A 'stale white nation' with a 'trash' music industry: Azealia Banks' fresh swipe at Australia

Azealia Banks says Australia's "unimportant" music culture stems from its colonial ties and the maltreatment of its First Nations people.

American rapper Azealia Banks has the described the Australian arts scene as "untalented, uncultured and unneeded". Source: Getty / Katja Ogrin/Redferns

Key Points

• Azealia Banks says Australia is "one of the most culturally stale white nations on the planet".
• She also described its music industry as "trash".
• The outburst comes months after Banks wrapped her Australian tour, vowing never to return.

Months after vowing never to return to Australia, American rapper Azealia Banks has taken another swipe, labelling the nation "one of the most culturally stale white nations on the planet" and its music industry "trash".

The outspoken artist said Australia's problems stemmed from its colonial ties and maltreatment of its First Nations people.

"Australia's music industry isn't exactly heralded by the heads of government as a coveted cultural export," the 31-year-old posted in a rant across multiple pages on her Instagram.

"I don't think they realise how unimportant they are as far as music culture goes because they're deluded with the idea that their whiteness makes Australia an A Market, when it's truly a C-D market."

Azealia Banks left Australia furious in December when a tour went wrong for the artist, promoters and fans. Source: Getty / Tim Mosenfelder

Banks, who was raised in the Harlem neighbourhood of New York, said Australia was "a vacuum of off-brand British culture" and accused the country of looking to the United Kingdom and the United States for ideas.

"The reason the Australian music industry and Australian culture is so trash is BECAUSE of their country's historical post colonial obsession," she said.

"They have actually created one of the most culturally stale white nations on the planet.

"Someone has GOT to tell the Australian music industry that absolutely no one on earth takes it seriously."

The rapper went on to label the Australian arts community as "untalented, uncultured and unneeded".

"Music talent is just not in the gene pool," she added.

"Y'all stomped all the blackness out of Australia — which is why your music exports suck, and we don't feel bad for you."

Banks' Australian tour in December was a whirlwind fortnight of concert cancellations, social media spats, plus accusations of racism and stinginess.

At the time, the singer lashed out at promoters Bizarro and Point Blank Group on her Instagram stories, accusing them of failing to pay her for shows and describing them as "pubic lice".

"Y'all white people down here are broke and racist," she posted at the time.

Bizarro said her claims were "entirely false" and described their experience working with Banks as "the most physically and draining experience" in the industry.

Banks' rift with Australia goes back even beyond that, with the rapper describing crowds at the 2015 Splendour in the Grass festival as "violent and belligerent".