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212 (song)

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"212"
Single by Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay
from the EP 1991 and the album Broke with Expensive Taste
ReleasedDecember 6, 2011 (2011-12-06)
Recorded2011
Genre
Length3:24
LabelSelf-released
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Lazy Jay
Azealia Banks singles chronology
"212"
(2011) 		"Liquorice"
(2012)
Music video
"212" on YouTube

"212" (pronounced "two-one-two") is the debut single by American rapper Azealia Banks. It features Lazy Jay, the alias of Belgian disc jockey Jef Martens and his brother Toon. Released on December 6, 2011, in the United Kingdom as the lead single for Banks' extended play 1991 (2012), "212" was later included in her debut studio album, Broke with Expensive Taste (2014). Built around Lazy Jay's track "Float My Boat", "212" has been described as a hip house, electro house, and dance rap track. The song reflects Banks' adolescence in Harlem, New York, and features her rapping over cunnilingus.

"212" has received acclaim from music critics, some of whom described it as one of the best tracks of the 2010s, with Billboard recognizing it as one of the songs that "defined the decade".[1] Initially released as a free download, "212" achieved commercial success in Europe, reaching the top 20 in the United Kingdom and charting in the Benelux region. A black-and-white music video was released on September 13, 2011, featuring Banks dancing and rapping to the song in front of a brick wall. It was praised by critics; many publications described it as one of the best music videos of the 2010s.

Background and release

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American rapper Azealia Banks began rapping after watching her high school boyfriend and his friends freestyle. She recalls, "I was just writing this little rap on the side. I spit it, and they were like, 'Oh shit, you can rap—you need to do that!'"[2] In 2009, Banks recorded "Gimme a Chance" and "Seventeen" and uploaded them to Myspace under the name Miss Banks.[3] DJ-producer Diplo helped connect her with XL Recordings after she sent him her song "Seventeen", leading the label to fly her to London for a development deal when she was seventeen.[2] However, Banks left the label in 2010 due to conflicting ideas.[4][5] She used YouTube as a platform to share several demo tracks, including "L8R" and a cover of Interpol's "Slow Hands".[6]

Banks began writing "212" in the middle of 2011, a month before getting evicted from her apartment in Dyckman Street in the Inwood neighborhood north of Harlem.[7] In May 2011, Banks released "212", her debut single, as a free digital download on her website,[8] and officially released it on December 6, 2011.[9] "212" is the lead single from her extended play 1991, which was released on May 28, 2012,[10][11] and is also featured on Banks' debut studio album, Broke with Expensive Taste, released on November 7, 2014.[12][13]

Composition

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"212"
The track features Banks rapping over lesbian sex and her hometown.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"212" is three minutes and 24 seconds long.[14] The song was written by Banks, Jef Martens and his brother Toon, the latter two also known by their alias Lazy Jay. Lazy Jay produced the track, while Nick Hook and Ric Mcrae worked as mixing engineers.[15][1] "212" has been described as a hip house,[16] electro house,[1] dance rap,[17] and rap track.[18] The song, written at 126 beats per minute,[19] samples the musical base of Lazy Jay's "Float My Boat", an instrumental house track.[1] The song title is a reference to the area code 212, which covers Manhattan, New York City, where Banks grew up.[20][21] According to Pitchfork's Carrie Battan, Banks delivers her vocals with "solid, straightforward flows, guttural yelps, top-shelf singing, triple-X raunch, and a smug talk-rap cadence".[22]

In the first section of "212", Banks raps over cunnilingus, set against electro beats. About halfway through, the beat recedes, which, according to Michael Cragg of The Guardian, allowed Banks to showcase her vocal abilities. In the final section, the beat evolves gradually and merges into a fusion of altered synths.[8][23] According to James McNally of the Journal of the Society for American Music, "212" "rearticulates the figure of the black female rapper and comments on white attraction to black women and fascination with black cultural forms, both in the realm of hip-hop and in broader American culture".[24] Banks makes multiple references to her place of origin, Harlem, using phrases such as "I was in the 212" and "on the uptown A".[25]

Critical reception

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"212" has received positive reviews from critics. Michael Cragg of The Guardian praised the song, describing it as "a startling three and a half minutes of attitude" and calling it "incredible". The Guardian ranked it number two on their list of The Best Songs of 2011.[26][23] Carrie Battan of Pitchfork named the song Best New Track, lauding Banks' "unpredictable vocal range". Battan wrote, "She clicks between characters and styles casually, effortlessly. No seams. A jaw-slackening demo reel".[22] Thomas H. Green of The Daily Telegraph described the track as "a potty-mouthed sex song that encapsulates the way the current US explosion in EDM has adapted and adopted European rave, mixing the style with hip-hop and R&B stylistic tics".[27] New Musical Express positioned "212" as number eighteen on their 50 Best Tracks Of 2011, calling it "mischievous, quick-witted and full of filthy cunnilanguage [...] it's made Azealia Banks the coolest girl on the planet, and it delivered on 2011's forward-thinking promise".[28]

NPR Music listed it as one of their 100 Favorite Songs of 2011, dubbing it "the raunchiest shut-down of 2011".[29] Pitchfork placed it at number nine on their Top 100 Tracks of 2011, stating, "If it were judged only on its visceral thrill, '212' would still be one of 2011's best, an unashamed banger in a mostly mid-tempo year. But the more you dig into the song, the more you can hear details and decisions that suggest a scary degree of pop talent".[30] In 2019, "212" was placed sixth in Pitchfork's list of the 200 Best Songs of the 2010s.[31] Billboard recognized the song as one of those that "defined the decade".[1] In 2021, Rolling Stone placed it at number 485 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.[16]

Music video

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A woman with pigtails talking to a male with glasses who is staring directly into the camera
Banks rapping to Greene, a scene from the music video

The music video for "212" was released on September 12, 2011, via YouTube. The video is three minutes and 25 seconds long.[32] It was filmed by the directors Vincent Tsang and Paul Labonté in Montréal, Canada, where Banks was living at the time.[36]

The video is shot in black-and-white and features Banks wearing a Mickey Mouse sweater and short shorts, dancing and rapping directly to the camera in front of a brick wall.[37][32] It includes two male supporting roles played by Montréal producers Jacques Greene and Lunice. Greene, wearing glasses and a plain white shirt, maintains eye contact with the camera, displaying a subtle smile and gently nodding his head in rhythm. Positioned on the right side of the frame, Banks engages in both rapping and dancing. At the beginning of the video, she adopts a neutral stance and expression towards Greene; however, as the A section progresses, her demeanor becomes more provocative. She smiles and dances enticingly alongside his left side, culminating in the lyric, "Bet you do want to fuck".[38] Lunice, meanwhile, performs a cheerful, slightly awkward, and subtly effeminate dance, with Banks observing him closely. The video concludes with Lunice, initially unaware of Banks, finally noticing her and appearing somewhat timid.[39]

The music video has been praised by critics, with Rolling Stone including it in their list of The 100 Greatest Music Videos,[40] Billboard naming it one of The 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 2010s,[41] and Pitchfork describing it as one of The 50 Best Music Videos of the Decade in 2014.[33] Rolling Stone described it as a "simple image that created a viral moment that felt equal parts endearing and intimidating",[42] while drag queen Jinkx Monsoon, reviewing for Billboard, described "212" as "one of the most brilliant music videos ever".[43]

Track listing

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Digital download[14]
  1. "212" – 3:25

Charts and certifications

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Release history

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Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom[63] December 6, 2011 Digital download Self-released
Canada[64] April 24, 2012 Interscope
United States[65]
United States[66] May 22, 2012 Rhythmic contemporary radio

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Lyons, Patrick (November 21, 2019). "Songs That Defined the Decade: Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay's '212'". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Syme, Rachel (April 11, 2015). "Wait, Azealia Banks just said what?". Billboard. Vol. 127, no. 10. pp. 32–28.
  3. ^ "Freeload: Miss Banks, "Seventeen" + "Gimme A Chance"". The Fader. February 6, 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  4. ^ Trammell, Matthew (May 8, 2017). "Richard Russell's XL Recordings Empire". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Michaels, Sean (July 11, 2014). "Azealia Banks 'free' from record deal with Universal". The Guardian. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Scott, Dominique (March 16, 2016). "20 of the Best Azealia Banks Songs". XXL Mag. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Weinstein, Max (July 13, 2017). "Azealia Banks Keeps It Real About Being Shut Out of the Music Industry". XXL Mag. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Tannenbaum, Rob (November 14, 2014). "How Azealia Banks's Broke With Expensive Taste Finally Got Released". Vulture. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  9. ^ "'212' by Azealia Banks". Apple Music (US). December 6, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "Azealia Banks". Apple Music (AU). March 10, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  11. ^ "1991". Apple Music (US). May 28, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Hutchinson, Kate (November 7, 2014). "The day that Azealia Banks shock-dropped her album and Adult Swim freaked us out". The Guardian. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  13. ^ Feeney, Nolan (November 7, 2014). "Review: Azealia Banks' 'Broke With Expensive Taste'". Time. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "1991 - EP: '212' (feat. Lazy Jay)". Apple Music (US). December 6, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  15. ^ "'212' (feat. Lazy Jay)". Apple Music (US). December 6, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Rolling Stone (February 16, 2024). "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Weiner, Jonah (June 20, 2012). "Azealia Banks, A$AP Rocky, TNGHT, and the End of Hip-Hop Regionalism". Slate. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  18. ^ Charlton, Lauretta (October 19, 2015). "Has Azealia Banks Trolled Her Way Out of a Career?". Slate. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  19. ^ Weiner, Jonah (June 20, 2012). "Azealia Banks, A$AP Rocky, TNGHT, and the End of Hip-Hop Regionalism". Slate. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Merrick, Rob (September 20, 2012). "Nick Clegg Dead Man Walking". The Northern Echo. p. 23.
  21. ^ Ketchum III, William E. (September 14, 2020). "The 100 Songs That Define NYC Rap and Hip-Hop, Ranked: It's not a sound, it's an attitude". New York.
  22. ^ a b c Battan, Carrie (October 14, 2011). "Azealia Banks: "212"". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (September 27, 2011). "New music: Azealia Banks – 212". The Guardian. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  24. ^ McNally 2016, p. 54.
  25. ^ McNally 2016, p. 69.
  26. ^ "The best songs of 2011". The Guardian. December 19, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  27. ^ Green, Thomas (October 11, 2012). "Azealia Banks, Concorde 2, Brighton, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  28. ^ "50 Best Tracks Of 2011". NME. December 9, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  29. ^ "NPR Music's 100 Favorite Songs Of 2011". NPR. December 14, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  30. ^ "The Top 100 Tracks of 2011". Pitchfork. December 12, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  31. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s". Pitchfork. October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  32. ^ a b "212 ft. Lazy Jay". Azealia Banks. March 6, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ a b "The 50 Best Music Videos of the Decade So Far (2010-2014)". Pitchfork. August 20, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  34. ^ "Ryan Hemsworth". Dazed. October 3, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  35. ^ McNally 2016, p. 61.
  36. ^ [33][34][35]
  37. ^ Ortved, John (February 1, 2012). "Azealia Banks, a Young Rapper Taking Cues From the Street". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  38. ^ McNally 2016, p. 66.
  39. ^ McNally 2016, p. 63.
  40. ^ "The 100 Greatest Music Videos". Rolling Stone. July 30, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  41. ^ "The 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 2010s: Staff Picks". Billboard. November 26, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  42. ^ Rolling Stone (August 10, 2023). "The 150 Greatest Hip-Hop Videos of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  43. ^ Crowley, Patrick (July 20, 2018). "Jinkx Monsoon Tributes Azealia Banks, Madonna & 'Bye Bye Birdie' in 'She Evil' Music Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  44. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles – Week Commencing 30th April 2012" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  45. ^ "ARIA Urban Singles Chart – Week Commencing 21st May 2012" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Australian Web Archive. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  46. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  47. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance.
  48. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  49. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in French). Ultratop Dance.
  50. ^ "Azealia Banks Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  51. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 212". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  52. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  53. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  54. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  55. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  56. ^ "JAAROVERZICHTEN 2012: Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop (NL). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  57. ^ "JAAROVERZICHTEN 2012: Dance" (in Dutch). Ultratop (NL). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  58. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2012" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  59. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 2012". BBC Radio 1. December 31, 2012. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  60. ^ "British single certifications – Azealia Banks ft Lazy Jay – 212". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  61. ^ Syme, Rachel (April 3, 2015). "Billboard Cover: Azealia Banks on Why No One Really Wants to See Her Naked, Her Impure Thoughts About Barack Obama and Why She's 'Not Here to Be Your Idol'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  62. ^ "Azealia Banks". Jango Radio. December 5, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  63. ^ [62][22][8]
  64. ^ "212 (2012) | Azealia Banks". Canada: 7digital. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  65. ^ "212 (2012) | Azealia Banks". United States: 7digital. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015.
  66. ^ "Top 40/R Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2024.

Bibliography

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