Album Review: Azealia Banks – Broke With Expensive Taste

Was the 2 year delay worth the wait, or comes the surprise release of Azealia Banks’ debut album ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’ too late? 
If we’re being completely honest, we had given up on the big Azealia Breakthrough a few months back, after the singer announced her in 2012-anticipated debut album, kept being delayed and the young Harlem rapper felt more at home having online twitter rants than releasing new music. But Hallelujah two years laters Banks doing a bit of a Beyonce on us by finally releasing her debut studio album. Consisting of 16 tracks, Banks is ready to prove she’s got what it takes and determined to make the big break through happen.

If you liked Azealia’s 2013 released Mixtape ‘Fantasea’ you’ve already had a glimpse of what this young lady is capable of. ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’ is in a similar line, packed with surprises, dirty beats and Banks ‘dirty’ rap. There’s potential for a string of hits, which combines the best of Azealia’s rappings skills and her modern house music production. Album opener ‘Iddle Delilah’ is a cacophony of musical styles but certainly doesn’t disappoint. In fact it’s Banks statement for showcasing she’s got a few things on her sleeve and she’s determined to put her stamp on several genres. ‘Gimme A Chance’ e.g. transforms in an humongous latino track with Banks rapping her heart out in Spanish.

Though her Pharrell-featured ATM Jam is better best forgotten and nowwhere to be seen on the album, BAnks found room for an unusual dance duet with Theophilus London on JFK, kicking off the party Broke with Expensive Taste eventually turns out to be. Proving she’s at her best when she does the rapping and house music together, her biggest smash to date, ‘212’,  which two years after its original release, still sounds as  fresh as a daisy kicks off a string of  tracks (Wallace’, ‘Heavy Metal and Reflective, BBd) in which Banks takes you to the edgy underground clubscene ready to give you the night out of your life. But the best is yet to come. And simply when you don’t expect it she hits you with the biggest surprises on the album when ‘Ice Princess’ and ‘Chasing Time’ pass along, both productions who scream for status of future single. And just when you think it can’t get better than it is, Azealia revives the Californian beach wave music with ‘Nude Beach Go Go’, undoubtedly our favourite track of the whole album by miles!

Asking ourselves, if the two year delay was worth the wait would be silly, but believe you me, if this is what Azealia Banks comes up with if she’s doing her own thing, we don’t care how long she postpones future music. Even though we do hope for some consistency in singles from now on.

‘Broke With Expensive Taste’ is out now digitally worldwide.

Our picks: Gimme A Chance,  212, Ice Princess, Chasing Time, Nude Beach Go Go, Miss Amor, Miss Camaraderie

Listen to the Broke With Expensive Taste Album Teaser below: