I find it difficult to keep track of all the wacky things that Azealia Banks has to say on Twitter, or her off-stage role as America's resident 'controversial witch' - but there's no denying that Ms. Banks is one of the best rappers of her generation. There are two standout aspects of her rap persona that immediately come to mind: the girl from the ghetto who clawed, hustled, worked and climbed her way to fame and riches ("Ice Princess"), and the fun-loving, free spirited young woman who oozes ample sex appeal ("Atlantis").
"The Big Big Beat", a single from Banks' upcoming mixtape Slay Z, combines both aspects of her character in a way I haven't seen since her massive breakout hit "212". The song, with its bouncy Detroit house beats, can be enjoyed as a potent club beat that everyone can dance to. POPMatters' Pryror Stroud describes it as an "amphetamine-addled, dance-pop flirtation that forgoes innuendo and gets straight to the point". Seemingly off-character, Banks places herself in a typical female role during the bridge (cooing, professing readiness to please a man):
'Ooh, boy, I think I know just what you needOoh, boy, ooh, boyOoh, boy, yeah you need a taste of ecstasy'
But an Azealia Banks track isn't complete without what Pitchfork's Eric Torres describes as the "lush braggadocio the 24-year-old rapper has cut down to a formula"; Banks also throws in the machine gun-paced, thuggish rap verses that sound fun, enticing, catchy and menacing all at once. This is the witch in her natural element, doing what only she can:
'Pocket them dividends, christen that bezelYou plottin' on niggas, you pickin' that petalHow could that little young bitch from the ghetto hit the jackpot, ran off with the cash pot!Keep jockin' this jiggy bitch, jigglin' - hello!That gymnast body, black feminist rebelSpend a hundred thou' on the Jesuit medalJust to prove y'all dudes what it be!'
Source of lyrics: Genius.com
