Megan Brooks
In September 2021, rapper Azealia Banks posted an Instagram story with a black background and white text that read, Are you ready to die, Claire? The Claire in question is purportedly musician Grimes. The post went viral, becoming a meme format in which the name Claire is changed for comedic effect. Banks posted another story a year later, this time asking, Are you ready to die, Brad Pitt? The original post was followed by the release of her song Tarantula, which includes several threats directed at Grimes and her partner, Elon Musk.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 September 2021 |
| Format | White text on a black background |
| Target | Musician Grimes (whose first name is Claire) |
| Subsequent targets | Brad Pitt, Slavoj Žižek, James Corden, Drake, OceanGate submarine |
| Precursor to | Tarantula, a song in which Banks calls Grimes a "frail waif" and makes death threats |
| Other controversies | Banks has made offensive statements, threatened to tank Tesla's stock price, and claimed that Twitter founder Jack Dorsey requested she make him a pendant to protect him from ISIS |
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What You'll Learn
Azealia Banks' Are You Ready To Die? Instagram story
In September 2021, rapper Azealia Banks posted a series of Instagram Stories, one of which featured a black background with white text that read, "Are you ready to die Claire?" The "Claire" in question is purportedly musician Grimes. The post went viral and became an exploitable meme format, with the name "Claire" being changed for comedic effect. Banks purportedly posted a Story reading "Are you ready to die Brad Pitt?" around a year after posting the original.
The "Are you ready to die Claire" post was followed by the release of Banks' song "Tarantula," which calls Grimes a "frail waif" and makes multiple low-key death threats while painting Banks as a spider watching Grimes and Elon die. The song has a hard-thumping beat with deep distortion effects.
The Instagram Story and subsequent song release sparked conversations about Banks' unique role in pop culture and the nature of her online presence. Some people found her content offensive, while others were intrigued by her fierce and creative approach.
The "Are you ready to die?" Instagram Story and its variations, including references to Brad Pitt, Slavoj Žižek, and James Corden, have become a part of internet culture, with people creating photoshopped versions and memes that continue to spread and evolve over time.
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![Ready to Die (The Remaster) [2015 Remaster] [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/614HGb+2TLL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The Are You Ready To Die, Claire? post
In September 2021, rapper Azealia Banks posted a series of Instagram Stories, one of which featured a black background with white text that read: "Are you ready to die, Claire?" The "Claire" in question is purportedly musician Grimes, with whom Banks has a feud. The post went viral, becoming an exploitable meme format with the name "Claire" changed for comedic effect. Banks posted a similar story around a year later, replacing "Claire" with "Brad Pitt".
The "Are you ready to die, Claire?" post was followed by the release of Banks' song "Tarantula", which calls Grimes a "frail waif" and includes various low-key death threats directed at Grimes and her partner, Elon Musk. Banks also tagged $TSLA in her tweets on her alt account, causing shareholders to follow her feed and contributing to concerns about Elon's plan to take Tesla private at $420/share. This led to her being subpoenaed.
The "Are you ready to die" meme has been photoshopped to replace "Claire" with other names, including "Slavoj Žižek", "James Corden", "Drake", and "OceanGate submarine". These photoshopped versions have garnered thousands of likes and upvotes on Twitter and Reddit.
The original "Are you ready to die, Claire?" post and its subsequent meme format have gained widespread attention, with some commenting on the unique role Banks plays in pop culture and the creative nature of her feuds.
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Azealia Banks' Tarantula song
"Tarantula" is a song by Azealia Banks, released in 2021. It is a response to Grimes' song "100 Percent Tragedy", which Grimes described as being about "defeating Azealia Banks after she tried to destroy my life". The song was produced by owwwls, with whom Banks has collaborated since her early days, and features a hard club beat.
Azealia Banks' side of the story is that she was left alone waiting at Elon Musk's house for days, and Grimes never showed up. Banks also accused Musk of telling her not to bring her boyfriend to Los Angeles with her. She interpreted the situation as "probably some weird threesome sex shit to begin with anyway", noting that Grimes had told her that Musk thought she was attractive.
The drama between Grimes and Azealia Banks was revived at the end of June 2021 when Grimes played a DJ set on her Discord server, which included the unreleased song "100 Percent Tragedy". This ignited controversy due to its lyrics about Azealia Banks. In response, Banks posted several Instagram stories, calling the song a "bootleg INNA song". Grimes further escalated the situation by bringing up past drama with a tweet, to which Banks responded by posting about her concerns for her personal safety.
"Tarantula" was released as a full demo on SoundCloud on September 5, 2021, after Banks announced it via her Instagram page on August 15, 2021. The song has been described as "dark, slow, and difficult to place", with a vibe reminiscent of darkwave. It features lyrics such as "Waif-like and blind / Frail is your body / A conscience re-designed to be childlike and bitter / Childlike and bitter / Waif-like and blind / Frail is your body".
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The Are You Ready To Die Brad Pitt? post
Azealia Banks' "Are You Ready to Die?" is a viral Instagram story post by the rapper that features a black background with white text that reads, "Are you ready to die, Claire?" The "Claire" in question is purportedly musician Grimes. The post was made in September 2021 and went viral, becoming a meme format in which the name "Claire" is changed for comedic effect.
Banks posted another story a year later, this time asking the same question of actor "Are you ready to die, Brad Pitt?" A screenshot of the story was shared on Reddit, with one user commenting, "Bro, what is going on in this chick's head?" The post garnered over 2,500 upvotes in two years and inspired various photoshopped versions, including one about James Corden and another about Drake.
The "Are You Ready to Die, Brad Pitt?" post can be seen as a continuation of Banks' online behaviour, which has included making low-key death threats and offensive comments. For example, her song "Tarantula" calls Grimes a "frail waif" and includes lyrics about watching Grimes and Elon Musk die. Banks has also made controversial statements about Tesla and its shareholders, and she has been criticised for her role in the drop in Tesla's stock price.
The "Are You Ready to Die?" posts and their subsequent virality showcase the impact of social media on pop culture. Banks' posts, whether made in jest or with malicious intent, have sparked conversations and engaged audiences, with some finding her behaviour entertaining and others finding it offensive. Ultimately, the "Are You Ready to Die, Brad Pitt?" post adds to the ongoing discourse surrounding Banks' online presence and her impact on pop culture.
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The Are You Ready To Die? meme
In September 2021, rapper Azealia Banks posted a series of Instagram Stories, one of which featured a black background with white text that read, "Are you ready to die Claire?" The "Claire" in question is purportedly musician Grimes. The post gained viral spread online, becoming an exploitable meme format and phrasal template in which the name "Claire" is changed for comedic effect. Banks purportedly posted a Story reading "Are you ready to die Brad Pitt?" around a year after posting the original. On September 6, 2021, a Redditor posted screenshots of several other Azealia Banks' Stories, including one that reads, "are you ready to die Brad Pitt?" which garnered over 2,500 upvotes in two years.
On September 8, 2021, Twitter user @evakhahar posted a photoshop of the post that replaced the name with "Slavoj Žižek," garnering over 14,200 likes in two years. On October 31, 2022, a Redditor posted a version about James Corden to /r/h3h3productions, garnering over 1,400 upvotes in nine months. On November 4, a photoshopped version about Drake was posted to KTT2. On June 21, 2023, a Twitter user posted a version of the meme about the OceanGate submarine, garnering over 1,900 likes in three weeks.
The "Are you ready to die, Claire?" post was the precursor to Azealia Banks' release of "Tarantula," a song that calls Grimes a "frail waif" and makes multiple low-key death threats. In the song, Azealia paints herself as a spider watching Grimes and Elon die.
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Frequently asked questions
"Are you ready to die, Claire?" is a viral Instagram story post by rapper Azealia Banks, posted in September 2021. The "Claire" in the post is purportedly musician Grimes.
The post is believed to be a precursor to Banks' release of Tarantula, which contains several references to Grimes and her partner, Elon Musk. In the song, Banks allegedly makes multiple veiled death threats while painting herself as a spider watching them die.
Yes, Banks posted a similar story reading, "Are you ready to die, Brad Pitt?" She also tagged $TSLA in her tweets on her alternative account, which some believe contributed to concerns about Elon Musk's Tesla stock.
