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Azealia Banks Pens Lengthy Open Letter to Sarah Palin After Lawsuit Threat: ‘I Actually Really Like You’

Azealia Banks and Sarah Palin
Azealia Banks (left) and Sarah Palin

Azealia Banks penned a lengthy open Tumblr letter to Sarah Palin on Tuesday, April 5, following the former Alaska governor’s threat to sue, and the rapper claimed in her apology note that she is actually a fan of the politico.

“Dear Sarah Palin, I hope this message reaches you in good spirits and in good health,” the “212” rapper, 24, wrote on Tumblr. “I want to start this letter off by telling you that I actually, really like you. While many other American people may see you as someone to be ridiculed, I truly believe that you possess a certain ‘je ne sais quoi,’ (a french term which is often interpreted to denote one’s inexplicable charisma.) … There is something very charismatic and misunderstood about you. The misunderstood bit oftentimes reminds me of myself. You’re very passionate about the things you believe in, super determined, and most certainly aware of who you are and where you stand in this world, as a parent, as a politician, but most importantly, as a woman.”

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Banks went on to pinpoint the source of her own outburst: a satirical article that fake-quoted Palin as saying something incredibly offensive. Without grasping the full scope of the situation, Banks had railed against Palin earlier in the day and tweeted some incredibly NSFW and gruesome comments about how Palin should “get headf–ked by a big veiny, ashy, black d–k,” while being filmed. Banks added in her now-deleted tweets that she “would never wish a woman to be raped,” but figured someone should “‘BANG’ as in bang some sense into that ho.”

Palin, who caught wind of the violent remarks, replied to Banks via Facebook on Tuesday: “In this life, you’re blessed to have been given an influential platform. So have I. Why don’t we strengthen both our platforms and work together on something worthwhile – like condemning racism, along with empowering young women to defend themselves against a most misogynist, degrading, devastating assault perpetrated by evil men – rape.” The 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate also threatened to sue Banks for her “dangerous” attack in a statement to People.

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A contrite Banks publicly apologized to Palin hours later. “Now since learning that the article was not published officially, I sincerely apologize for any emotional distress or reputational scarring i may have caused you,” the artist wrote. “In my honest defense, i was completely kidding. I happen to have a really crass, New-York-City sense of humor, and regularly make silly jokes in attempts to make light of situations which make me uncomfortable. As the fabric of the American Nation is EMBEDDED with racism, I merely made a raCIALly driven joke to counter what i believed to be real, raCIST rhetoric.”

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However, Banks took up several issues with Palin’s response to her tweets. “I never said you should be raped. I used the term ‘run a train,’ which is slang for group sex, NOT for ‘rape,'” she wrote, adding later: “I am an EXTREMELY intelligent woman, Mrs. Palin. ‘Hey Female Rapper,’ was your way to euphemize what you REALLY wanted to say. What you wanted to say was, ‘Hey little Stereotypical Black, Thing!'”

In all, the outspoken rapper wanted to make one point clear. “I cherish my ability to express myself freely, yet remain totally aware that for every action, there will be a reaction. All in All, Woman to Woman, I hope you will accept my sincerest apology.”

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