Why Banks Is Bonkers
So if like many of us you have some sort of hip hop blood running through your veins and you have the slightest inkling towards social media, then you've probably ground your teeth at least once this week to the outspoken and quite frankly disgusting remarks by pop hopper Azealia banks. Now in these days of celebrity decline there have been many Kanye'esq rants to surface recently. We seem to find great entertainment in the madness of some of those who find the public eye and their often bewilderingly inappropriate comments on the world around us. Far removed from the grind of every day existence, these people seem to reside in a void between reality and cloud cuckoo land.
“The UK really can’t rap though. UK rap is just a disgrace to rap culture in general...” “UK rappers never have swag. It’s always forced.” - Azealia Banks
Now, proving Banks wrong isn't the point here. And quite frankly is little challenge at all. And i'm not going to address her racism in other tweets, i'll leave it to other sites to deal with that deplorable behaviour. But needless to say that one glance at Underground double h's back catalogue of reviews puts her comments on UK hip hop to shame. And there is more to hand than that. Firstly, the presumption that anyone should care what a person of Azealia's standing, or any other pop princess or prince's standing in the music industry thinks. It is worth remembering that these are 'artists' who have decided to take the pop route and make generic watered down music sold on the packaging alone. With little to no desire to push boundaries or experiment within the world of music they are 'music by numbers', the fast food of the music world. Mass marketed and devoid of nutritional value. Whether we like Banks' music or not is quite frankly irrelevant, but someone who has placed herself as she has in the celebrity world of fakeness and fabrication says a lot about their character by doing so. It's also likely fair to say that in the world in which she resides, she will have come into contact with the type of UK hip hop which is, like her own music, watered down with mediocrity for mass consumption.
In my humble opinion, being placed in the public eye puts a certain level of responsibility on a person's shoulders. Your voice is heard by many and should reflect the voice of many, otherwise what are you doing there in the first place? Banks' comments were of no use to anyone, besides perhaps her management who have now got a fresh beam of limelight to build on. After-all, in the world of celebrity, no press is bad press if you have the right team of manipulators behind you. Any artist performing or creating has the chance to inspire and motivate others with both their art and their presence. With this latest twitter outburst Banks more than anything else lets herself down by neglecting the power within that sentiment. Hip hop throughout the ages has taken pride in its inclusiveness and positivity in the face adversity. Something she clearly missed from the culture.
On the matter of 'swag', it's worth mentioning how ridiculous that seems to UK heads. The scene on these shores set about finding its own voice from the time the movement hit the beaches. The heads i know, listen to and work with take pride in being far removed from the over-the-top gangsta attitudes that came along when corporate America sought to make a fast buck from that side of the culture. History teaches us that hip hop was about making positive changes with a DIY attitude before the stereotypical 'bad man' image was pushed so heavily by record executives with dollars in their eyeballs. Hip hop at its very best, when it is achieving its raison d'etre is reflective of those partaking in it. UK hip hop, like its counterparts all around the globe is extremely proud that it reflects the realities we face in day to day life. Our swagger is our own, as it should be.
Here are a few simple facts. UK hip hop is flourishing. It is brave enough to stretch beyond generic means and make fresh experimental music. It is respectful enough to learn its roots and carry forth the attitudes that made the culture so desirable in the first place. It takes pride in pushing the boundaries of lyricism, poetry and the spoken word. It remains to this day a leading light in creating new genres and strains and more than this, it is possibly the most prolific per capita in the world.
In true UK style, we've taken up the gauntlet and the inevitable battle tracks are starting to hit the airwaves. We could make it clear that she is not welcome here, we could serve her with brutalising bars, but I think I have a better idea... We here-by invite Azealia to come along to some true UK hip hop shows and see what our version of this beautiful and diverse culture has to offer. We have no doubt in our mind that it will open her eyes and ears to the wealth of talent oozing from these green and rhyme filled lands.
Invokal - Verbalist Journalist
