New York rapper Azealia Banks is not shy when it comes to expressing herself, so when asked about her s*xual preference she held nothing back. The Harlem-bred beauty spoke to the New York Times about her budding career, and like Nicki Minaj before her, Banks casually admitted to going both ways. “I’m not trying to be, like, the bis*xual, lesbian rapper,” she said. “I don’t live on other people’s terms.
While homosexuality in Hip-Hop is nothing new, it’s not always accepted. Long before it was politically correct to support the LGBT community, Eminem famously fought back at critics who panned his lyrics as homophobic by performing with Elton John at the 2001 Grammy’s. In the years since, fellow MCs like Fat Joe have followed suit by openly supporting homosexuality, and then there’s rapper Lil B’s aptly-titled debut I’m Gay (I’m Happy). The aforementioned record caused a stir in the Hip-Hop community, but once the fodder died down, the Bay Area native ended up giving the project away for free—to those who couldn’t afford the sticker price.
As for Banks, it’s safe to say that the announcement about her sexuality won’t slow down her ever rising star, but will likely open her up to a whole new group of fans. The recent signee to Universal Music Group has yet to announce the release date of her major label debut, but between heading over to the UK for a bunch of sold-out shows, getting props from the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, and performing at Chanel designer, Karl Lagerfeld’s house, she clearly has a lot on her plate.
