5 Reasons Why You Should Listen To Azealia Banks’ New ‘1991’ Mixtape

After breaking out with viral-as-hell “212”, Azealia Banks quickly became one of the music biz’s hottest commodity. Now, she’s followed up with her first EP/mixtape titled 1991, which blends melodic rap with crazy beats. Reminiscent of Missy Elliot, Miss Banks has the attitude to match her sassy lyrics and some seriously enviable style to boot.

But, if you’re still borderline with your opinion on Miss Banks and her new sampler, we decided to do the hard work for you and give you these 5 reasons why you need to check her out, STAT:

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1. Modern-day Missy Elliot – Each song, with the exception of “212”, will leave listeners thinking they’ve just listened to a Missy Elliot track. Banks raps in a melodic style accompanied by beats that sound like radio jams from the late 90s. #Awesome.
2. Her Lyrics Match Her Personality – Her brazen lyrics go hand in hand with her saucy attitude. She’s voiced her opinions about fellow rappers Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, and Kreayshawn; she’s even gone after rap heavyweights like T.I. And Lil’ Kim. Read any article or interview with Azealia Banks and you’ll see that she isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
3. Miss Banks Has Style For Days – She isn’t tame when it comes to style either. Take for instance the long-haired, shaggy fur jacket and the multi-strap platform goth boots she wore while traipsing around Coachella.
4. Sexuality Isn’t An Issue – While many rappers today still spout homophobic lyrics or many refuse to address the topic at all, Banks will and does. Hit song “212” explores it and Azealia openly admits that she’s bisexual.
5. Girlfriend is the epitome of persistence – She was dropped by XL Records after execs heard “212”, in which afterwards she told SPIN that she had written the track with the purpose for her to not get the boot from the label. Well, she pushed through and now she’s signed with Universal Music. Not too shabby!

And Azealia, if you’re reading this, long story short–we totally heart you over here at the office.

[Image via The Hundreds]