“My album is more done than yours…and I just started a week ago,” says Angel Haze on her new track “One the Edge.” And thus starts the flame-war between Haze and another upstart rapper Azealia Banks with battle bars.
The two artists erupted in a Twitter brawl today, starting with an apparent lob from Banks on rappers claiming to be from New York who aren’t.
Some of the Tweet nastiness has been deleted, replaced with some half apologies and a lot of chest puffery. The next move was apparent: within hours, Haze had a pretty personal diss track up on Soundcloud.
Now, I’m not really interested in a Tweet fight, especially in this still-small world of female MCs that have a long race to run even after they’re done trying to put each other down. Nicki and Kim did it. Was kinda gross, but it yielded some fun.
“On the Edge” is personal. It’s practically psycho-sexual. With Banks accusing Haze making a pass at her, and Haze hitting back at Banks’ looks. It sounds like two former friends who now compete to kill.
What I hear on “Edge” is the opposite of what I heard yesterday, on Banks’ “BBD.” As I said in the piece, her rhymes were mixed down low, letting the self-aware novelty of the trap baps take control. Again, a little ADHD. Haze can rap, and that much is clearer, and clearer still on confident “On the Edge.” While she has a beat from Diplo made in 2012 backing her, Haze has the advantage of time and timing. Banks’ Interscope album has been frequently delayed, making her release all the more anticipated, and Haze takes her down, alluding to the now-quashed Kreayshawn and twisting the title of Banks’ album against her: “Broke with Expensive Taste.”
The cover art is predictably juvenile. What can ya say.
Haze was born in Detroit and is now based in New York; she’s signed to Island. While she may have hate on Banks’ abilities to release new music in a timely manner, she should check with her own major to make sure she doesn’t have the same fate ahead of her.
“Any response that is not in the form of a song is null and void,” Haze Tweeted late today. Ball is in your court, Banks.