Azealia Banks ignites online storm with views on racial slur

Azealia Banks has once again stirred up controversy online after sharing her views on the use of the N-word.

The Harlem rapper, Azealia Banks’s comments came in response to a widely shared post on social media that urged non-Black people to stop using the term.

The original post, made by Anycia, read: “If you’re not Black, stop saying the N-word. Period. I don’t care who you grew up with. If you’re not Black, expand your vocabulary.”

However, Azealia Banks offered a different view, arguing that Black people need to stop using the word themselves if they expect others to avoid it.

“Everyone in the world can say and do what they want,” Azealia Banks wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, June 21.

“Black people really have no reason to be upset about it being offensive while we keep calling each other such an ugly word because we can’t expand our vocabulary. If we want people to let it go, we have to let it go first.”

The comment quickly went viral and drew heavy backlash, with many accusing Azealia Banks of hypocrisy and attention-seeking. Social media users criticised her for using the word herself in the past and questioned her motives behind the post.

One user replied, “You’re the same person who criticises celebrities for their Blackness,” while another said, “This isn’t about free speech — it’s about you wanting attention more than you respect your own people.” Others felt that Azealia Banks was undermining a word that has complex cultural meaning within the Black community.

Some responses were more personal, calling out moments from Azealia Banks’ past, including alleged incidents where non-Black fans used the word at her shows without any objection from her. “How do you sleep at night?” one user asked.

Despite the criticism, Azealia Banks stood by her opinion. She also claimed that African people don’t use the word, suggesting it’s time for the wider Black community to consider dropping it as well.