If you haven't asked yourself, "What the hell is going on with Azealia Banks, Elon Musk, and Grimes?" over the course of the last month, then you obviously haven't been paying close attention to the internet.
Azealia Banks is no stranger to beefs. In July, she canceled her upcoming album after arguing with Nick Cannon, so it's hardly surprising that she's embroiled in yet another controversy. The same could be said for Elon Musk, who was the subject of an extremely negative news cycle after he called a British diver involved in the rescue of trapped Thai children a "pedo."
But despite both having a thing for volatile social media outbursts, the rapper and the Tesla CEO aren't two people you would normally associate with each other — at least until Elon Musk started dating Grimes.
Musk and Grimes have been officially together since they made their debut as a couple at the Met Gala back in May. The Canadian singer had plans to collaborate with Azealia Banks this summer, something that didn't quite pan out — and the resulting feud has confused and entertained us all month.
Get the full timeline of the trio's beef below.
Chapter 1. Grimes and Banks announce a collaboration
Back in June, Azealia Banks and Grimes announced an upcoming collaboration on Instagram. Banks wrote, “I’m working with Grimes next week,” and Grimes confirmed the collab, commenting that she is “flying to New York” for the recording session.
On July 30, Grimes tweeted that the collaboration was still in the works, but Banks had to fly to LA to finish.
Chapter 2. Musk announces that he's taking Tesla private
On August 7, Musk tweeted that he's "considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured." The announcement made Tesla shares skyrocket, closing the market at an 11 percent rise, with stocks at $379.57 apiece. This rise brought Musk's net worth up to $25.8 billion, earning him $1.4 billion in a single day. His choice of phrasing was also turned into a meme.
However, on August 8, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had opened an inquiry into Musk's announcement. If his claim was to prove to be untrue, Musk's tweet may have violated US securities law.
Chapter 3. Banks arrives at Musk's house
Azealia Banks arrived at Elon Musk's LA property in the early hours of August 10. "I saw him in the kitchen tucking his tail in between his legs scrounging for investors to cover his ass after that tweet," Banks told Business Insider. "He was stressed and red in the face." She added, "He's not cute at all in person."
Grimes and Musk then left to go to DEF CON, a hacker conference in Las Vegas.
Chapter 4. Banks compares Musk's house to 'Get Out,' says he tweeted while on acid
On August 12, Banks posted on Instagram, writing, "Staying at Elon musks house has been like a real like episode of Get Out." She then wrote that she "waited around all weekend while grimes coddled her boyfriend for being too stupid to know not to go on twitter while on acid."
Banks then stated that she wasn't allowed to bring her boyfriend to LA and that "it was probably some weird threesome sex shit to begin with." She told Business Insider that she left Musk's property that night.
Chapter 5. Musk denies meeting Banks and clarifies what "funding secured" means
Speaking with Gizmodo for an article published on August 13, Musk says that he "has never even met [Banks] or communicated with her in any way."
Musk also clarified what he meant by "funding secured." According to a note on the Tesla website, Musk states that there was "no question" that a deal with the Saudi Arabian sovereign fund could be closed.
Meanwhile, Banks went off on Grimes and Musk in a series of Instagram stories. She called Grimes "an idiot," suggested that she is spilling information about Musk and that he is "better off hiring an escort."
Chapter 6. Musk admits he met Banks
On August 16, The New York Times confirmed that Musk and Banks met briefly. Musk told the newspaper, “I saw her on Friday morning, for two seconds at about a 30-foot distance as she was leaving the house.” He continued, “I’d just finished working out. She was not within hearing range. I didn’t even realize who it was. That’s literally the only time I’ve ever laid eyes on her.”
Chapter 7. Banks claims Musk is tapping her phone
On August 18, Banks posted an Instagram story stating that "Elon Musk has been tapping my phone all week." She then shared screenshots of an apparent conversation between herself and Grimes in which the singer states that Musk “has a fake made up accent” and a “giant dick”. Grimes also claims that "the Russians want Elon dead" and mentions kidnapping concerns.
Chapter 8. Grimes and Musk stop following each other on social media
On August 19, Musk unfollowed Grimes on Twitter, sparking breakup rumors. Grimes still follows Musk and Tesla on Twitter, but neither of them follow each other on Instagram.
Chapter 9. Musk deletes Instagram, Banks says he threatened her with blackmail
On Monday, August 20, Banks tagged Elon Musk in an Instagram story, writing, “You need to contact me. ASAP,” and, “I need my phone back now.” She said that Musk had involved an attorney, writing, "They came up with all these threats of blackmail," and adding, "They paid my attorney off to take my phone and delete evidence.” Then, in an Instagram story video, Banks said that she wanted to go home and that "none of this shit has anything to fucking do with me."
Shortly afterward, Musk deleted his Instagram, telling Gizmodo, "I didn't like it."
Chapter 10. More screenshots emerge
Banks posted more screenshots of apparent messages between herself and Grimes. "He just got into weed cuz of me and he's super entertained by 420 so when he decided to take the stock private he calculated it was worth 419$ so he rounded up to 420 for a laugh and now the sec is investigating him for fraud," Grimes appears to have written in one, referring to Musk.
In another, Grimes urged Banks to find a boyfriend so they can get pregnant at the same time. Banks told her to “sober up then get pregnant.”
In an interview with The New York Times, Musk said that he wasn't stoned when he sent the 420 "funding secured" tweet. "It seemed like better karma at $420 than at $419," Musk said. "But I was not on weed, to be clear. Weed is not helpful for productivity. There’s a reason for the word ‘stoned.’ You just sit there like a stone on weed."
Chapter 11. Banks apologizes
"I feel terrible about everything," Banks wrote to Musk in an apology letter that could put an end to this entertaining saga. Stating that she wants to apologize for exacerbating "all of the painful events you've endured over the past week," Banks claimed that information she'd been given about Musk via her communications with an unnamed person assumed to be Grimes had made her feel "awkward and uncomfortable."
Banks wrote, "I never had any intentions of ever using the information against you," before offering to meet in person so she can "formally introduce myself to you." Banks concludes the letter by writing, "After all, we are now the co-stars of pop culture's latest fan-fiction."
Chapter 12. Azealia Banks doesn't want to talk about Elon Musk anymore
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Banks reveals that she wants to shift the focus off her beef with Elon Musk. She wishes music publications would "draw the line between Azealia Banks the musician, and Azealia Banks the personality that everyone loves to hate," instead focussing on her music. She continues: "It would be different if I were married to Elon Musk and writing a song about it. Then I guess we could talk about it. But it has nothing to fucking do with anything. It really doesn’t."
Banks also said that if she could change things, she wouldn't have went to LA in the first place. However, she's left the door open for a collaboration with Grimes in the future, telling the magazine that "maybe another time it could happen."
This story might yet develop further and will be updated if new screenshots or events emerge.
What do you make of the beef between Grimes, Elon Musk, and Azealia Banks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Now, meet Slow Hollows, the indie band working with Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator.
