Erykah Badu has this thing about the Internet where sometimes she fuckin’ owns it. She brings all of her down-home Dallas b-girl voodoo swag and keeps it all the way real with ordinary boring-ass humans who try to come for her. And the occasional group of traveling nuns:
Over the weeknd, Azealia Banks made the unfortunate life choice to question Badu’s taste in music. Never mind that this is an artist who’s got 19 more Grammy nominations and four more albums than Banks, the immensely talented but hopelessly troubled 23-year-old Harlemite who’s more known for fighting on Twitter than releasing the signature brand of so-called "witch hop" she claims to be pioneering. Anyway. Here’s what had happened:
One of Badu’s fans asked her on Twitter if she listens to Banks’ music, and she replied honestly with one telling word:
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Tried "@pradahungry: Does @fatbellybella listen to azealia banks? Always wanted to know"
rnt– ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) February 12, 2015
And then Banks, who obviously trolls Twitter for any and every mention of her own name, responded by accusing Badu of throwing shade and being jealous:
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@fatbellybella @pradahungry lol, what’s the shade?
rnt– AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) February 14, 2015
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@fatbellybella ….. Jealousy.
rnt– AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) February 14, 2015
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When artists grow old and begin to recognize their own mortality they throw shade at younger spirits
rnt– AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) February 14, 2015
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We see it happen ALL the time.
rnt– AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) February 14, 2015
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Whether or not you like me… You are WATCHING, and that’s what’s most important.
rnt– AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) February 14, 2015
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And then Badu, watching her timeline blow up with the petulant rants of a frustrated artist who thinks that 43 is old, got even realer by turning on her location (she was Queens, a train ride away from Banks’ beloved Harlem):
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@fatbellybella I’m cool, I was just trying to make sure you were cool…. ??
rnt– AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) February 14, 2015
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That had all of Black Twitter reppin’ hard for Badu like:
Fans even invoked T.I., who’s been on the receiving end of a few of Banks’ rants:
Then Banks committed the cardinal sin of coming for Badu’s oils and headwraps. Girl. You never come for another black woman’s oils and headwraps. That’s just Combahee River Collective-style Black Feminism 101:
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@fatbellybella @bhrisbrown lol you just keep rocking ur head wraps and buying ur musky oils off the table on 125th.
rnt– AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) February 15, 2015
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To which all the black people watching were just like:
This isn’t the first time that Badu has subtly and swiftly slayed people on the Internet. Remember back in 2008 when she told salty bloggers hating on her third pregnancy to "kiss my placenta?" Yeah, this was almost that good. We luh you, Ms. Badu:
