Azealia Banks has issued an official apology this weekend over her repeated use of homophobic insults.

The “Big Big Beat” rapper – who has gained a reputation for her extremely contentious social media presence – was banned from Twitter last month after starting an online feud with Zayn Malik. In a series of racist and homophobic tweets, Banks accused the singer of stealing her style; calling him both “curry scented” and a “f****t”.

Banks swiftly offered an apology over the debacle, though it wasn’t the first time that she’d been criticised over her use of homophobic slurs. Back in September last year, the New York rapper hit headlines for being caught on camera calling a flight attendant a “fucking “f****t” after he refused to hand over her bags.

“I'm never saying the word F****T ever again,” Banks wrote in an open Facebook letter this weekend. “By using those words i paint a picture of myself that isn't the true me. I paint the picture of my upbringings, my neighborhood, my pain, and my misfortunes... I paint the picture of someone who is used to suppressing things, and being defensive.”

“I want to SINCERELY apologize to my fans for having let so many of you down over the years. I know that you all want nothing else for me but to see me win, and i thank the many of you who saw the beauty in me and have stuck around this far,” she added. “I love you guys so much and all i want to do is make you proud.”

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