Rapper Azealia Banks Gets Engaged to Jewish Artist With Ring Featuring Menorah
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Azealia Banks performing at the 2012 NME Awards at the Brixton Academy in London. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
American rapper Azealia Banks is engaged to Jewish conceptual artist Ryder Ripps, who proposed with a Jewish-inspired family heirloom, the singer announced early Monday morning.
Ripps, 34, proposed with a gold ring that features a menorah, which Banks, 29, flaunted in an Instagram post. In her Instagram Stories, she shared an another image of Ripps down on one knee as he holds the rapper’s hand, showing off the engagement ring. Banks also jokingly said “I’m Jewish now” in her engagement announcement on the social media platform.
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Ripps shared news of the engagement on his Instagram page as well by posting a photo of Banks’ left hand with the engagement ring on it.
Banks made headlines in 2018 when she said in a series of tweets, from a now inactive Twitter account, that she experienced racism for performing in Israel and would never return to the country unless “it’s for some real money.” At the same time she said she would not boycott Israel.
After announcing her engagement to Ripps, the rapper defended Israel in the comments section of her Instagram page and pushed back against social media users who chastised her for drawing attention to the Jewish-inspired engagement ring. In response to one Instagram user who called the piece of jewelry “disrespectful,” Banks responded, saying “I’m making shakshuka, challah cornbread, black Israelite salad and matzoh fried chicken tomorrow. You can’t stop me. I’m a jewcy diva now.”
