When her fans least expected it, Azealia Banks pulled a magic trick and released her long-awaited debut Broke With Expensive Taste to iTunes on Thursday. If you didn’t purchase your copy, the album is now available to stream on Spotify.
The Harlem spitfire serves up 16 tracks including her breakout hit “212” and “Heavy Metal and Reflective,” plus material from her 2012 mixtape Fantasea. She keeps the guest list to a minimum, enlisting Lazy Jay and Theophilus London, who appears on “JFK.”
BWET experienced several delays since September 2012. It was finally released independently by Banks and Prospect Park after she split from Universal Music over the summer.
“I know this is hella petty, but I need y’all to know that I a&r’d that record myself.. No help from polydor or interscope,” Banks told her Kunt Brigade. “I am the executive producer, everything…. my blood sweat and tears literally went into the making of this album.”
Stream BWET below and head to Azealia’s Tumblr page for the lyrics.