Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Rapper Azealia Banks apologizes for racist rant on Zayn

Rapper Azealia Banks has apologized for a stream of racist and Islamophobic invective against former One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik that led Twitter to suspend her.

Banks, who has long been notorious for provocative social media postings and has rarely voiced remorse, offered her “sincerest apologies to the world” in a posting on Instagram, where her account remains active.


“Employing racial/sexual slurs/stereotypes in attempts to make fun of or degrade another person or group is not fair or fun for anyone,” wrote Banks, who performed Sunday in Istanbul.

“Allowing my anger to get the best of me, I’ve managed to insult millions of people without reason. And for that I give my deepest apologies,” she wrote late Saturday.

Banks, who is African American, used a series of epithets targeting Muslims in a rant on Twitter late Tuesday against Zayn, whom she accused of copying her style in his new racy look after One Direction.

Banks on one point gloated that the US military would kill the family of Zayn, a Briton who is partially of Pakistani descent and is one of the most high-profile Muslims in Western pop culture.

Twitter suspended her account on Thursday, pointing to its policy against “abusive tweets and behavior.”

Banks initially defended herself, suggesting that she was singled out as an African American woman and saying she was upset that Zayn —who has gone only by his first name since leaving the boy band—refused to engage with her over her criticism.

Banks, who did not mention Zayn by name in her apology, also clarified one point from her insults—she had no problem with curry, one of the terms she used to berate him.

She said she was repeating a joke from her native New York—where nearly half of cab drivers were born in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan—that taxis smelled like curry.

“I feel compelled to clear the air with curry itself because that’s a bridge I don’t want to burn. I still want to be able to enjoy it freely without guilt or judgment,” she wrote.

Banks has previously used homophobic language and called for the burning down of buildings owned by descendants of slave traders, remarks that drew controversy but did not lead to her suspension from Twitter.

She has also raised eyebrows by supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, a fellow enthusiast of acerbic Twitter postings who has little support among minorities.

More For You

Protesters rally against China's planned mega-embassy in London

A protestor is detained by the police during a demonstration against the proposed site of the new Chinese Embassy, outside Royal Mint Court, in London. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

Protesters rally against China's planned mega-embassy in London

HUNDREDS of demonstrators protested at a site earmarked for Beijing's controversial new embassy in London over human rights and security concerns.

The new embassy -- if approved by the UK government -- would be the "biggest Chinese embassy in Europe", one lawmaker said earlier.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian man arrested in US for alleged sexual assault

Singh is charged with “assault with sexual motivation” (Photo for representation: iStock)

Indian man arrested in US for alleged sexual assault

AN INDIAN national is among four persons arrested by US immigration authorities over charges related to sexual assault.

Jaspal Singh, 29, an Indian citizen was arrested on January 29 in Tukwila, Washington.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer sacks minister over WhatsApp messages

Andrew Gwynne (Photo: UK parliament)

Starmer sacks minister over WhatsApp messages

A Labour party lawmaker said he regretted "badly misjudged" comments after prime minister Keir Starmer sacked him as a minister.

It is the latest bump in the road Starmer's government has hit in its first seven months in power despite a landslide election victory in July last year.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-bjp-reuters

BJP supporters celebrate in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters)

Modi's BJP wins Delhi assembly election after 27 years

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that "development had won" as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victory in Delhi’s local elections, ending a 27-year gap since it last controlled the capital’s legislature.

"Development has won, good governance has won," Modi said after Delhi’s former chief minister, a key opposition leader, conceded defeat.

Keep ReadingShow less