Arts & Entertainment
Azealia Banks accuses RuPaul of plagiarizing her song ‘The Big Big Beat’
Spotify removed the ‘American’ album from its platform
Azealia Banks in ‘The Big Big Beat’ (Screenshot via YouTube)
Azealia Banks has claimed Spotify removed RuPaul’s album “American” from its streaming service due to Banks alleging that RuPaul plagiarized her song “The Big Big Beat” on his song “Call Me Mother.”
“Lol I got rupauls ripoff of the big big beat .. ‘call me mother’ removed. You will not step on my little black girl toes bitch. You will take your razor bumps and pumps to the nearest laser hair removal clinic and seethe. @RuPaul BYE UGLY!” Banks tweeted.
“Lol now that I’m filing claims RuPaul wants to reach out. But where was that energy when you were stealing my work and using me as inspiration for your campy ass television show? I’m disappointed in him first and foremost as a black person. He was supposed to have my back,” she continued. “But he went with popular white gay sentiment and felt like I was disposable enough to steal from and discard. Fuck him.”
Lol I got rupauls ripoff of the big big beat .. “call me mother” removed. You will not step on my little black girl toes bitch. You will take your razor bumps and pumps to the nearest laser hair removal clinic and seethe. @RuPaul BYE UGLY! ??
— CHEAPY XO (@cheapyxo) June 2, 2018
Lol now that I’m filing claims RuPaul wants to reach out. But where was that energy when you were stealing my work and using me as inspiration for your campy ass television show? I’m disappointed in him first and foremost as a black person. He was supposed to have my back
— CHEAPY XO (@cheapyxo) June 2, 2018
But he went with popular white gay sentiment and felt like I was disposable enough to steal from and discard. Fuck him
— CHEAPY XO (@cheapyxo) June 2, 2018
RuPaul’s “American” album was removed from Spotify over the weekend but was still available for streaming on iTunes, Apple Music, Tidal and Pandora. However, Spotify has now put “American” back on its platform.
Banks said on Twitter that “American” would be removed from Apple Music “very soon.”
It’s coming down VERY soon. Spotify agreed it is a rip off and Apple is still litigating. Bye ugly! https://t.co/qWkVz3HEJt
— CHEAPY XO (@cheapyxo) June 2, 2018
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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