Azealia Banks has traded New York for Tel Aviv, where she insists she’s finally found a creative community that isn’t trying to sabotage her over her opinions.
In a post to X on Tuesday (Oct. 6), the Harlem native revealed she made the move.
“Moving in,” she wrote with a photo of her new place. “If you would have told me years ago id end up moving to Tel Aviv and liking it, I would have said youre crazy.”
After receiving some mixed feedback, the outspoken rapper shared why she loves the city and its art scene in particular.
“Tel Aviv to New York is the exact same distance as New York to LA. Yall are acting like i moved to Australia lol,” she said. “Im 5 hours away and here making my album FINALLY. I found some real camaraderie and some really cool music crew here and its ironically just been easier to create here because Israel’s arts scene is really mature.”
She added she’s been able to collaborate without some of the interpersonal conflicts she feels have made creating music more difficult elsewhere.
“People arent witholding stems and holding grudges about social issues and its freeing,” she wrote. “Everyone in Israel thinks my political opinions fucking suck and think i have trash taste in men but no one is trying to sabotage me for that.. This is the most creatively enabled ive felt in years.”
She continued to defend her decision to relocate after one Israeli user responded to her saying, “Girl, I’m telling you this as an israeli – seek help. Everybody normal I know is looking for a way to escape this hellhole.”
Azealia pushed back, writing, “That’s how you know a city is alive. The movement of people in and out of a city. So many Israelis want to be in New York and so many New Yorkers want to be in Tel Aviv.”
The move marks a significant shift in Azealia’s relationship with Israel. She first performed in the country in 2018 at Tel Aviv’s Barby nightclub, but was later adamant she’d never return after alleging that she experienced racist treatment there. Despite that, though, she went on to perform in Israel twice more.
Azealia is scheduled to perform at the Tel Aviv Amphitheater on Thursday (Oct. 8), marking her first performance in the country since making it her new home.
Check out her full posts about moving below.
See Azealia Banks Reveal She’s Moved to Israel
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