Update: Apparently, Banks isn’t satisfied with Crowe’s lack of an apology for his alleged actions. So much so that the rapper has filed charges against the actor, per a report by TMZ. Read the full update below.
In the teeny, tiny world of music publications, you’ll find a million different philosophies about covering the news, stated missions and internal cultures. But there is one thread that connects us all. Every music-focused site, newspaper, magazine or leaflet currently running has had to grapple with the same question at some point: Just how much coverage do we want to give to Azealia Banks?
There’s no doubt that Banks’ is a talented rapper. But in the long gap between her buzz-generating debut single “212” and her debut album three years later, Banks became better known for endlessly starting sh*t on Twitter and in regular old meatspace. And for the most part, she’s still at it. But every once in a while, Banks makes claims that are so outrageous — and, if true, so noteworthy — that we need to institute a cheat day on our Banks-lite diet. Her claims that Russell Crowe choked her, spat on her, called her the n-word and tossed her from his suite in Beverly Hills on October 15 are just the sort of thing to make us shamefully indulge.
Banks aired out her claims against Russell Crowe in a post to her Facebook.
“To recap my night, I went to a party at Russell Crowe’s suite, at which he called me a n*gger, choked me, threw me out and spat at me,” she wrote. “Last night was one of the hardest nights of sleep I’ve had in a long time. The men in the room allowed it to happen. I feel terrible today.”
Banks followed that up by she felt “low and mishandled and alone and f*cking depressed right now” adding that she wished she “had someone to beat him up for me.”
Banks has since deleted both posts. If TMZ‘s sources are to be believed, that’s because her story isn’t true.
According to their report, Banks was at the party on Saturday night as a guest of her new label boss RZA. Crowe invited around 10 people for a listening party, but guests say Banks was hyper-critical of Crowe’s selection calling some of the guests and Crowe “boring white men.” When another woman at the party came to Crowe’s defense, their anonymous source claims that Banks went off the rails.
“You would love it if I broke my glass, stabbed you guys in the throat, and blood would squirt everywhere like some real Tarantino sh*t,” she reportedly yelled. When Banks allegedly held up her glass as if to throw it, Crowe picked her up and removed her from the room.
That’s the two sides of the story as they stand right now. Of course, that means we’re missing the all-important third side, but according to Banks’ Facebook, we just might have it soon.
Update: Apparently, Banks isn’t satisfied with Crowe’s lack of an apology for his alleged actions. So much so that the rapper has filed charges against the actor, per a report by TMZ. She apparently went to the Beverly Hills PD after Crowe stood his ground and sources close to him tell TMZ he contends he did nothing wrong in the situation.
Also of note, Banks’ manager, Raýmani, issued a statement via Twitter. “Azealia is tremendously distraught and disheartened,” he wrote. “She is shell shocked… and will speak out on the incident once she has had time to process the brutality and abuse she was unjustly subjected to.”
https://twitter.com/Raymani/status/787947156095246336
https://twitter.com/Raymani/status/787947228287627264
Stay tuned.
