The Messy Feud Between Iggy Azalea And Azealia Banks Explained

There is no shortage of feuds in Hollywood, as evidenced by the years-long beefs of the likes of Cardi B and Nicki Minaj and Drake and Meek Mill, but in hip hop, no one makes the feud list as often as Azealia Banks does.

The "212" rapper has been involved in many a feud over the course of her career, and more often than not, she's the main instigator. For starters, she once took a jab at Cardi B and called her a "poor man's Nicki Minaj," and even went as far as to claim that she's an "illiterate, untalented rat," per Paper Magazine. In 2017, Banks — who is a known supporter of former president Donald Trump — called out Rihanna for speaking against the Muslim ban. "As far as Rihanna (who isn't a citizen, and can't vote) and all the rest of the celebrities who are using their influence to stir the public, you lot really REALLY need to shut up and sit down," Banks said at the time, per Billboard. She even got involved in a feud with actor Russell Crowe, who she claimed assaulted and hurled racist slurs against her. The singer-songwriter filed a case against the actor, but it was subsequently tossed due to lack of evidence, per Essence.

Banks was also known for repeatedly spewing insults against fellow rapper Iggy Azalea. They were involved in an online brawl for years, until it ended in 2017 when they got to work together on a project.

It turns out that Azaelia Banks was not a fan of Iggy Azalea from the get-go. In 2012, back when the "Fancy" singer was fairly new on the scene, she was featured in XXL magazine's "Freshman" cover, which Banks then took issue with. Come 2012, Azalea bagged a Grammy nomination, and Banks went on a minute-long rant about how Black rappers tend to lose out to white artists and how Azalea appropriates Black culture.

"That Iggy Azalea s*** isn't better than any f****** Black girl that's rapping today, you know? When they give those awards out — because the Grammys are supposed to be accolades of artistic excellence, you know what I mean?" she told Hot 97, per Popsugar. "Iggy Azalea is not excellent." Not one to back down, Azalea responded on Twitter, saying that Banks isn't getting any awards because of her behavior. "Special msg for banks: There are many Black artists succeeding in all genres. The reason you haven't is because of your piss poor attitude," she wrote in a now-deleted series of tweets. "Your inability to be responsible for your own mistakes, bullying others, the inability to be humble or have self control. It's YOU!"

Their feud came to a fever pitch when Banks encouraged Azalea to commit suicide. In 2016, Azalea opened up to J Cruz about having suicidal thoughts, and the clip got shared on The Shade Room, per XXL. Banks, who had deleted her Twitter at the time, commented, "YAAS slavemaster, drive that slave truck right off the canyon." Needless to say, fans were upset about the whole affair.

Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks' feud became incredibly convoluted, but the two managed to set aside their differences once and for all. In 2017, they joined forces and worked together on a track, if you can believe it. 

Azalea announced on social media that Banks would be part of her album, "Digital Distortion," and preemptively told fans how she knew that not everybody would understand her decision. "Public Service Announcement, Azealia is going to be on DD. We are collaborating. Burn your wigs now or preserve them in your freezer for release day," she said on Snapchat, per AP News. On Twitter, she revealed that she went in this direction to remove negativity in her life. "I don't expect you guys to understand why i would collaborate with someone who has publicly said they hope i die," she wrote. "This has been something extremely negative for so long, if there is a way to make it positive and also be creative together, im here for it."

Banks also seemed willing to bury the hatchet, but only if Azalea was also willing to educate herself on racial privilege. "I think a true reconciliation can happen once there is some acknowledgment of what hip-hop has been trying to tell her. I still don't think she quite understands the effect her racial privilege and the socio-economic leverage that comes with it has on a marginalized group of women's culture," she told XXL. "Race aside, this is also a women's issue. I hope that there will be a chance for us to have an open discussion about this."