No stranger to headlines and controversy, divisive rapper Azealia Banks hopped onto Instagram yesterday to plead fans to stop streaming her critically acclaimed debut album, Broke with Expensive Taste.
Banks alleges that Jeff Kwatinetz, her former record label Prospect Park’s chief executive, has pocketed all the revenue from the album sales over the album’s six-year lifespan and she is yet to receive her rightful millions in royalties.
Azealia Banks begs fans to stop supporting her debut album Broke with Expensive Taste on Instagram yesterday, claiming all revenue from streaming services and album sales are being stolen by her label’s executive Jeff Kwatinetz.
Over the weekend, Banks took to her Instagram, telling fans that neither she nor her producers have been receiving royalties from the record since its release back in 2014.
“Jeff Kwatinetz stole all the money and sent a $15k check for album that has been streamed over 200m times,” she claimed. The singer also notes the loss of her legendary single 212 which shot her to instant stardom in 2011 and was listed no. 6 in Pitchfork’s 200 Best Songs of the 2010’s. She begs “whatever you do, do not stream the album.”
Prospect Park only worked with Banks on the one record, splitting from Banks’ management in 2015, causing controversy with the singer alleging she was unable to release music until March 2016 due contractual disputes.
In a follow-up post, Banks shared email correspondence between herself and Kwatinetz, captioning the post as “The original lie.” In the email, Kwatinetz is shown discussing why the one-record deal with Prospect Park, writing that “never want to take advantage of [Banks] in any way”.
In a final 4×4, the Anna Wintour singer warns her fans of what Kwatinetz might do in the future. “He will most likely try to press more physicals. Do not purchase them,” she says. “Only when they are available via ME will you actually be able to support myself and the producers involved. Do not buy them via Spotify, Amazon, eBay or any other site until I give you the word.”
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While admittedly, she does sound a bit off the rails and historically is not one to shy away from outlandish and controversial opinions and fire-ups, fans are supporting the singer, alerting us mere mortals to the struggles of the notorious and perhaps defamed singer.
my heart goes out to azealia banks. she’s had it rough and despite being mostly independent her entire career along with being bullied by black male rappers, she made the most iconic bops of the last decade. she continues to make great music pic.twitter.com/DAnUwP9r0B
— 婊子 🔪✨ (@dumpling_butt) July 12, 2020
