Azealia Banks, rap music’s new It girl, is featured on the cover and in the pages of the new issue of Dazed & Confused magazine. The issue is getting a lot of attention because it has been banned in 7 countries (and counting) for the raciness of its cover. Apparently, some people don’t like seeing blown up condoms on magazine covers. But once you get past the cover, we learn a bit more about Azealia and her childhood. Click thru the gallery to see photos from her D&C spread but click below if you want to learn more about the woman herself.
In her candid interview with the magazine, Azealia didn’t shy away from talking about anything, in particular her childhood.
Admitting that her family were not strapped for cash she said: ‘We grew up in the hood, but we had some money. But I moved out when I was 14 to go live with my older sister, because my mom just had, well… issues.’ At the age of two, the rapper’s father died following a battle with pancreatic cancer and this is when she revealed that problems with her mother got worse. ‘After my dad died, my mom became really abusive – physically and verbally. ‘Like she would hit me and my sisters with baseball bats, bang our heads up against walls, and she would always tell me I was ugly.’ Recalling one particular incident, she continued: ‘I remember once she threw out all the food in the fridge, just so we wouldn’t have anything to eat. It was like growing up a feral child, being raised by this person who was always yelling and screaming, hitting you and dragging you around and shit.’ Easing off the subject a little, Banks added: ‘Granted, she never had any drug or drinking problems – her house was clean, her hair was always done, and we had stuff – but she still fucked me up real bad’ … talking to Dazed & Confused she revealed that she has been very sexual from a young age. She said: ‘Growing up I was so curious about boys. I just loved them. I’d always get my recesses taken away for letting boys touch my butt in the lunch line I got in trouble for fooling around in school a lot. I just wanted to be touched, ya know? I just wanted to have sex. And my mom was always working so there was never anyone around to tell me no.’
Well, knowing this information about her childhood sure explains a lot. It’s pretty remarkable that Azealia has been able to flourish despite the harsh upbringing she endured. And except for the “racy” coverphoto, the rest of her Dazed & Confused photospread is pretty tame. I might have to pick up this issue of D&C magazine, clearly there is a lot about Miss Banks that I need to learn.
I can’t believe she was so candid. Wow.
Momma had mental health issues . She was lucky to have somewhere to go that was ‘safe’. Unfortunately the lack of support and supervision lead her to have emotional issues. When a person craves attention they are ripe for the sexual predators.