being “charismatic and misunderstood”.
She also attempted to clarify some of her comments… “As the fabric of the American Nation is EMBEDDED with racism, I merely made a raCIALly driven joke to counter what i believed to be real, raCIST rhetoric. Also, i never said you should be raped. I used the term “run a train,” which is slang for group sex, NOT for “rape.” There are many distinctions between the two. As a woman, I would never trivialize something as lewd and criminal to provide myself any sort of comic relief because it simply… just isn’t funny,” the post reads.
She went on to “sincerely apologise for any emotional distress of reputational scarring i may have caused you.”
The apology was followed up with more tweets:
https://twitter.com/AZEALIABANKS/status/717458601267359744
https://twitter.com/AZEALIABANKS/status/717463227878268928
Here are Bank’s original tweets in full, which have since been deleted;
Here is Azealia Banks’ apology letter in full;
“Dear Sarah Palin,
I hope this message reaches you in good spirits and in good health. I want to start this letter off by telling you that I actually, really like you. While many other American people may see you as someone to be ridiculed, I truly believe that you possess a certain “je ne sais quoi,” (a french term which is often interpreted to denote one’s inexplicable charisma.) Given a bit of book-reading/media-training/patience, that charisma could become your magic carpet. There is something very charismatic and misunderstood about you. The misunderstood bit oftentimes reminds me of myself. You’re very passionate about the things you believe in, super determined, and most certainly aware of who you are and where you stand in this world, as a parent, as a politician, but most importantly, as a woman.
Given the propensity of conservative right-wing media publications to veer into very fearful/erroneous/baseless/contradictory/prejudice analyses of us “melanated,” peoples of the United States, It should come as no shock to you that a satirical article accusing you of saying, “Even the French understand that Slavery wasn’t our fault because the negroes liked it,” Would be provocative enough to ruffle a few feathers. Now since learning that the article was not published officially, I sincerely apologize for any emotional distress or reputational scarring i may have caused you.
In my honest defense, i was completely kidding. I happen to have a really crass, New-York-City sense of humor, and regularly make silly jokes in attempts make light of situations which make me uncomfortable. As the fabric of the American Nation is EMBEDDED with racism, I merely made a raCIALly driven joke to counter what i believed to be real, raCIST rhetoric. Also, i never said you should be raped. I used the term “run a train,” which is slang for group sex, NOT for “rape.” There are many distinctions between the two. As a woman, I would never trivialize something as lewd and criminal to provide myself any sort of comic relief because it simply… just isn’t funny. (and no, urbandictionary.com is not a reputable source of information to seek clarity on the aforementioned dichotomy). However, i find great irony in the right-wing media’s attempt to “victimize,” you in this situation. Seeking empathy through sensationalism is something left-leaning liberals are frequently ridiculed for by the Right. But American Hypocrisy is nothing new.
Considering the imminence of 2016’s polarizing presidential election, I’ve taken it upon myself to do my own social research. I’ve recently had the opportunity to indulge in a few lengthy conversations with some very popular conservative figures. I’ve concluded: Amongst millennial conservatives, Censorship paired with the (questionable) social necessity for political correctness are atop the list of social grievances. It is as though this newest generation of conservative voters desire the right to express their true feelings, free of any filter and free of any consequence. I too harbor a similar sentiment regarding censorship and self-expression, as i am an artist. I cherish my ability to express myself freely, yet remain totally aware that for every action, there will be a reaction.
All in All, Woman to Woman, I hope you will accept my sincerest apology.
Sincerely,
-Miss Azealia A Banks.
P.S.:
-I am an EXTREMELY intelligent woman, Mrs. Palin.
-“Hey Female Rapper,” was your way to euphemize what you REALLY wanted to say. What you wanted to say was, “Hey little Stereotypical Black, Thing!”
-Realize that stereotypes are a product of what I like to call the “Critical White Gaze.” The basic fundamentals of the Critical White Gaze are Fear, Ignorance, Curiosity, and Fetishization.
-Intelligence is not something which can be quantified in 140 Characters.
-Twitter is not real, neither is your opinion of me!
-If Bristol Palin listened to my music she probably wouldn’t have all those cotdamn kids!!!! ;-P #sis #iud #stayinschool #causeitsthebest”
