Azealia Banks: Broke With Expensive Taste Vinyl 2LP

When The Velvet Underground & Nico's 1967 self-titled album was released, it was not met with an overwhelming response. It barely sold any copies and went largely unnoticed by critics. The brash, bold statements made through the lyrics and instrumentation just didn't settle with the general public at the time - no one was ready for it. Decades later, it is now considered to be one of the greatest albums ever made, and is currently placed at #13 on Rolling Stones' list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. This is just an example. Many albums (and most art in general) which did not initially attract success at the time become revered classics once they rise above being "misunderstood" by the public and are seen for how innovative and brilliant they really are. And no one in pop culture today seems to be more misunderstood than Azealia Banks.Azealia Banks has had a sandstorm of a career - signed and dropped from XL Recordings at the age of 17, doing odd jobs to make ends meet before getting signed to Interscope/Polydor after the success of her song "212", ending her deal due to creative differences between her and her label, and most infamously, her feuds with other celebrities over Twitter. The offensive remarks that she makes about certain people and society in general have been met with negative backlash by the general public, so much so that it overshadows the actual music that she makes. Miss Banks has always been misunderstood by others, so by the time she dropped "Broke With Expensive Taste" as a surprise on November 7, 2014 (roughly six years after she put her first demo on MySpace), it was not met with huge commercial success. A lot of people that weren't immediately turned off by her Twitter feuds and listened to it most likely just didn't understand the music they were hearing. After all, the reason why Azealia ended her deal with Interscope was because the label didn't think any of the songs she made were "radio-friendly". As a result, it didn't fare well on the charts. It received good reviews, but not overwhelmingly positive. Based on the reception, the average listener would think that this is just an average album. But is it really? F**k no.Let's just say this: Azealia Banks is not a commercial artist. She doesn't make catchy 3 1/2 minute pop songs that are listened to and forgotten about later. She takes interesting and insanely creative instrumentals from cool (mainly European) producers (that are mainly underground) and puts together an album that is essentially a sonic mindf**k. To listen to this album is to get lost into what she refers to as an "odyssey of sound" on the final track, "Miss Camaraderie". And it's one hell of an odyssey.From the first few seconds of the opening song, "Idle Delilah", you know you're gonna be in for an eclectic listen. The quirky and thumping basslines you hear build and build for 45 seconds until Miss Banks finally comes in to sing. The lyrics are another thing: in an interview, she described some of the lyrics on this album as very "Lewis Carroll" (the author of "Alice in Wonderland"), and nowhere is it more evident than in this track. The trippy, psychedelic mushroom vibes can definitely be felt on lines like "Trout and trees remind me of my Darling D the diver / Diver D was a satyr, a father figurine." What does that mean? Who knows, but that's how she chooses to tell her story of Delilah, a girl who procrastinates and lets opportunities in her life pass her by (is "Delilah" really her?) After the weirdness of "Idle Delilah", we get "Gimme a Chance", a song that Azealia Banks put out as a demo on MySpace in 2008. Let me rephrase this: we get the new and updated version of "Gimme a Chance". From the demo, you can clearly tell it was written from the perspective of a 17 year old girl - in this new song (which is about a minute and a half longer), we get a life perspective from a grown woman who is finally taking control of her life. This tale of an underdog turned champion is nicely complimented by an added horn section during the verses, the DJ scratches during the chorus, and, of course, Toko Yasuda's vocals, sampled from the song "Knock that Door" by Enon. The horn section underlines the R&B hip-hop we hear in the first half before an unexpected (and brilliant) change is made to the instrumentation: it turns into a bachata style song where Azealia raps and sings in Spanish. Love her or hate her, you can't say this girl isn't creative.Cut to "Desperado", track 3 on the album. We get a jazzy, uptempo soulful instrumental with New York vibes (where Azealia hails from), as we start hearing random sounds like an NYC train conductor and, unexpectedly, Peter Rosenberg from Hot97 introducing the very song we're listening to. And then the beat drops. Azealia's flow is crazy over this mysterious and almost sinister UK garage beat (produced by the great MJ Cole). There are parts of the song where she chooses not to rap, and just lets the beat ride out. She shows clear mastery of her performance in relation to the music being played. To me, this song seems like it's about a girl who's so desperate to be famous (is it really about her?) that she'd do anything to attain what she wants. After all we've heard so far on this album, we get yet another eclectic and crazy song: "JFK". It's my personal favorite Azealia Banks track - it's 5 minutes of pure chaos and melody. After the 30 second build up of pulsating synths, the beat drops with haphazard drums and Azealia rapping in a hushed tone and melodic flow which perfectly compliments the beat. Sometimes it's hard to comprehend exactly what she's saying, but she sounds so cool and charismatic saying it that it doesn't even matter. The chorus is beautifully sung by her, and her overall presence on the track matches the creative lyrics. One interesting thing about "JFK" is it contains the only other feature on this album (if you don't count Toko Yasuda on "Gimme a Chance" and Lazy Jay on "212"), with eclectic rapper Theophilus London giving what I think is the best verse of his career, right before the instrumental goes into overdrive and fades completely out, before coming back in and building itself back up. Azealia sure knows how to pick great and unconventional beats, and this Boddika beat (titled "Breezin") is probably the coolest on this entire album.Then we get the song that made her famous, the song that was essentially her comeback to the music industry. "212" is three and a half minutes of pure New York attitude and vulgarity, backed up by a European house instrumental by Lazy Jay. It's one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard. How can you not like it? The song (and video) are just so cool it's undeniable. By the time this album came out, "212" was around for three years, and had already been featured on her "1991" EP (also an amazing record). But how can she not put her signature song on this album? This Harlem girl with a filthy mouth needs to keep reminding people where she comes from: "I was in the 212..." Awesome. Transitioning from the loud and brash house music of "212", we get a softer, more laid back instrumental on "Wallace". She seems to be singing and rapping about a love interest, and calling him a rottweiler (definite Lewis Carroll influence here). The lyrics are very interesting and creative even from the first line: "Hot lava, hot lava / Hot, high, lady lucid the city", and are complimented by Azealia's delivery. For the first time on this album, Azealia seems to show vulnerability, and possibly a fear of being hurt and mistreated by others. Maybe that's not what is stated in the song, but for some reason you just feel it. There's many instances in this album where she might not be rapping/singing about anything in particular, but you get the sense that there is a deeper meaning and story involved. The xylophone-sounding instrument for the chorus and flutes in the second verse are also a nice, creative touch. So is the dog whimpering at the end. So cute.Whatever vulnerability Azealia shows on "Wallace", it is swept away with the next song, "Heavy Metal and Reflective", a two and a half minute trap song with both swagger and insane braggadocio. I don't particularly like trap. To me, it seems to sound mostly the same, but with the right producer it can work, and Azealia Banks chose right with Lil Internet's beat. It's actually one of the catchiest instrumentals on the album, with a wobbly bassline and a menacing melody. Azealia shows that out of all the people in the music industry, she's at the top: "I know you know well, I'm with that get rich / I'm in every city, they say hello to the head b***h", keeping the same rhyme scheme throughout the entire song. It's amazing just to think about how creative the album is at this point. "Broke With Expensive Taste" has already covered tropical music, R&B, bachata, jazz, UK garage, trance, house, and trap in the first 7 tracks alone, and the best part is that it all works. I've never heard an album that has a menagerie of sound as intricate as on this one. She never sounds like she's trying too hard to fit stuff together - everything is placed where it should be, and the end result is insane.After this we get the catchy "BBD", which encompasses more braggadocious lyrics along a menacing beat. The song "Ice Princess" has a cool (ironic) trap sounding beat with chimy instrumentation to underline the "cold" metaphors conveyed throughout the song - "I'm so cold I'm drippin' icicles..." Go Azealia Banks. (This song had a lot of hit potential. Why didn't they choose this as the lead single?) One of the highlights on this album is the next song, "Yung Rapunxel". It's probably the craziest song on the entire album - 4 minutes of weird industrial "skronk", as I've heard it referred to. And I mean REALLY crazy - the loud bassline, the chanting in the beginning, and probably most of all, the screaming through a megaphone during the chorus. Her flow is catchy and cool, and the thing that's so fun about the song is its pure randomness with its unconventional song structure. When first listening to the song, you never know what's gonna come next. Come to think about it, that's kind of how it is for the majority of the album.Again, we get more vulnerability on another standout track, "Soda", in which she solely sings on. It's one of the most interesting songs on the album, as she sings about a seemingly troubled relationship and her becoming a more single-minded individual that speaks for herself and tries what she wants to in life. "Chasing Time" almost seems to be the climax of the album thematically, as she finally realizes that she can speak for herself and doesn't need to be controlled by any record label (in this case, she compares it to a relationship). It has a catchy chorus and a nice poppy, dramatic beat to underline it. "Luxury" is the song in which Azealia shows the most vulnerability as she speaks about her desire for love. A nice Machinedrum produced electro beat underlines the drama of the song. Azealia Banks is unpredictable musically, and nowhere is that more evident than on the song "Nude Beach a Go-Go", which she made with Ariel Pink of The Strokes. It sounds like a 50's rock-and-roll radio jingle, with a short duration and even old-timey radio surfing sounds at the end. It's a strange interlude in the album, but it's actually insanely catchy and one of my favorite songs on the album.The album nears its end with "Miss Amor", a Lone produced dance track with weird song structure that almost resembles a free flow stream of consciousness. It's an interesting listen. That free flow feel is carried over and accentuated with the final song, "Miss Camaraderie". It's another Lone-produced dance track and it is essentially 5 minutes of phrases repeated over and over again, with a return of that weird Lewis Carroll imagery. In that way, the album ends how it begins. It encapsulates everything we've heard over the span of the album: vulnerability, self-praise, romance, and much more.The final thing we hear on the album is a triumphant sounding horn blast. It is repeated for about a minute while the instrumental and vocals begin to die down in "Miss Camaraderie", but is heard on its own for the final few seconds. To me, I feel like this represents the victory of Azealia Banks. She made it through a life-long journey filled with pain and mistrust, and it brings her to this moment, where she fully realizes that she is her own woman, and can say and do whatever the hell she pleases without a record label to back her up. I feel like this album goes beyond the braggadocious and romantic lyrics, telling a deeper story of a girl fully realizing her potential and independence, becoming a woman in the process.Let's go back to "The Velvet Underground & Nico". That album was initially ignored, and later became a classic because of its pure ingenuity. "Broke With Expensive Taste" fits directly in with that set-up. It is not a huge success, even to this day, almost two years after its release, but mark my words: 20 years from now, it will be seen for the great album it truly is. Azealia Banks has created a clever, unpredictable, weird, fun, and brilliant album three years in the making. She shows that she doesn't need beats from top-of-the-line producers, instead choosing eclectic, sonically out of this world beats from more underground producers, and writing witty, biting lyrics on top of them. She has created a true experience of an album that deserves to be heard from the start to the finish. Who cares if this album wasn't a huge chart success? Either way, for us Azealia Banks fans who have listened to it, we see it for the influential work of art it really is. This album came at a right time for me, when I was getting over a dark period and discovering my own independence and voice. As a rapper, "Broke With Expensive Taste" has truly inspired me as a musician, and it will continue to do so for many other people.And for those of you who haven't listened to the album, just press play and enjoy the odyssey...

Before a couple of weeks ago, I'd heard of, but not listened to, Azealia Banks. Lots of Internet People seem to hate her. And she seems to like to fight back. Meh. Then I saw the video for "Chasing Time." That song remained on repeat for several days, then the album dropped. I went to YouTube and checked it out. Fantastic. Now that the entire album has been on repeat, I love it even more. The music is made for headphones, and her vocals seamlessly alternate between rapping and singing. Not for children, as some lyrics are filthy as hell, but other than that, this is a near perfect set. People can hate on her all they want, but if Azealia Banks continues to put out music like this, she'll never have to worry about what her critics say. Might be the Album of the Year. Yowsah.

Great delivery & stands up to valueSuper

Would recommend to people who like azealia banks! <3

I don't listen to a lot of rap, but "212" hooked me and I liked Azealia Banks' 1991 EP quite a bit. I was happily surprised to see a full album released. "Heavy Metal and Reflective" wasn't my favorite, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm glad to say that the super catchy beats and hooks, give-no-fucks style and musical choices, and skillful wordplay and smooth flow Azealia showed on her EP is all over "Broke With Expensive Taste."I don't know if there's a bad song on the album, simply because every one has at least a few good qualities and interesting sound. This isn't the most connected collection, but I don't think that detracts from the listening experience. I mean, "Nude Beach A Go-Go" comes out of nowhere, but who cares because this same person also gave us something like "Ice Princess" on the same album. It would be a shame to limit it. I view this almost as 3 or 4 EPs smashed together. The shifts in tone and genre keep things moving and it's a high energy listen.Overall, a very enjoyable listen with plenty of head-bumping beats, good vocals, different rhythms, and just plain interesting and fun music. Hope we continue to hear more from her.

OMG!!! I've listened to the ENTIRE album 3 times. I don't have one fav song. All of them are great. And the flow of this album is good also. It all flows together. It's amazing when you following Banks on twitter and you see the beefs between her and that other girl. Then you actually look at each artist as artist, research their stats(without a media machine overdoing the caping) and listen to their music. After doing all of that, you finally realize who the better artist is.I am so happy that I decided to purchase this album. This genre needs originality to keep it alive and I commend Ms. Banks for doing exactly that.PS this girls sings AND raps in spanish. How awesome is that?

Azealia Banks is an honest and true ARTIST. It now makes so much sense why this iconic album continually got delayed and pushed back, ITS REALLY JUST THAT GOOD! Every song is unlike the last one. From a islandy opener, flawless spanish rapping, singing opera, there's a rock song on it...it's a hodgepodge of sounds but done tastefully. This album drips in creativity and is definitely worth a listen. So far since it's surprise release, the album already gained positive reviews from Billboard, Idolator, Time, and a few other major music blogs and magazines.Just to add on. I bought both the clean and explicit albums and this is the first time the clean version is JUST AS GOOD as the explicit version

Best ever female debut you album in the last decade no one has yet to top this. All the songs are good through and through the lyrics are impeccable and her singing and rapping is amazing. 10/10