Banned from Twitter in mid-May, Harlem singer and rapper Azealia Banks took to her Facebook page yesterday, to apologize to her fans, along with a promise she will no longer use the word faggot. In the post, Bank says she finally realized words hurt and wrote:
“Ok, i’m never saying the word F****T ever again. The amount of people that get hurt when i use the word vs. the amount of people i’ve said it to are just not worth it. Honestly… This isn’t a cop out, its just me realizing that words hurt. and while i may be immune to every word and be thicker skinned than most, it doesn’t mean that i get to go around treating people with the same toughness that made my skin so thick.”
Better late than never, though it’s likely that Banks has not only forever alienated some of her original fans, she’s also developed a reputation as a jerk and a bully that will be difficult to erase.
In fairness, there are many male entertainers who say far worse things about gay people and women on social media and especially in their music BUT Bank’s mistake was that she targeted individuals on Twitter rather than in her music and often came across as a bully more concerned with taking people down than making music. As well, the bar for messy/ugly behavior exhibited by women (especially minorities) is far lower than it is for men. Still, she has a unique talent so it will be interesting to see if she can keep her promises and also battle her way back.
