UPDATE: Showing her own fiery ferocity, Azealia Banks has dashed off her own diss to Angel Haze, with the trademarked AB rave synths and a heavy dose of low-end rumbling. For "No Problems," a just-released track, she answers to Angel Haze's "On The Edge" with a mixtape-worthy tune of her own. (Read down to catch up on the beef.)
Here is the thing: The fact that two insanely talented ladies are going head-to-head over a random Twitter feud is a bummer, but diss tracks and showing off is a legitimate part of the rap industry. Yet, more notably, female rappers rarely make really explosive diss tracks. Sure, Lil' Kim has been known to fire off a few, Remy Ma has one or two, and Nicki Minaj can offer a mean diss, but for the most part, the realm of the rap beef has been pretty masculine. So, it's almost refreshing to see these two girls offer their own lyrical tête-à-tête.
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But even more importantly, both of these songs are really good. Haze's is way more of a nasty diss track, while Banks comes across as sheer, confident braggadocio. Yet, this kind of impassioned, heated, headphone-bumping beef is all about inspiring your "opponent" to show her best game face. So, while the two hopefully will reconcile a la Nas and Jay-Z (and maybe do a song together), at least we reap the benefit of listening in to these two gifted girls get feisty.
What's become of the rap game and its many feuds in the digital age? To the presumed relief of many nightclub owners, it's all happening on Twitter, of course. Azealia Banks and Angel Haze got in a Tweet fight this afternoon regarding which rap queen is more "New York," and things escalated quickly as vociferous fans took sides. Mere hours later, Haze released a diss track, "On The Edge," including such lyrical gems as "B*tch I'm in the 313" and "Remember when you were in the studio with Missy Elliott and she was scared to be in the studio with you?" (Wait, what?). Then, Banks shot back with a grumbling, dubstep-infused "No Problems." Who wins? Well, that's up to the listener to decide.
Haze and Banks apparently have quite a friendship over text, Twitter, and even occasional meet-ups at the Bowery Hotel — or maybe more? During the Twitter portion of the fight, Banks noted that her new nemesis seemed quite interested a few months back, and wondered why the flame had fizzled. Is this a regular ol' rap feud or a bitter case of unrequited love?
Either way, Haze says she has "ammo" on Banks, throwing a cursory hint at an as-yet-unknown episode involving Kreayshawn. As for Banks, we can all attest that she is not the "flash-in-the-pan" that Haze suggests she is. So, who gets your vote? (Potholes In My Blog and Animal New York)
Photo: Courtesy of Universal Records.