Azealia Banks, live at The Academy

Azealia Banks brought her distinctive brand of pop-infused rap from the 212 to Dublin 1. Her return to the capital attracted a sold-out crowd to the Academy, all eager to hear the latest offerings from Harlem’s hottest.
The rhymer arrived to a riotous reception in a black lycra catsuit, white platform boots and new 40” weave. She seized the room’s attention from the get-go with the Prodigy-sampling ‘Out Of Space’, and then flitted effortlessly between rapid-fire rap and catchy pop. She’s waged Twitter war with everyone from The Stone Roses and Angel Haze to Perez Hilton and Amanda Brunker, and in the flesh is every bit as aggressive and arresting, spitting her lyrics out with genuine venom.
The set was dominated by material from her forthcoming, long-awaited album Broke With Expensive Taste. Stand-outs included ‘No Problems’ and, inspired by her tresses-related nickname, ‘Yung Rapunxel’.
She whipped the floor into a frenzy with her penultimate tune, the gloriously hyperactive ‘212’, before reprising the lyrics of ‘Yung Rapunxel’ into a megaphone – with fans chanting the refrain in response – as a joyous finale. The short set – it’s what young rappers do – left the ‘Kunt Brigade’ craving for more of the self-styled Liquorice Bitch. Azealia’s really beginning to live up to all the hype...