Arts & Entertainment
After apology, Azealia Banks doubles down on homophobia
In what might be described as a social media whirlwind over the last few days, controversial rapper Azealia Banks has apologized for one homophobic rant, before sending out a new one in a post that teased her retirement from music altogether.
It all started in October, when the 28-year-old Banks posted a video on Instagram in which she called out queer singer Frank Ocean a “dumbass n****” for launching a club event called “PrEP+” and implied that gay men use the drug as an excuse for promiscuous behavior.
In an expletive-laced rant, she said, “Clearly I have a lot of gay male friends. Do not take that PrEP shit, okay? There’s no reason for you to need to have a fucking pill so you can just fuck whoever you want to fuck and just be all fucking nasty out there on the streets acting a fucking fool.”
After suggesting that Ocean was “getting paid by some white gay corporation to do this shit,” she went on too add, ““Y’all stay off that fucking PrEP. You don’t need to have everybody running up in your fucking asshole all day. If you got a sex addiction like that, that you need a fucking pill so you can go fuck and suck and do all that, then you need to go see a fucking psychiatrist.”
At the time, Banks was heavily criticized for the video by LGBTQ and straight social media commenters alike. Then last week, just before Thanksgiving, the rapper made another Instagram post saying she was sorry for her previous outburst.
“Hey guys, So…. a few weeks ago I went on a rant about Pre-exposure prophylaxis meds and I am just doubling back to say…… I’m sorry,” she posted. “It’s not my place. It was extremely insensitive. Who cares if I meant well, that wasn’t the way. I’m really really sorry.”
Her change of heart was short-lived, however. Over the weekend, Banks doubled down on her homophobia in another Instagram story in which she also made a dig at fellow rapper Iggy Azalea – with whom she has a long-standing feud – and seemed to be announcing her departure from music altogether.
The post read:
“Lol, I love the gays and love how much y’all love me but I really have to eject. I think you guys are into a lot of shit/people I just don’t find value in. I find myself acknowledging/looking at shit I’m leagues above and it really is such a set back lol… I really, truly, honestly could not give a fuck about any of the people y’all suggest for me to collab with/acknowledge and I only do in efforts to humor y’all.
“When so many of you are on here begging me to collab and acknowledge random people/artists it’s too distracting and I cannot keep going thru my art/journey with y’all in my face 24/7…
“I really can’t allow y’all to keep throwing me in the bucket with Iggys/Tinashes/random drag queens just because I’m female and you guys play Barbie dream house with the names and create this culture of shared data.
“And it’s true… even though I’m DEFINITELY better than all these little trash bitches y’all stans try to collaging in with me…paying attention to any of it even for a second, is another second spent away from what I NEED TO BE DOING.
“So gays…… I bid you adieu…. These last 8 years were fun…. But I have to pull a Shia LaBeouf and delete this thing. It’s clear that so many of these girls feed off my art, But when I’m doubling back to snatch crumbs out their mouths it stops my journey forward.
“I’m like a giant baking pies and eating cakes trying to fault mice for collecting crumbs. Gotta leave the crumbs on the floor and let the eco-system do what it does. Azealia Banks is leaving the forest so you tree ass bitches can fall in silence.
“Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. It’s been real.”
Though she has previously identified as bisexual, Banks has a long history of homophobic comments. A Google search for “Azealia Banks + homophobia” yields a list of incidents dating back several years.
She has also announced her retirement before. In June, she claimed to be stepping away from music in a post that said, “[I]T DOESNT MATTER HOW GOOD MY MUSIC IS I KNOW YOU GUYS DONT DESERVE IT. YOU WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER BODY OF AZEALIA BANKS WORK AGAIN. HEAR ME!?!,” two months before releasing a new project titled “YUNG RAPUNXEL PT II.”
In a similar display of consistency, the rapper posted yet another Instagram story on December 2, this time saying, “Now I’m going back to LA to finish some music and just finish some videos. Prepare you bitches for another year of not being able to take Azealia Banks.”
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(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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