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Harlem born rapper Azealia Banks brought her fast spit lyrics and instantly recgnisable beats to Liverpool’s O2 academy last night and her short set left a sell out crowd wanting more.
After support from Zabra Katz, DJ Cosmo served as a prolonged introduction, playing Missy Elliot and Jay Z to a sing-along crowd, whilst anticipation for the 21 year old rapper reached fever pitch.
Having only released an EP and her mixtape Fantasea, Banks proved she had enough of a back catalogue to please the growing audience.
She burst onto the stage in a custom made, blue LED bra to the song, Out of Space, a remix of The Prodigy’s hit, rapping, ‘I’ll take your brain on a parallel universe trip, coz I’m the only little parallel bitch.’
Track Fuck up the Fun, produced by Diplo, is by far the stand out offering from the beginning. She raps faster than any member of the crowd can keep up with and maintains her trademark attitude and air of fun whilst warning, ‘I’d hate to have to blow your little wig all back, I mean, I’d hate to have to see you with your wig off bitch.’
Her Fantasea mixtape, which was released as a free download earlier this year, showcases Bank’s winning formula of brilliantly produced beats alongside her cutting lyrics.
L8r kicks off with Bank’s hinting that she might step away from her sexually aggressive expletives as she claims, ‘I’m a giver and a taker, a fibber and a faker, you got to spend a lot for this behaviour, if it ain’t about a dollar, i’ma holla at you later.’
In true form, the next verse switches back to her signature style and sees her doing what she does best, ‘I get it tighter than a gridlock…Everytime I say deeper, I get it warmer than a space heater.’
Regardless of the controversy surrounding her upcoming single Esta Noche, the lines, ‘Head of the class but I got principals too, arching my back, give em’ a view, he wanna taste the cinnamon too,’ reinforces that her newest single will reach the heights of her previous releases.
She dutifully performs 1991 and Van Vogue and when she announces, ‘this might be the one you’ve been waiting for,’ Liquorice sends the crowd wild. The Young Rapunzel star remains full of energy for the set, which lasts just over an hour, her green mermaid like hair proving she’s got the looks to back up her aggressive lyrics and demanding attitude.
She ends on her most well known hit 212 and with the crowd jumping in unison, she proves that her legacy is only just beginning. With her first album, ‘Broke with expensive taste,’ set for release February next year, her takeover is sure to be rapid and explosive.