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Azealia Banks
via Instagram (@azealiabanks)

Azealia Banks quits record label, calls them ‘silly fragile white liars’

After signing to Parlophone late last year, it looks like the relationship has soured

Azealia Banks has announced that she’s parting ways with record label Parlophone in a characteristically scathing Instagram story. “This staff is full of really silly fragile white liars”, she began, adding that “the roster is full of corny losers and I’ve had it lmao”. The roster Banks is referring to includes David Guetta, Coldplay and 2022 Eurovision Song Contest runner-up Sam Ryder.

“Like how many idiots does it take to screw in a fucking lightbulb?” the New York rapper went on, in what seems to be a dig at label execs delaying her new music. Banks then confirmed that her yet-to-be-released fashion anthem “New Bottega” will finally hit streaming services this week, presumably as an independent release, and ended the post with “that shit was stressing me TF OUT.”

In her next story, Banks seemingly made her actions clear, posting in all caps “I DON’T GET DROPPED I DROP THE LABEL”, a reference to lyrics from Jay-Z’s “On to the Next One”, before adding “LMAO PUSSIES”. The rapper may sound resolute in her convictions, but could this be a very public example of loud quitting? According to the Guardian, the process is a “negotiation tactic” that involves loudly expressing displeasure at your current job so that your employer “responds by panicking and offering you all the riches in the world to stay”. Here’s hoping the tactic pays off.

In November 2022 ​​Banks confirmed the deal with British label Parlophone in classic fashion – posting to her Instagram story. “Bitches I just got signed to Warner/Parlophone UK! I’m coming home. I did it. I wasn’t going to let you down”. The label then verified the news with the modern-day equivalent of a press release: quote tweeting Pop Crave and adding four wide-eye emojis.

Since then the relationship has clearly soured. There’s been no official comment from Parlophone, but we hope to see all the drama and more in Banks’s yet-to-be-confirmed reality TV show that she teased last summer.

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