After a dust up at a Beverly Hills hotel this past weekend, involving Azaelia Banks and Russell Crowe, who allegedly threw her out after she became verbally abusive and threatened violence, Banks spoke with TMZ and said Crowe grabbed her, spit on her and called her a n****r. She also accused RZA of being a chump and said she was no longer interested in signing a record deal with him.
Normally a man of few words, RZA took the time to respond at length on Facebook today and refuted pretty much everything she said. His major points are as follows:
1. Based on a positive relationship from when Banks acted in a movie produced by RZA, she reached out to him and asked him for help with money and also obtaining a record deal. RZA said yes to both requests despite being warned she was volatile.
2. When RZA told her a deal was in the workings, Banks immediately went on social media and said she had been signed. RZA said nothing out of a respect for her hustle.
3. Banks asked him for money to fly to Los Angeles as well as a hotel, and RZA paid for both.
4. Upon RZA’s arrival in Los Angeles, he scheduled a meeting with Banks. When she discovered he was attending a get together with Russell Crowe, she asked if she could come and he complied with that request, too.
5. On the alleged fight, RZA wrote, “Azealia threaten to cut a girl in the face with a glass, then actually grabs a glass and physically attacks.”
6. RZA wrote that Crowe blocked the attack and then removed her from the room and never called her a n****r. Despite the fracas, RZA says he still made the effort to get her home safely.
Said RZA in conclusion, “My art, talent and success speaks for it self and Azealia’s recent slander of me and self victimization reflect’s the personality of the person that was in that room that night. I have a wife, daughters, sisters and females on my staff so I protect women everyday. I pray none of them ever behave the way I witnessed Azealia Banks behaved that night.”
In addition to his Facebook post, RZA also spoke to TMZ and provided more details on the altercation, saying while Crowe picked her up and ultimately spit at her, RZA said he was in between the two of them and the spit probably landed on him. RZA also took umbrage at being a chump, saying, “As if I could ever be a chump.” RZA said he had been contacted by the police.
To be real, it’s hard not to believe what RZA is saying if only because of his reputation (zero) for cuckoo behavior versus hers (seemingly non stop). Also, it’s good to see RZA is doing so well financially!
