Rapper Azealia Banks calls Perez Hilton an ‘evil faggot’ and stirs up controversy again
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Rapper Azealia Banks, who was criticised in January for her use of the word “faggot” in a Twitter argument with blogger, Perez Hilton, has again used the slur, and stirred up controversy for a second time.
In a similar exchange as the one which took place in January, she got into an argument with US rapper, Baauer, over Twitter. Baauer asked her to take down a cover version of his song which she posted, she asked why and he said the song didn’t belong to her.
Perez Hilton interjected to ask: “Classy as always! How does it feel to be better known for all your trash-talking than your music, Azealia?”
She then responded: “i wouldn’t even let you smell my pussy you evil faggot”.
“Why has society accepted ‘nigger’ As a colloquialism … But will not accept ‘faggot’?… Everyones always acting like its fucking 1905 in this bitch… What is your definition of the word faggot?”
She then tweeted: “Faggot means coward, liar, backstabber…….”
One fan, @OathtoGaga, responded to the 212 star, saying that a “faggot” was “a liar who posts slander on a website, who rides on your dick one day then stabs you in the back the next.”
Another, @LittleBambi1991 said: “It means a lame disturbed piece of shit having full confidence on the internet and 0 confidence in real life”.
A third Twitter user, Josh King, questioned Banks’ use of the word, saying: “But what do you say to the gays that are actually offended by it? Those that may have been subjected to that word for years?”
She retweeted his tweet, before responding: “I would say you should’ve laughed in their face and did a spin and a dip. *bow*… Because theyre calling you faggot to dampen your freeness. Not to let u know that ur a mean person…”
King then responded: “That’s fair. But what would you say in this exact instance, they’ve been ridiculed with this word and then see you using it?… I completely agree with you on principle, it is just a word. If we get offended by it, it still gives power to those who useit,
“BUT i can’t help but think there are people who would be upset by your usage of it,” he continued.
Some other fans thanks King for questioning Banks on what she thought the victims of homophobic bullying would think about her use of the word. Another simply tweeted “theyre (sic) fags”.
Most recently, the rapper tweeted: “Perez tries to get every gay person all riled up when the only faggot I see …….. is him.”
“It’s really time for a cultural shift. All these leftover old world social themes we’re all still trying to hold on to are BOOORRIIING”, she continued.
“You give me free speech and then tell me what I can and cannot say???, she said”
Reports from some websites suggested that her record label, Interscope, had confirmed that she had been dropped as a result of the argument, but it was later confirmed that this was not the case.
Banks is signed to Polydor, part of Universal Music Group. Despite her relatively modest profile in the UK, the BBC ranked her third in its ‘Sounds of 2012 Awards’.