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212 (song)

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"212"
Single by Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay
from the EP 1991 and the album Broke with Expensive Taste
ReleasedDecember 6, 2011 (2011-12-06)[1]
Recorded2011
GenreHip house[2][3]
Length3:25
LabelSelf-released
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Lazy Jay
Azealia Banks singles chronology
"212"
(2011) 		"Liquorice"
(2012)
Music video
"212" on YouTube

"212" (pronounced "two-one-two") is the debut single by American rapper Azealia Banks. The song features "Lazy Jay", an alias for Belgian DJ Jef Martens and his brother Toon. Their song "Float My Boat" provided the musical base of the track and they also produced Banks' version. The song title is a reference to area code 212, which covers Manhattan, New York City, where Banks grew up. It was first released on December 6, 2011, in the United Kingdom as the lead single from her 2012 EP 1991, and is also included on her debut studio album Broke with Expensive Taste (2014).[4][5]

The song was lauded by critics, and has been included in many publications' lists of the best songs of the 2010s, with Billboard citing it as one of the songs that "defined the decade". Rolling Stone also placed the song's music video on their list of the '100 Greatest Music Videos', and the song itself on their revised list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

"212", released first as a free download, was commercially successful in Europe, peaking in the top 20 in the United Kingdom, and on the Benelux charts. In September 2011, it was chosen as the Record of the Week by Nick Grimshaw on BBC Radio 1.[6] As of 2017, it is one of the top 100 biggest hip hop songs of all time in the United Kingdom.[7]

Critical reception

[edit]
"212"
A 20-second sample of "212", a hip house song
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The Guardian gave the song a positive review and placed it at number 2 on their The Best Songs of 2011 list.[8][9] In the review, Michael Cragg praised the song, calling it "a startling three and a half minutes of attitude" as well as "incredible."[9] Carrie Battan of Pitchfork named the song "Best New Track", lauding Banks' "unpredictable vocal range" and wrote, "She clicks between characters and styles casually, effortlessly. No seams. A jaw-slackening demo reel."[10] Thomas H. Green from The Independent called it "a potty-mouthed sex song that encapsulates the way the current US explosion in EDM has adapted and adopted European rave, mixing the style with hip-hop and R&B stylistic tics."[11] NME dubbed the song number 18 on their 50 Best Tracks Of 2011, calling it "mischievous, quick-witted and full of filthy cunnilanguage: it's made Azealia Banks the coolest girl on the planet, and it delivered on 2011's forward-thinking promise."[12] NPR Music gave the song a positive review and listed it as one of their 100 Favorite Songs Of 2011, calling the song "the raunchiest shut-down of 2011."[13] The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop ranked "212" at number 6 to find the best music of 2011. Pitchfork also ranked it number 9 on their Top 100 Tracks of 2011 list, writing:

If it were judged only on its visceral thrill, "212" would still be one of 2011's best, an unashamed banger in a mostly mid-tempo year. But the more you dig into the song, the more you can hear details and decisions that suggest a scary degree of pop talent.[14]

In 2019, "212" was placed 6th in Pitchfork's list of the 200 Best Songs of the 2010s.[15] Billboard cited the song as one of the songs that "defined the decade".[16] In 2021, Rolling Stone placed it at number 485 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.[17]

Music video

[edit]

A music video to accompany the release of "212" was first released onto YouTube on September 12, 2011, at a total length of three minutes and twenty-five seconds. Directed by Vincent Tsang, the video is shot in black-and-white, and features Banks, in a Mickey Mouse sweater and short shorts, dancing in front of a brick wall and rapping close up to the camera.[18] Lazy Jay does not show up in the video, which includes appearances by Québécois record producers Lunice and Jacques Greene.

In 2021, Rolling Stone placed it on their list of the '100 Greatest Music Videos'.[19]

In the media

[edit]

Since its release, "212" has been featured in the season one finale of the HBO show Girls and the series six opener of the E4 drama Skins.

It has also featured in several films including:

The song was also used on an episode of Cuckoo.[20][21][22]

Track listing

[edit]
Digital download[23]
  1. "212" – 3:25

Charts and certifications

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom[42] December 6, 2011 Digital download Polydor
Canada[43] April 24, 2012 Interscope
United States[44]
United States[45] June 5, 2012 Rhythmic contemporary radio

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Gigs, and Tours (December 6, 2011). "The brilliant '212' by BBC Sound of 2012 nominee @AZEALIABANKS is available to download on iTunes now!". Twitter. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  2. ^ Wood, Mikael (June 18, 2012). "Aural Fixation". Paper. Paper Publishing Company. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  3. ^ Rolling Stone Staff (June 28, 2018). "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 31, 2023. After being dropped by XL Recordings, Banks self-released this gem, a bawdy, galloping hip-house cut...
  4. ^ Gigs, and Tours (December 6, 2011). "The brilliant '212' by BBC Sound of 2012 nominee @AZEALIABANKS is available to download on iTunes now!". Twitter. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  5. ^ Banks, Azealia (February 21, 2013). "Twitter". Twitter.com. Retrieved February 21, 2013. I've written ALL new material for this record..... Except for 212 lol.
  6. ^ "Zola Jesus Fresh Off Stage". BBC. September 26, 2011.
  7. ^ "The Official Top 100 biggest Hip-Hop Songs of all time". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  8. ^ "The best songs of 2011". The Guardian. December 19, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Cragg, Michael (September 27, 2011). "New music: Azealia Banks – 212". The Guardian. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  10. ^ Battan, Carrie (October 14, 2011). "Azealia Banks: "212"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  11. ^ "Review".
  12. ^ "50 Best Tracks of 2011". NME. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  13. ^ NPR Music Staff (December 14, 2011). "NPR Music's 100 Favorite Songs Of 2011". NPR. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  14. ^ Pitchfork (December 12, 2011). "The Top 100 Tracks of 2011". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  15. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s". Pitchfork. October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  16. ^ Lyons, Patrick (November 21, 2019). "Songs That Defined the Decade: Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay's '212'". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "AZEALIA BANKS – 212 FT. LAZY JAY". YouTube. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  19. ^ Browne, David; Conteh, Mankaprr; Ehrlich, Brenna; Fear, David; Fontoura, Maria; Freeman, Jon; Garber-Paul, Elisabeth; Greene, Andy; Grow, Kory; Hiatt, Brian; Hoard, Christian; Ihaza, Jeff; Newman, Jason; Martoccio, Angie; Portwood, Jerry; Shaffer, Claire; Sheffield, Rob; Shteamer, Hank; Spanos, Brittany; Vozick-Levinson, Simon (July 30, 2021). "The 100 Greatest Music Videos". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  20. ^ "The Heat (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. June 25, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  21. ^ "The Bling Ring (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. January 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  22. ^ "All Songs In Pitch Perfect". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  23. ^ "iTunes – Music – 212 (feat. Lazy Jay)". iTunes Store (GB). Archived from the original on May 24, 2012.
  24. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles – Week Commencing 30th April 2012" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  25. ^ "ARIA Urban Singles Chart – Week Commencing 21st May 2012" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Australian Web Archive. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  26. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  27. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance.
  28. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  29. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in French). Ultratop Dance.
  30. ^ "Azealia Banks Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  31. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 212". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  32. ^ "Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay – 212" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  33. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  36. ^ "JAAROVERZICHTEN 2012: Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop (NL). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  37. ^ "JAAROVERZICHTEN 2012: Dance" (in Dutch). Ultratop (NL). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  38. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2012" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Singles of 2012". BBC Radio 1. December 31, 2012. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  40. ^ "British single certifications – Azealia Banks ft Lazy Jay – 212". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  41. ^ Syme, Rachel (April 3, 2015). "Billboard Cover: Azealia Banks on Why No One Really Wants to See Her Naked, Her Impure Thoughts About Barack Obama and Why She's 'Not Here to Be Your Idol'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  42. ^ Gigs, and Tours (December 6, 2011). "The brilliant '212' by BBC Sound of 2012 nominee @AZEALIABANKS is available to download on iTunes now!". Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  43. ^ "212 (2012) | Azealia Banks". Canada: 7digital. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  44. ^ "212 (2012) | Azealia Banks". United States: 7digital. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015.
  45. ^ "Top 40/R Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009.


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