Historic agreement reached today in the US and Iran today which lifts sanctions on Iran and in return halts Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. The big question mark is the old “trust but verify” one, and the answer seems a little iffy as access at will to any site would not be necessarily given or could be delayed. I guess we will understand more about that later but it sure doesn’t sound ideal. Still, the world is a safer place today.
Miss Armor – Azealia Banks – A modern day “She Bop”, Azealia’s ode to break up and masturbation, is the rhythm of the diddle come to life, it jumps out in heat and desire and should’ve been the first single, a great hook filled romp and even better live – A
Azealia Banks – May 11th – Irving Plaza – This is it folks, in the battle of the women rappers (not to mention men rappers) we have a winner. Banks does everything she said she would, dances, raps, boogies down, takes us on. Pump-parrrrump-pa-rrum-pump
Azealia Banks didn’t just win the Twitter wars, she won the rap wars, both at the same epochal gig last Monday at Irving Plaza. A steaming hot, insanely crowded, perfect evening of hip hop. If there was ever any doubt, forget it folks. Azealia rules. Meanwhile, Shelby Lynne thought I was rude because of my mostly positive review of her gig at the Concert Hall.
I realize Azealia dates from 2014, which goes against the grain of the entire best songs of the last week or so concept, but it was a real revelation on Monday at Irving Plaza, and though the recorded version undersells the hook, it is pretty good. “Jules” is so good, I wondered if I had undersold the album, but, actually, this was the only killer, its “No Baby I”, “There’s happiness and then there’s this, whatever this may be” is good but it’s not “you’ve got them tears, they fall like pearls, blame it on gravity, blame it on being a girl”.
Banks energy was astounding, it was hot and you could see her sweating and hard, but she never stopped, never gave it up. Her flow was flawless as well, the songs are great any way but she pounced on them and spit them out with both power and feeling, she rapped them in saliva and style, her tone, her spacing, and her dancing, it was a straight joy to watch her.
That’s Azealia Banks, a great rapper, maybe the best woman rapper out there, she goes where Nicki Minaj didn’t quite get, talking to Playboy Magazine, where she posed nude in the April. And where we nicked these pictures.
Banks is performing at Irving Plaza on May 11th, the first time in years (I’ve been keeping an eye out since “212” and haven’t heard of any gigs). There is a Live Nation Mobile presale today at 10am for the gig and this is a must see.
But I may fight for gay rights, especially if the dyke is more of a knockout than Janay Rice / Play nice? Bitch I’ll punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice, like Ray Rice in broad daylight in the plain sight of the elevator surveillance / ’Til her head is banging on the railing, then celebrate with the Ravens.”
JFK – Azealia Banks, Theophilus London – One is the worst tempered rapper named Azealia in the business, the other a close buddy of Kanye, together this is so hip it would make your teeth grind if the sample wasn’t so spritely and the raps so incisive. I am sick to death of the RZA school of ambient sample, this is just a terrific change – A-
Local talent, Azealia is the better of the two Azeals but she doesn’t have the commercial chops of Iggy, except this is a clear pop move and the only question is will it do the job? I can’t read the charts but I do think this is great. For sure, her rap is major here as she speaks sings on a terrific house music production – A-
I don’t know what is floating your boat in 2014, but I am eagerly awaiting the new Marla Mase and Kevin Jenkins. I’ve heard some of the new Marla Half Life dropping February and would be surprised if it doesn’t emerge as one of the best albums of 2014. Meanwhile, I’ve been busy cutting and pasting for you in 2014
