Over the weekend, Azealia Banks shocked fans by pledging her support for Donald Trump. Now, the ‘Count Contessa’ rapper is blasting heavy vitriol at Hillary Clinton.
As part of a string of abusive tweets, Banks blasted the Democratic front-runner as a ‘racist’ and a ‘murderous butch queen,’ while blaming the Clintons for wrecking black communities in the 90s.
The last part of that tweet addresses a heavily pro-enforcement, ‘no tolerance’ 1994 Crime Bill passed under Bill Clinton’s presidency, with mandatory, long-term incarcerations disproportionately impacting black men. The bill, a response to surging levels of violent crime and deteriorating urban blight, has become a new flashpoint in the Black Lives Matters movement.
The Twitter tirade is undoubtedly raw, though it may be unearthing some introspection within the black community. For decades, Democrats have largely enjoyed the support of black communities, as well as other minority groups. That includes the Clintons, with Bill receiving uncanny support among African-Americans.
Now, with serious questions of progress and a lingering stink of racism, the question is whether candidates like Clinton can continue to rely on that support. Republicans, long considered the party of privileged whites, are also undergoing a major overhaul, thanks largely to Trump. Perhaps one outcome is a greater split among black voters, long considered a unified group amongst political strategists.
Whether it’s fair to pin the blame on Clinton (and Democrats at large) is another question. The ’94 Crime Bill was largely bi-partisan, with critical support coming from a number of high-profile black mayors. It’s also been credited with helping to rejuvenate urban areas and reverse ‘white flight,’ though extreme sentences for relatively minor (often drug-related) offenses are rightfully a focus of reform.
Those nuances may be ebbing in 2016, where ugly questions of police brutality and racism against black people are now front-and-center. “The 1994 crime has broken the black family unit apart,” Banks continued. “Those effects are still crippling us.”
Adapted image of Hillary Clinton in Public Domain.
…because Trump is definitely not a racist.
I would probably agree with any anti-Clinton statement because USA is in deep shit just like The Music Industry on UMG induced suicide (steady) walk!
Out of all the possibilities we had, TRUMP is probably the only hope
(NOT GUARANTIED) to prevent us from walk over the cliff inertia!
AFAIAC, you just tossed your rationality. I don’t know if this should surprise me, given your one-note symphony on how to fix the music biz.
Boring news day ehh Paiulie? How is this related to digital music
Yeah, don’t blame the actual communities for damaging themselves. Banks needs to make a deposit in the brain department.
I really like her music…but I think she’s stupid as a post
It’s a suicide mission on the horizon ; a legendary terror story up inside this American bullshit. The X slave is inside the sleeper cell calm and wordless– quiet . This motherfucker has butcher knives sharp as a steel blade of glass . AK’s , Uzis , bushmasters and a one way goddamn ticket to New York City. He has a black suitcase which he hand crafted himself from scratch out of an old body bag. . .
Hillary is for racial embetterment as she proudly supports Planned Parenthood. Putting abortion clinics in African American neighborhoods and statistics reveal more Black babies are aborted as easy access. Hillary is well known as the Bride of Frankenfood. She is so webbed in with Hillary Monsanto’s chemical / bio tech agriculture company she hired their longtime lobbyists, Jerry Crawford, as her campaign advisor. Hillary promotes toxic Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) in our food supply in exchange for donations. Nasty business to promote GMO’s containing Roundup aka Glyphosate a Neurotoxin known to cause tumors in animals. Haiti knows better as they rejected Monsanto’s GMO “seeds of death” that Hillary promotes. No thanks for poisons in our food in exchange for Hillary and Monsantos making profits.