'212' hitmaker Azealia Banks has come under fire from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for using an offensive homophobic word during a Twitter spat with gossip writer Perez Hilton.

Last week, Banks found herself embroiled in a public argument with fellow rapper Angel Haze and when Hilton took Haze's side, she hit out at him on the social networking site and branded him a "messy fa***t".

GLAAD's associate director, Matt Kane, issued a statement on her choice of language and explained that it's unacceptable especially because she has such impressionable and young fans: "Regardless of [Azealia's] intent or her personal definition... there are gay kids who follow her on Twitter who hear this word in an entirely different context."

"This word is used almost universally by bullies, often as part of a larger verbal or physical assault. This word hurts those kids, no matter what Banks meant by it."

Upon hearing about GLAAD's statement, the 'Liquorice' beauty returned to her Twitter page (January 7) and criticised the organisation for "picking and choosing" when to comment:

"Glaad and all these others need to give it a break... Picking and choosing when to be offended..... Pfffft, as f***ing if. As if all "derogatory" words are not now in 2013, simply just expletives. It's just all so hypocritical. And while I DO feel bad for using the word.... It's kind of weird/ironic to see it all play itself out."

Check out 'No Problems', which Banks released as a diss track aimed at Haze, here: