Along with being one of the best songs on Slay-Z, “The Big Big Beat” is one of Azealia Banks’ best songs period. The Detroit house rapped/sung banger was the first song that Banks released from her recent mixtape, and today it became the first video release associated with the project.
After experiencing multiple delays, Azealia finally unleashed the music video to the world this morning. She’s been hinting at the video’s brilliance since she first announced its existence, and it doesn’t take long to see that it was well worth the wait.
Directed by cool-kid photog/documentarian Matt Sukkar (NSFW), the video is a peek into Azealia doing what she does best: creating a world of her own and thriving in it. Varying her style from chic to street, Azealia travels through New York like she owns the city. Even when she’s moving through barren narrow hallways with tackily tiled walls, she commands the space like a stage.
Whether Azealia’s choice of locations is symbolic is up in the air, however. After having just recently spent a few days in court for her myriad charges — misdemeanor assault, attempted assault, disorderly conduct, harassment violations — it’s interesting to note that she chooses the south entrance hall of the New York County Courts — the well-known 100 Centre Court address on clear display — to dance in her fur-lined oversized sequined tracksuit. Or that she chooses to dip it low atop an NYPD police car.
But ultimately, who cares when the beat is that good?
Watch the whole thing below.