Iggy Azalea has a new interview with Vanity Fair where she talks about the ongoing tide of criticism. Iggy hasn’t been receptive to conversations about her cultural appropriation of hip hop. She calls her critics “patronizing.” She’s too busy with Jingle Balls to realize that Q-Tip and others may have a genuine point. Iggy is very unlike Macklemore, who respects the history of rap and recognizes the need for an ongoing discussion.
Iggy doesn’t really see the problem with her style of rapping. She forgot all about her troublesome lyrics about slave masters. She also doesn’t think anyone criticized Macklemore (did she sleep though last year?). Iggy believes that the backlash against her has to do with only one thing — the fact that she’s female. Uh-oh:
Whether she’s a rapper: “People have said I’m not real rap or real hip-hop, but I don’t care if people think I’m pop or rap. Everyone interprets music differently.”
Rapping as a white Australian girl: “Well, I never thought it was strange. If you go back to the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley and Eminem–they’ve all basically done black music. I felt this wasn’t that far from what we’ve seen in music history over and over again.”
Criticism against her is misogynistic: “Well, they don’t say that stuff about Macklemore. So, yes, I think it has 100,000 percent to do with the fact that I have a [vadge].”
How “Fancy” changed her life: “In every possible way. Some bad, some good. I can’t walk down the street anymore, and I have to be very selective when I grocery shop. I went from having nothing to having everything I could possibly want. It’s weird. It’s almost scarily easy to quickly forget that you had nothing.”
She’ll never twerk again: “Sometimes things become part of pop culture, but they run their course. I think it’s time for it to be over.”
She’s not cool: “I’m a homebody. I already did all my wild sh*t. And that will wear you out. I’m glad I did all that early, because now I have so much to talk about in my music, and I don’t have to worry that I’m going to spiral out of control.”
[From Vanity Fair]
Well. Iggy refuses to acknowledge the possibility that her critics may have some valid points. She must be talking to T.I. if she truly believes that all of her problems boil down to being female. There’s not much I can say to her willful blindness, but I may catch a case of whiplash from all the head shaking going on over here.
Iggy also insists that, contrary to internet rumors, she does not have a “home movie” available for circulation. She says that it would be “completely f***ing fine” if she did have one, but for now, it doesn’t exist. Iggy says her mother asked her if she had one. How awkward.
Photos courtesy of WENN
not 100%, but i agree that she gets way mu sh1t than macklemore.
Macklemore’s sound doesn’t sound like he’s trying to be “anything”. That’s all him. Iggy, on the other hand, puts on her Southern accent and raps about how “gh*tto” her ass is. Come on. Don’t compare your situation with Macklemore. Hip-Hop is supposed to be a genre based on authenticity. Write your own bars. Spit original freestyles. You can’t just stroll into Hip-Hop/Rap with a butt lift and a fake Southern accent and expect people to love you. It doesn’t work like that.
To add to that, Macklemore appears to understand the history of hip hop and rap a little more (or is at least trying to) and gets that he has had certain advantages in the genre due to his race (winning Grammys, etc). He’s been receptive to the criticism and complaints. He also doesn’t seem to disappear when issues of race pop up. He gets involved.
Iggy on the other hand runs behind TI every time anyone even questions whether some of success may be attributed to factors that have nothing to do with her talent, or lack thereof. She plays victim. Who’s going to appreciate that reaction?
Totally agree with Blythe. Macklemore is humble while Iggy comes off as both arrogant and dumb (fatal combination). I used to like the fact that she was a young woman who didn´t seem scare to do want she wanted. But now I just feel that she needs an education and a giant piece of humble pie. Sad.
100% agree with Blythe. I understand why other hip hop artists are frustrated with her winning these awards. Nothing about Iggy seems genuine.
Not to mention, unlike Iggy, Macklemore spent a decade in the underground scene–concedes he is still learning and knows his place–with all that said, people still gave him crap.
She doesn’t get to play the misogyny card this go round, no ma’am.
Exactly! She’s so flippin’ twisted that she cites Elvis and the Rolling Stones as justification for her cultural appropriation! Okay, Dumb Bitch, it was so racist back then that they actually had something called “race music” and wouldn’t play those songs on mainstream radio unless there was a white face singing it, like Elvis’ or Pat Boone’s. Sound familiar, Idiot? Maybe the fact that there is a history of exploitation might be the reason NOT to participate?
I could slap T.I. upside the had for this.
For me personally, they’re in the same boat. They both aren’t good at their craft and therefore I don’t support them. Iggy is annoying me more right now, but that’s only because Macklemore shut up after he knew he messed up. Which I do give him credit for.
I hate that Em is always brought up in this. Dude had talent, the others don’t. It’s unfortunate that he has decided to waste his talent with awful lyrics that haven’t matured, but that’s a whole other story.
Iggy wants this to be about her gender, and to a point it is. For me at least, it’s more that other femcees are so much better than her, and won’t ever get recognized due to race. Those issues can’t be separated.
Macklemore has received A LOT of criticism last year for various reasons. If you listen to his recent recent interview you can see he has listened to the criticism received and improved his knowledge on the issues he was crititicized for. Iggt still acts like she’s a poor victim above any kind of remote critic ever made to her, even the importan and informative ones liek Q-Tip’s.
You said everything I was about to!
Absolutely. He’s gotten a rash of sh*t.
And I should know, because I’m one of the people that gave him sh*t 😉
The only similarity between her and Macklemore is that they’re white, that’s where it ends imo, his recent interviews have made me have so much respect for him as a person, her recent free-styling has made me wonder why she’s had any of the success she’s had – she’s so talentless. They’re worlds apart.
Yep +1 to you and Blythe and others.
He showed awareness and humility.
I am a white woman who loves hip hop. To me, she seems arrogant and ignorant, it’s a turn off.
Same.
Her music sucks and so does her personality.
She should. She’s done far more offensive sht than him so there tend to more attacks on her because she is horrible, not because she is white.
I agree she’s horrible, but to be fair, there are plenty of horrible black rappers. I think being white in the hip hop world draws more attention to her lack of talent, so she catches more crap.
“There’s not much I can say to her willful blindness, but I may catch a case of whiplash from all the head shaking going on over here.”
This. All day. It’s not misogyny. It’s so fun to be black…until there are issues. Then, it’s crickets, dismissive comments, and her camping out in the victim loop.
The thing that really bothers me about this is the passive racism behind Snoop being pressured to apologize to her, because she’s white, but no one pressuring TI to apologize to Azealia Banks for his equally dispicable comments in his attack on her, because black.
So over this person. For so many reasons.
Good Point, T.I said some very foul things about Banks but because she is seen as the angry little black girl nothing was said, though she does have her issues too.
Everybody thinks Azealia is just saying sh1t and starting fights, but she is actually right most of the time. Iggy is a dumb person. Dumb.
Azealia can be messy on occasion and her delivery is almost always part of the problem, but she spoke the truth regarding Iggy.
+ 1 Banks also has talent and heart.
Agreed. Banks has a right to be angry, but I do wish she would tone it down so people can hear that most of the time, she has some very intelligent and insightful points.
Stupid, stupid woman. Did she really just bring up Elvis Presley in a conversation on appropriation without irony? The Grammys are going to be a real reaching moment for this moron – bring on the jeers! Also wtf does 100,000% even mean? Does she not know how percentages work? Do they not teach fractions in Australia or is this Further evidence of stupidity.
Don’t bring Australia into this, thanks.
Lol! Thank you on the Elvis mention. I was side eyeing and uncontrollably laughing at the same time. She is straight up clueless.
+1
Wasn’t that a quip Eminem did ages ago?
“No I’m not the first king of controversy
I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley
To do black music so selfishly
And use it to get myself wealthy”
I guess he was a little more self-aware than Ms. Whodat Whodat, who by the way has officially declared Twerking over and done with. You hear that everyone?!
This is sort of besides the point, but people have been twerking in NO for decades and I don’t think they are going to stop because Iggy said so. Also I have never seen Iggy actually twerk, more like a half assed Miley Cyrus impression.
It was. That’s just Em’s wicked sense of humor and acknowledgement of the dynamic of his participation in hip hop. Let’s not forget that even though most hip hop fans find Em legit now, there were issues with his career as a white rapper too, especially when that old song came out with him dissing black women. They just died down over time, as he proved his talent and authenticity. I’m saying this as someone who finds him to be reprehensible as a person, but talented as an artist.
OMG I can’t change the station fast enough when I hear her say “whodat whodat”.
Not only is she talentless and ignorant, she is also stupid. Another prime example of why kids shouldn’t drop out of school at 16 to become “performers”.
What upsets people with her is her arrogance and dismissive attitude, if she would just acknowledge people’s concerns she would never have to answer the questions again just like Eminem. Especially the fact she raps in a dirty south accent and when she speaks its her native aussie accent.
She refuses to acknowledge anyone’s concerns and will forever be dismissive. We’re beating a dead horse at this point especially since she won the PCA last night for best hip hop artist.
AND THAT, Is why she is catching it on both ends; Not Cause ahe is white, But because she is incredibly mediocre, talentless, dismissive of the craft, the leg up she is getting behind her looks, The concerns people have about her crappy fake accents and anything other than “im busy making money” ..she is basically white Floyd Mayweather ..every time you tell that POS “you are illiterate and Beat women CONSISTENTLY” he answers with “But Team Money” and Pics of his Money.. THAT Is Iggy Azalea
Isnot because you are a Woman,is cause you are trash AND STUPID ABOUT IT TO BOOT
@ QQ i just hope she disappears quicker than Vanilla Ice and atleast he was man enough to admit that he was straight up bootlegging. Other than ‘fancy’ I cant name another song/drivel of hers. New artists used to be humble and gracious, now a few twitter and instagram followers hyping these artists up and they think they are legends i.e ARIANA,MILEY SMH
Uh-huh.
There are not enough THISs in the world for your comment, QQ.
Preach it, QQ! And I straight up guffawed like a donkey at “But, Team Money”!
Preach QQ, the congregation is with you. You hit on the one thing I dislike the most about Iggy and that’s the fake accent she usees while rapping. It’s insulting to southerners, esp Black southerners. To me she just sounds ignorant, as if she’s doing a comedy sketch for SNL or In Living Color. How insulting would Australians be if I moved to their country to become famous by faking an Aussie accent knowing damn well I’m from NY. She’s a slap in the face to hip hop. You don’t hear Eminem or Mackelmore trying to rap in a Black voice. They pretty much rap the way they sound. Even ole Vanilla Ice kept his Whiteness.
I think you would find if you moved to Australia and faked an aussie accent that people would just dismiss you as ridiculous, rather than get too hung up about it. We generally don’t take our ‘aussie-isms’ to seriously. But I totally understand the point you were trying to make – I think there just isn’t an equivalent in Australia to what is going on with her and her cultural appropriation. She clearly is just stupid and doesn’t get it. She may think it is nothing, but she should be adult enough to acknowledge that just because she doesn’t understand the outrage, doesn’t mean people dont have a right to be offended. That kind of ignorance is the most frustrating.
One question though – do people not find it ridiculous when Keith Urban fakes an american accent in his songs? Just curious.
Keith Urban sings country in his singing voice. He does not fake a country twang that is popular with country singers.
She’s an f’ing moron and her fans are ignorant as hell. My little sister was telling me how much she liked Iggy, and I told her Iggy was racist(and gave her examples)–and she told me Iggy can’t be racist because she’s boning a black guy. *sigh*
The amount of people who think you can’t be racist because you have sex with POC is mind boggling.
I mean, Strom Thurmond ANYONE?!?!
^ this!
It’s the ‘I have black friends’ syndrome.
Yeah- Most people seem to be able to grasp the idea that just because a man dates, marries, or has sex with women doesn’t mean he’s not capable of misogyny, but have a harder time grasping the fact that just because a white person will date, marry, or have sex with a POC doesn’t mean they’re not capable of racism. People forget that there’s a long history of people up higher on racial, gender, and other hierarchies being intimate with people who aren’t, and still viewing those groups of people as lesser or ‘other’.
Strom Thurmond, best example ever!!!
Wow. My stepdad (white) used to say some offensive/ignorant things about black people on a regular basis, until my mom cussed him out and threatened to leave him. The man has a black wife, 3 black step kids, and 2 black step grandchildren, yet that was his behaviour. My mom finally got fed up with ignoring it and he hasn’t said anything since then. So this argument that being in a interracial relationship means you can’t be racist is bull. I doubt she says racist sh*t to her man, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t racist towards people she doesn’t know, which was the issue with my stepdad.
Yeah my dad (technically stepdad) was very….ignorant about racism. He grew up in a pretty small town, with not a lot of non-white people. Even now, there are only POC’s because we live near Michigan Tech…but when we first moved here, I don’t think he really knew how to handle it. And he said some really dumb crap—like my twin brother, when we were in elementary school, was basically told by the other kids that they weren’t gonna play with him on the playground (we were like in 3rd grade), because he was black (and had ‘dark’ skin)–and when my parents heard about it, my dad brushed it off like it was normal. My mom was PISSED. She basically made him watch Eyes On The Prize…and yeah….he never said shit like that again.
In fact, he gets pissed off about it. Like I went with him to a Christmas Work dinner, and everyone thought we were married i.e. I was my mom (but for a few coworkers). But my mom is dark skinned, and I’m pale as hell. We look nothing alike, if you only meet a person once a year. And then two years before, my sister went, and she looks like an Italian girl i.e. NOTHING like me or my mom, and people thought she was my mom, when my mom went last year…and it’s just tiring….
Yes Iggy. Let’s retire twerking even though it’s been around for decades in black america and other African cultures. YOU get to decide it was a phase (started by fellow white girl, Miley) and you get to end it. GOd, she’s stupid.
The willful ignorance and selective memory on this one is absolutely amazing. Smh.
She refuses to understand at this point. I don’t know what’s worst : bringing up famous cultural appropriators to make a point or using misogyiny as an excuse.
Maybe if she listened to the criticism she would understand what are the issues with her : Macklemore has listened to the criticism made to him last year and has acknowledged his privilege, she’s just insensitive.
She has a ex partner/common law husband called Hefe Wine!! Does her mom know that? Hehe..
LMAO
I think Iggy Azalea becoming a thing is also the moment I officially became an adult. Listening to her is the first time I’ve ever completely failed to understand what people like about her. There’s plenty of stuff and people that I don’t enjoy but I can what appeals to their fans, even when I completely disagree. I hate the Bieb but I understand why young girls like him. The Kardashians make my skin crawl but I understand why some people enjoy following them. But Igloo Australia? I honestly don’t get it at all. Putting aside her problematic personality for a moment and focusing just on her music, I thinks it’sawful. Her voice grates me, her music is terrible, even without her problematic lyrics it’s unlistenable. Her popularity baffles me. I really want somebody to explain to me why she is so popular, what does she do that people like? Because I’ve never heard or read a single good thing about her.
I just don’t understand kids these days.
You made some good points BUT you understand why people follow the Kardashians? That’s one thing I will never understand!
Their lifestyle is pretty aspirational, sometimes they can be funny, they bring the drama. It’s mindless entertainment. It’s not my cup of tea but I can see why some people would like them.
What Ninks said. If the Kardashians stayed away from actually serious topics like racism, cultural appropiation, etc. I’d have no problems with them and their trashy entertainment. Iggy’s worse than them, imo, because her whole schtick is wrong and she is not willing at all to sit down and listen.
This moron is unbelievable. By saying that she is targeted because she is female, while not acknowledging how black female stars are targeted by the wider media and condemned if they sound as unhinged as Azelia Banks, and even even the widly popular ones are given racial code names such as trashy and hyper sexual ,while Iggy can be racist and dismissive, then claim “It is coz I is a woman” and we are supposed to fall for the blatant racist double standards, Wasnt Azelia Banks a woman when T,I was being a disgusting misogynist to her? . Iggy is demanding a special snowflake place in a genre of music that is brutal towards the depiction of women.She could redeem herself by speaking of all misogyny in hip hop and speak up for all women in that genre, starting by rebuking all the vile statements T. I made about AB and she might get some credibility back. Not as a rapper mind, but maybe as a self aware decent person.
She seems to be good at falling back and playing the victim, which was one reason she was facing appropriatio claims in the first place. The second she wasn’t feeling a wave of support she ditched her persona and went on Twitter and went back to being ‘Amethyst”.
She’s clueless. Moving on.
I get all kinds of Milli-Vanilli vibes off this trick. She is soooo manufactured
I think a lot of the criticism comes from the fact that she has absolutely no talent at all. I’ve seen her a couple of times and no matter how many times I listen, I can’t understand a word she says. Just goes to show, making it big in music is about luck and timing, not always talent
I was too young to remember but I wonder if the Beastie Boys had to deal with similar criticism in the 80s and 90s.
She needs to STFU and educate herself.
The Beastie Boys started out as a punk band on the New York punk circuit. They already had a punk fan base when they switched over to rap. But they’re mix of hip-hop combined their hardcore sound with rap. So it was a new genre. They weren’t trying to be gangsta rappers, they weren’t trying to copy other people’s sounds, they brought something different to the game. They were unique and you can hear their influence in a lot of the rappers in the game today.
The difference between Iggy and all the other big white names in hip hop is the rest of them know their place. They don’t have her “blackest white kid” schtick. If Iggy was a guy I’m sure she’d face less criticism, but millions of people would still detest her.
i’m just waiting for that tmj to kick in…
“Sometimes things become part of pop culture, but they run their course. I think it’s time for it to be over.”
She used it to describe twerking, but this is exactly how I would describe my feelings for her.
It has absolutely nothing to do with her being a woman. She’s fake and completely manufactured. I’d be pissed too that somehow the media has made her the new rap/hip hop queen. It’s such a joke!
Not shocked or disappointed.
She’s a moron. She is white privelages personified and she spends most of her time with her head buried in the sand, hands just free to collect awards. She doesn’t want to admit there’s a problem and there’s nothing to force her hand because the system is built to reward her.
The best thing is after multiple posts in which people explain and go over politics, history, and race someone will invariably come in here wide eyed and gasping about poor Iggy Iggs and how they just don’t understand the criticism towards her. Willfull ignorance. She and her fans.
Tbh though she’s blacklisted (hah!) in Hip Hop circles. No one wants to work with her and most people (except for Will.I.Am’s lame ass) see her for exactly what she is. She better have T.I. Working overtime looking for new ghost writers and people outside the genre to collab with because she’s dead to other hip hop and rap artists.
Okay. alright. Okay. It is not automatically sexism every time a woman receives criticism. Crying vagina probz every time something happens that you don’t like is part of the problem, because it reduces the perceived legitimacy of the grievances of those who endure actual sexism.
Yes precisely.
But this is so much in-line with the Iggy MO right?
She blames and deflects, because that’s easier than self-reflection and understanding. Screaming “sexism!” is such a convenient cop-out.
I’ve said it before that I think she’s lazy, superficial, and shallow as hell.
Most of the time when women- celebrities or not- talk about experiencing sexism, it’s legit, but this is not an example of that. Her being criticized for racial and cultural insensitivity has absolutely nothing to do with her being a woman. I’d say being called out on racism and cultural appropriation is one of the few areas where men and women are judged equally, actually. I never see men getting a pass for that because they’re men. When people get a pass for that kind of stuff, it’s a case of people defending them either because they share the sentiment, they care more about defending their misguided and entitled notion of what they think ‘Free Speech’ means than the impact of racism, or it’s a combination of both. Gender isn’t factored in.
She gets the continuing criticism not because she’s a woman, but because she’s always defensive about criticism she gets, she doesn’t seem willing to consider or reflect on any of it, she’s not willing to acknowledge her privilege, and because of her history of saying racist things on top of it all. Examples of legitimate sexism she’s experienced would be the misogynistic things said about her by Eminem and Snoop Dogg, or some comments that have been made regarding her looks and sexuality by others. I’ll still defend her or anyone else on actual examples of misogyny; Just because a person has a shady history regarding racial issues doesn’t mean that misogyny ceases to be misogyny, but her reaction to her being criticized for racism isn’t defense-worthy at all.
I understand the criticism towards Iggy and her ignorance, but why is there not more blame put on the people who put her out there. She’s a manufactured product of the music industry, hardly ever are these ”artists” allowed to display their own musical integrity, so they are given a crafted image that these music execs know will sell, it’s all about that $$. Iggy didn’t craft her cultural appropriation image, it was dictated to her, just like 90% of these pop artists. We should be questioning her label, TI, sponsors, & people who embrace her crappy music and fake accent and then sell it back to us. We should be angry with these award shows, who year after year award undeserving and manufactured artists, because their so willing to play the game, She’s part of a bigger problem, not only in music, but in the entertainment industry.
I’ve wondered that before too – did TI actually think she had talent??? I am convinced that the only reason the industry has pushed her so far because or her marketability, the “pretty” white woman who can “rap”. They think she’s unique and interesting. She’s not. I guess the only good thing about Iggy Azalea is the debate that she is bringing up and how much further we still have to go in this world until cultural appropriation and racism is no longer acceptable.
I feel like it will never stop and obviously people are frustrated, so they’re projecting it on to Iggy, which I understand, but she’s just a puppet in all of this, a quick money making cash cash for her label. Real and authentic artists are hardly ever recognized in the industry, because they are actual musicians, not a product of industry spawn. Of course TI didn’t think she had talent, but he saw a thirsty girl who would play his game, with a big booty to boot and music history was made. Her time will come and go, just like every other gimmicky artist.
Iggy is truly a reflection of how racist and ignorant our entertainment industry really is as a whole, there is a reason she became popular when other up and coming artists didn’t.
This is impossible by definition nothing can be higher than 100 percent.
I’m a white woman, I grew up in Georgia. I love rap, I really do. Iggy is a stain on rap music but not because she’s a white female. She’s an asshole.
Long time lurker, first time commenter.
Agreed with what Iggy said, it is sexism. If you don’t like her music turn it off. Personally I don’t recall ever hearing any of her songs but I can’t believe people are acting like it’s acceptable for so much hate. Music is for everyone, get over it.
Oh, and I’m never going to “know my place”!
Lol, you seem to have listened to enough of the conversation surrounding her to know what she’s said, but not enough to actually understand any of the criticisms or context leveled against her. That’s sexism to you? Any criticism against a woman no matter how justified is simply wrong?
Also you might not ‘know’ your place, but you seem enthusiastic to demonstrate what it is. In doing so you’ve made that place quite clear and you share it with Amethyst.
I understand the criticisms just fine and the context I’m asserting is that it is not justified.
Ugh. Her argument is basically a verision of the “they hate me because they ain’t me” variety?
Ardent feminist here just to say my criticism has 100,000% to do with that she is a horrible rapper, and her voice sounds like it’s going through a meat grinder under water.