| "212" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay | ||||
| from the EP 1991 and the album Broke with Expensive Taste | ||||
| Released | December 6, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | Self-released | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Lazy Jay | |||
| Azealia Banks singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "212" on YouTube | ||||
"212" (pronounced "two-one-two") is the debut single by American rapper Azealia Banks. It features Lazy Jay, the alias of Belgian disc jockey Jef Martens and his brother Toon. Released on December 6, 2011, in the United Kingdom as the lead single for Banks' extended play 1991 (2012), "212" was later included in her debut studio album, Broke with Expensive Taste (2014). Built around Lazy Jay's track "Float My Boat", "212" has been described as a hip house, electro house, and dance rap track. The song reflects Banks' adolescence in Harlem, New York, and features her rapping over cunnilingus.
"212" has received acclaim from music critics, some of whom described it as one of the best tracks of the 2010s, with Billboard recognizing it as one of the songs that "defined the decade".[1] Initially released as a free download, "212" achieved commercial success in Europe, reaching the top 20 in the United Kingdom and charting in the Benelux region. A black-and-white music video was released on September 13, 2011, featuring Banks dancing and rapping to the song in front of a brick wall. It was praised by critics; many publications described it as one of the best music videos of the 2010s.