Azealia Banks considers career change to front 'new black political party' and run for President
The volatile rapper spoke of her intentions in a Channel 4 News interview
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.She’s barely graced the music industry with her presence, but controversial rapper Azealia Banks is already considering a change of career.
“Everyone's always saying, 'You're always ranting, you're always talking about politics. You should put it in your music',” she told Channel 4 News.
“[But] music is how I escape from everything else.
“It's discouraging to see young black men getting shot down in the street just for being black outside. It makes you angry because you feel powerless and you feel helpless.”
Adding that she feels hip-hop empowers black people, she continued: “I just feel like for centuries and centuries and centuries, black people have been painted to be these animals and just be these crazy people when we are really not,” she said.
“And I feel like all of the things like hip-hop - these are the things we have created for ourselves in the face of all of the adversity. We've created these things for ourselves and they are ours. And they make us feel good.”
“I think there needs to be some new political party, some new black political party,” she went on. “Even if they don't run for office, they just need to be like this trusted board of members.”
Asked if she’d ever consider running herself, she added: “Maybe. Yeah, I think I would. I think I could do it.”
Banks recently posed for the centrefold of Playboy. She also sparked a heated debate on why she is unable to use homophobic slurs to describe gay men when men can use the term "b**ch".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments