| Fantasea | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Mixtape by | ||||
| Released | July 11, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2010–2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:49 | |||
| Label | Self-released | |||
| Producer |
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| Azealia Banks chronology | ||||
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Fantasea is the debut mixtape by American rapper Azealia Banks, released as a free download on July 11, 2012. [5] [6]
Banks first announced the possibility of a mixtape on May 10, when she tweeted, "So y'all will be getting, 1991 EP this month, the FANTASTIC mixtape for the summer, and Broke With Expensive Taste, in the Fall". [7] On May 30, Banks took to Twitter again to announce her plans to alter the title of the mixtape from Fantastic to Fantasea. [8] Banks released the album cover of "Fantasea" via Instagram on July 9. Banks later confirmed that Fantasea would have 18 tracks (15 originals and 3 remixes). Via Twitter, Banks spoke on the mixtape saying "Fantasea is almost kind of a first album of sorts....but it happened by mistake.... It's weird". "This is a test run... I tried a lot of cool things... Sounds I thought were progressive, beats made by close friends, different flowsss." [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   [10] |
| MSN Music (Expert Witness) |  [11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10 [1] |
| Respect. | favorable [12] |
| The Source | favorable [13] |
| Spin | 8/10 [14] |
| Sputnikmusic | [15] |
Fantasea garnered highly positive reviews from music critics. The Guardian's Graeme Virtue wrote that the mixtape "showcase[s] an artist brimming with ideas" and gave it a rating of four stars (out of five). [16] Spin gave the album a rating of 8 out of 10 and wrote that the album "makes her [Banks] sounds mega-industrious." [14]
On May 11, 2012, Banks released the track "Jumanji" online as a free digital download. Produced by Hudson Mohawke and Nick Hook, the track served as the first song set to feature on the upcoming mixtape. [17] A second track, "Aquababe"—produced by EPROM and Machinedrum—was released online on June 13. [18] Ahead of its release on July 11, Banks released a third track, "Nathan" on June 30. Featuring American rapper Styles P, "Nathan" was produced by Drums of Death. [19] Azealia spoke on the song Nathan saying "I'm that rap girl who's out here and doesn't have another rapper behind her, but she's got all this mouth and she's all over the place, So [this collaboration] was cool for me [because I'm like] 'What ya'll gonna say now, when I bust out with that Styles P record?' Ya'll not gon' call me fake and make fun of me for having one song. Yeah, I make lil' dance music and ya'll got jokes, whatever—watch when I come out with the Styles P record." [20] Banks released the song "Neptune" featuring Shystie online on July 10, 2012. She also released music videos for "Luxury" and "Atlantis" on September 27 and November 11, 2012, respectively. [21] [22]
"Esta Noche" was planned to be released as the mixtape's first official single on September 25, 2012, but due to the song's producer, Munchi, refusing to give permission for the track's release, the plans were cancelled. [23] [24]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Out of Space" | Liam Howlett [lower-alpha 1] | 2:34 |
| 2. | "Neptune" (featuring Shystie) | Ikonika [lower-alpha 2] | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Atlantis" | O/W/W/W/L/S | 2:29 |
| 4. | "Fantasea" | Machinedrum [lower-alpha 3] | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Fuck Up the Fun" | Diplo, DJ Master D | 2:25 |
| 6. | "Ima Read" | Zebra Katz [lower-alpha 4] | 1:02 |
| 7. | "Fierce" | Drums of Death [lower-alpha 5] | 3:14 |
| 8. | "Chips" | O/W/W/W/L/S | 3:48 |
| 9. | "Nathan" (featuring Styles P) | Drums of Death | 3:24 |
| 10. | "L8R" | Machinedrum | 2:42 |
| 11. | "Jumanji" | Hudson Mohawke, Nick Hook | 2:55 |
| 12. | "Aquababe" | EPROM & Machinedrum [lower-alpha 6] | 3:45 |
| 13. | "Runnin'" | Lunice | 3:30 |
| 14. | "Us" | O/W/W/W/L/S | 2:46 |
| 15. | "Paradiso" | RRXL [lower-alpha 7] | 0:49 |
| 16. | "Luxury" | Machinedrum [lower-alpha 8] | 2:45 |
| 17. | "Azealia (Skit)" | Lone | 1:03 |
| 18. | "Esta Noche" | Munchi [lower-alpha 9] | 3:14 |
| 19. | "Salute" | AraabMuzik [lower-alpha 10] | 1:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18. | "No Problems" | Azealia Banks | 4:14 |
Travis Stewart, better known as Machinedrum, is an American electronic record producer and performer from North Carolina. He is also known as Syndrone and Tstewart. He is one half of Sepalcure, with Praveen Sharma, one half of JETS, with Jimmy Edgar, as well as half of Dream Continuum with Jim Coles, a.k.a. Om Unit.
"Get It On Tonite" is the lead single released from American singer turned pastor Montell Jordan's fourth album, Get It On...Tonite (1999). The song was produced by Brian "Lilz" Palmer and Sergio "PLX" Moore, who used a sample of Claudja Barry's 1976 single "Love for the Sake of Love".
Matt Cutler, better known as Lone, is a British electronic musician from Nottingham, England.
Azealia Amanda Banks is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. She subsequently signed with Interscope and Polydor Records before separating in 2013. Banks became an independent artist and started her own independent record label, Chaos & Glory Recordings. She later signed to Parlophone and Warner Records before quitting her label in 2023.
Rajiv Münch, better known by his stage name Munchi, is a Dutch producer and DJ of Dominican descent, born and raised in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He is credited to have made "the first truly original work" for moombahton, taking "the sound to the next level" and being the originator of moombahcore. Even though Munchi is credited mainly for moombahton, it was his versatility and unique production style that brought him into public attention. Notably producing a wide selection of genres and incorporating these elements in his music. This is best represented in the Murda Sound debut on T&A Records, consisting of a wide variety of genres doing Munchi's versatility justice. In December 2010 Munchi was featured with 3 tracks on M.I.A.'s Vicki Leekx mixtape, and in July 2012 on Azealia Banks' Fantasea mixtape, with the track "Esta Noche."
1991 is the debut EP by American rapper Azealia Banks. It was first released on May 28, 2012, in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records and a day later in the United States by Interscope Records. Its lead single, "212", preceded its release on December 6, 2011. Its second single, "Liquorice", was released on December 4, 2012. Banks also released music videos for every song, including the non-singles "1991" and "Van Vogue".
"Liquorice" is a song by American rapper Azealia Banks, taken from her debut extended play (EP) titled 1991 (2012). The song was released onto Banks' Tumblr account on December 18, 2011, and was later released for digital download on December 4, 2012. Built around Lone's song "Pineapple Crush", "Liquorice" is an acid house track that incorporates synthesizers in its composition. Lyrically, the song contains wordplay from Harlem, Banks' origin, and is inspired by interracial dating. A music video for the single was directed by Rankin and was released in June 2012.
Broke with Expensive Taste is the only studio album by American rapper Azealia Banks, released on November 7, 2014. In 2011, Banks started working on the album despite not having signed to a record label at that time. A year later, she signed a contract deal with Interscope and Polydor Records to work on the album. However, she felt dissatisfied with the labels' representatives and consequently, she ended the contract with the labels in July 2014 and signed to Prospect Park. After being delayed for over two years, Broke with Expensive Taste was released by Banks herself and Prospect Park via Caroline Records without any prior announcements.
American rapper Azealia Banks has released one studio album, two extended plays (EPs), three mixtapes, twenty-six singles and twelve promotional singles. At the age of seventeen in November 2008, Banks adopted the stage name Miss Bank$ and signed to XL Recordings. However, she ended the contract with the label quickly afterwards due to conflicting ideas. In 2009, Banks released several songs onto the internet for free download, including "Gimme a Chance" and "Seventeen". Following her departure from XL Recordings, Banks dropped her stage name, opting to use her legal name, Azealia Banks.
"Heavy Metal and Reflective" is a song recorded by American rapper Azealia Banks for her debut studio album Broke with Expensive Taste (2014). It was released as the second single from the album on July 28, 2014. Production of the song was handled by Lil Internet, who previously worked with Banks on her 2013 single "Yung Rapunxel", while writing came from Banks and James Strife. The track received generally mixed reviews from critics, who complimented the song's overall sound, but were critical of Banks' vocals. To promote "Heavy Metal and Reflective", Banks released a music video for the song on August 5, 2014, directed by Rob Soucy and Nick Ace, in which Banks escapes from being kidnapped and left in the desert, before leading a motorcycle gang through the terrain, arming herself with pit bulls.
American rapper Azealia Banks has appeared in twenty-three music videos, two films, one television program and two commercials. As a teenager, Banks studied at the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan. A film opportunity arose through the school, and at the age of fourteen, Banks featured in the film The American Ruling Class, portraying a singer and a dancer in a cameo role. In 2010, Banks' first music video was released for a demo track titled "L8R", which would go on to be included on her debut mixtape Fantasea two years later. The following year, Banks' second music video was released for her breakout single "212", and has since amassed over two-hundred million views on Banks' official YouTube channel. During the promotional campaign of Banks' debut EP 1991, all songs on the project received a video treatment, including her sophomore single "Liquorice", shot by acclaimed director Rankin. Months after the video for "Liquorice" was released, an alternate version was leaked. In July 2012, Banks released her debut mixtape Fantasea. To promote the mixtape, Banks released three music videos for tracks on the project, "Luxury", "Atlantis", and "Fierce", the latter being shot with clothing company ASOS.
Slay-Z is the second mixtape by American rapper Azealia Banks. It was independently released as a free download on March 24, 2016. The eight-song project features collaborations with Rick Ross and Nina Sky; its production was handled by various musicians, including Benga, Coki, An Expresso, and Kaytranada. On July 12, 2017, it was re-released under Banks' record label, Chaos & Glory Recordings, to the iTunes Store and other online music stores.
"The Big Big Beat" is a song recorded by American rapper Azealia Banks for her second mixtape Slay-Z (2016). It was released as the lead single from the mixtape on February 19, 2016 after Banks had announced the mixtape in the previous May. Production of the song was handled by new producer An Expresso, while the song was penned by Banks alone. The song contains an uncredited sample of The Notorious B.I.G.'s voice. Lyrically, the track discusses staying true to your roots when you become famous.
"Jumanji" is a song recorded by American hip hop artist Azealia Banks for her debut mixtape, Fantasea (2012). The song was released as a free promotional single, available for digital download and streaming via Banks's SoundCloud, on May 11, 2012. "Jumanji" is composed as a tropical track with musical influences including kuduro, dancehall, and calypso music. Instrumentally, the song features a trumpet, a timpani, a harp, and calypso steel drums. The song also features Banks rapping over a beat that was compared by music critics to the work of English musician and producer, M.I.A. Lyrically, the song describes Banks' involvement in media scandals and, as she described, "keeping true to herself". "Jumanji" received acclaim from music critics, who complimented the overall production and Banks's rapping flow. Banks has performed the song live several times, as part of the Mermaid Ball, as well as at the Glastonbury Festival 2013, and Club Nokia in 2015.
"Crown" is a song recorded by Azealia Banks. It was released on February 17, 2017. Production of the song was handled by Lunice, while the song was penned by Banks alone.
"Escapades" is a song recorded by American rapper Azealia Banks for her planned second album, Fantasea II: The Second Wave. O/W/W/W/L/S handled production of the song, while the song was penned by Banks alone. The original version of the song was released as a free streaming single, on June 26, 2017, to Banks' SoundCloud. A "radio edit" of the song was released to SoundCloud on August 9, 2017. On September 1, 2017, Banks released the final version of the song to iTunes.
"No Problems" is a song released by American rapper Azealia Banks. It is a diss track aimed at American rapper Angel Haze. It was released on January 4, 2013, by Banks herself, after Angel Haze released a diss track titled, "On The Edge", a day prior. Production of the song was handled by American producer, Machinedrum.
"Anna Wintour" is a song recorded by American singer and rapper Azealia Banks. It was released on April 6, 2018, by eOne and Chaos & Glory as the planned lead single from her mixtape Fantasea II: The Second Wave. Production of the song was handled by Junior Sanchez, while the song was penned by Banks, Sanchez, Dorian Strickland, Kevin James, and "Shug". The song is named after Anna Wintour, who is the editor-in-chief of Vogue, and is about self empowerment. The music video was released on May 24, 2018, and surpassed 1 million views in 48 hours.
"Black Madonna" is a song by American rapper and singer-songwriter Azealia Banks featuring Lex Luger, who handled production on the track. Released on June 9, 2020, the song serves as the lead single to Banks' second studio album, Business & Pleasure, which was scheduled for a 2021 release.
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