Slay-Z

Slay-Z
Mixtape by Azealia Banks
Released	March 24, 2016
Recorded	2015-16
Genre	Hip Hop, Dance-pop
Length	26:19
Label	Self-released
Producer	An Expresso Benga Coki Fame School Slim Guvnor Telli Kray Jamie Iovine Kaytranada Tony Igy vyle DJ Yamez
Azealia Banks chronology
Broke with Expensive Taste (2014) Slay-Z (2016) Fantasea II: The Second Wave (2016)
Singles from Slay-Z
"The Big Big Beat" Released: February 19, 2016 "Used to Being Alone" Released: March 1, 2016

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-track project features collaborations with Rick Ross and Nina Sky; its production was handled by various musicians, including Benga, Coki, An Expresso, and Kaytranada.

Background

Following multiple conflicts with record label Interscope Records, Banks released her debut album Broke with Expensive Taste in November 2014, through Prospect Park. The genre-spanning longplayer garnered positive reviews from music critics,^[1] and peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard 200.^[2] In July 2015, the rapper announced her departure from the aforementioned company;^[3] nonetheless, she revealed the following month that her contract with Prospect Park forbade her from releasing new music until March 2016.^[4]

Banks originally devised Slay-Z as a tribute to American rapper Jay-Z.^[5]

Composition

"Can't Do It like Me" was initially composed with American singer Rihanna in mind but was instead released solo.^[6]

Release and promotion

Prior to the release of the mixtape, Banks deactivated her Twitter handle for sixteen days. The rapper activated it on March 24 in order to announce the release of Slay-Z, which was made available for free download through WeTransfer on that day.^[7] She further explained that the release had been motivated by the project's engineer leaking its songs.^[8][9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	75/100[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
HipHopDX	[11]
NME	[12]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[13]
Spin	[8]
The New York Times	[14]

Slay-Z received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 75.^[15]

Carver Low from HotNewHipHop praised the production "Slay-Z reminds us all that Azealia Banks is just as capable of dope genre-bending music [...] The 8 track mixtape has songs ranging from bass-heavy trap tracks to house raps that wouldn’t be out of place in a ‘90s rave. Her ability to flow over beats no one else would even go near is impressive [...] “Big Talk” with Rick Ross is a true banger".^[16]

Britt Julious from Pitchfork says the mixtape "is not as hard-hitting as BWET, but it still shimmers with Banks’ skill and personality." [...] "Banks continues to move further into new territories in her work: "Big Talk" is a hard-hitting and directly trap-influenced slow builder featuring Rick Ross. It's a new sound for Banks, who has distinguished herself both as a vocalist and as a rapper by repurposing a variety of different genres across the decades, most notably the sing-song pop appeal of '90s house. Despite this diversion, (she) is able to make it work, her deft voice snapping and stretching like a rubber band to match the beat and production rather than fight against it. [...] That is the thing about Azealia Banks: she still puts out consistent work, and each release feels like a well-timed reminder of how good she can be".^[13]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Riot" (featuring Nina Sky)		Fame School[17]	3:38
2.	"Skylar Diggins"		Fame School[18]	3:17
3.	"Big Talk" (featuring Rick Ross)		vyle DJ Yamez	2:44
4.	"Can't Do It like Me"		Benga Coki	2:44
5.	"The Big Big Beat"		An Expresso	3:36
6.	"Used to Being Alone"		Tony Igy	2:39
7.	"Queen of Clubs"		Jamie Iovine Fame School Slim	4:29
8.	"Along the Coast"		Kaytranada	3:12

References

1. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (March 24, 2016). "Azealia Banks' Long, Twisted Road to 'Broke With Expensive Taste'". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
2. Balfour, Jay (November 12, 2014). "Hip Hop Album Sales: T.I., Azealia Banks, Joe Budden". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
3. J. Horowitz, Steven (July 21, 2015). "Azealia Banks Announces Split From Prospect Park Management – UPDATE". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
4. Van Nguyen, Dean (August 10, 2015). "Azealia Banks claims she is unable to release new music until March due to label dispute". NME. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
5. Gamble, Lone (February 24, 2016). "Azealia Banks drops new track 'The Big Big Beat'". Dazed. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
6. Sherman, Maria (March 24, 2016). "Azealia Banks Drops 'Slay-Z' Mixtape Feat. Rick Ross: Download It Now". Fuse. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
7. Monroe, Jazz (March 24, 2016). "Azealia Banks Releases Slay-Z Mixtape". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
8. Grebey, James (March 24, 2016). "Download Azealia Banks' New Mixtape, 'Slay-Z,' For Free Right Now". Spin. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
9. Platon, Adelle (March 24, 2016). "Azealia Banks Returns to Twitter, Delivers Download Link to Her 'Slay-Z' Mixtape". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
10. "Slay-Z Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. March 24, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
11. Clark, Trent. "Azealia Banks - 'Slay-Z'". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
12. Levine, Nick. "Azealia Banks - 'Slay-Z' Review". NME. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
13. Julious, Britt (March 30, 2016). "Azealia Banks: Slay-Z". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
14. Chinen, Nate (March 30, 2016). "New Albums From Azealia Banks and Anoushka Shankar". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
15. http://www.metacritic.com/music/slay-z-mixtape/azealia-banks
16. Low, Carver (March 24, 2016). "Azealia Banks – Slay-Z [New Mixtape]". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
17. <https://twitter.com/WeareFameschool>
18. <https://twitter.com/WeareFameschool>