Iggy Azalea may be a relatively new name on the hip hop scene, but she and Nicki Minaj have been feuding for years. I talked about their history when Nicki threw shade at Iggy onstage at the BET awards. Nicki feuds with a lot of people, it’s true. She really doesn’t like Iggy at all. Maybe it’s because Iggy’s persona seems contrived. All pop stars have heavily crafted images, so Iggy isn’t unique in that regard. Some people aren’t too crazy about Iggy’s differing rap and speaking voices. It’s a touchy subject.
Iggy is everywhere right now. You can’t avoid her. She recently equalled the Beatles chart record of holding the #1 and #2 Hot 100 spots at the same time. That’s a big deal, but it doesn’t mean that Iggy isn’t a one-album wonder. Forbes muddied the waters by publishing an article called “Hip Hop Is Run By a White, Blonde, Australian Woman.” They later changed the title to “Hip-Hop’s Unlikely New Star.” The Forbes story talked about how Iggy had marched in with one album and seemingly dethroned Nicki. Of course Nicki got really irritated and issued a “CHILL, FORBES.”
Something else upset Nicki yesterday. She didn’t come out and mention Iggy’s name, but everyone assumes as much. Here are Nicki’s angry tweets:
(1) Racism is alive & well
(2) Some people have to put in work. others get to cut corners. we see it but don’t say it. welcome to the real world.
(3) Continue to strive for GREATNESS.
[From Nicki Minaj on Twitter]
Nicki isn’t wrong about racism still being “alive & well.” Is Iggy’s sudden success a symptom of that? I don’t know. Iggy does get a lot of attention because she’s a white female rapper, which is still very rare. Some people consider Ke$ha a rapper at times, but rap is all that Iggy does. Iggy is a decent rapper, although her lyrical subject matter is lacking. She raps about nothing, basically (but so does Nicki). Much of the hip hop community has embraced Iggy (T.I. is her mentor). Questlove digs Iggy and thinks “Fancy” is the song of summer. He told Time, “You know, we as black people have to come to grips that hip-hop is a contagious culture. If you love something, you gotta set it free.”
Here’s something out of left field: Actor Saul Williams blamed Iggy for the closure of the Tupac Broadway musical. Saul says the closure had nothing to do with poor ticket sales: “I think it’s something deeper. There is no disconnect between this and Iggy Azalea, an Australian girl rapping with a southern accent, being Number One on the charts.” Huh.
Iggy’s boyfriend, Nick Young, told Us Weekly that Iggy isn’t too bothered by criticism. Nick said, “You know what, Iggy is doing big things and its scaring a lot of people! She’s number one right now so what can you do when you are at the top right now? Of course they will all come at you!”
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN
I don’t think Iggy would have the success she has to if she kept her Aussie accent. There are heaps of Aussie hip hop artists that rap with their accents and it gives it a very distinct flavour.
I don’t know if the hilltop hoods or the cat empire would have the same appeal as Iggy does, for several reasons.
I just had to post that I absolutely LOVE the Aussie hiphop scene. My fav has always been Bliss N Eso but that may be b/c they’re the 1st ones I heard from there thanks to Myspace many yrs ago (I would never have heard of them if it wasnt for MS). Its a shame some of those artist aren’t getting attention here in the states b/c they would blow most of the acts around here away. I used to follow the Aussie rapper tag game but I havent seen anything new form that lately so I’m not sure if it’s still going around.
I have not checked out Iggy yet but I keep seeing her name around, Ill give her a listen. Can’t say I ever got into Nicki but she never bothered me either and she has had some catchy tunes.
It works for her and I think its just her ‘go to’ voice just like how a lot of singers around the world sing in a slight american accent….I’m sure she will have developed it and thought about the sound etc, but I don’t have a problem with it at all.
Even Nicki uses a British accent for her Roman persona!
It’s kind of like Keith Urban doing a southern drawl in his country music…it fits with the style of sound that he is a fan of and wants to create.
I had this discussion in the previous Nicki/Iggy thread, but I don’t like it. Once you hear her Aussie speaking accent, you can’t “unhear” it. The disconnect is too large for me. A meme said it best: She speaks like the Crocodile Hunter, but raps like Trina. Although a lot rappers don’t rap EXACTLY the way the talk, the differences are minimal, such as a slightly rougher, or deeper tone. And Nicki’s Roman persona is an acknowledged character voice. Supposedly, Iggy isn’t playing a character and we’re supposed to take the rap accent at face value.
Thank you for pointing that out!!!
Hilltop Hoods make the aussie accent work for them because their rhymes and beats are strong. I agree that the accent lends a distinct flavor (I feel the same way about UK hip hop) but the bottom line in the word of underground hip-hop is that if your beats and rhymes suck, then you won’t last.
I can’t stand either of them, or their music. They need to be quiet
+1000
cRap isn’t music.
How is rap “not music”?
That’s the oldest, most played out insult phrase against rap, ever.
Just because you’re not into something, doesn’t make it crap.
I’m confused on why Nikki brought racism to this fight.
Nicki isn’t necessarily saying Iggy herself is racist, but the cultural system itself is racist. There’s a looooong history in the music industry where black artists work, work, work (see what I did there?), develop a sound, but can’t get the financial backing and marketing to reach audiences on a certain scale. Whereas a white artist can sort of sail to the front of the line by using the sound that the black artists have been developing and get all the publicity support needed to really explode, since talent is actually a very small portion of the recipe for success on a mass scale. It’s pretty hollow coming from Nicki due to her lack of talent, but there are a slew of black female rappers who are far more talented than Iggy who can’t get her financial backing because they don’t look like Gangsta Biatch Barbie.
+1 Zoe couldn’t have said it better.
+100!
That was a perfect distillation of the problem. Iggy went to the front of the line because she is attractive tall and white. Her level of talent is good enough but it was her packaging that caught people’s eye and it has a lot to do with why she can appeal so well to the white market. The Elvis factor again. White America has always preferred it “black” music to be performed by a white face.
ITA 100% with the public image and marketing of young white rappers. I think Iggy’s music sucks but that’s just me.
That being said, black owners of record labels could give these talented underground rappers a chance as well–they have a responsibility here too.
Island Universal signed Angel Haze while Usher signed Bieber, you know what I’m saying?
Also, this is all kind of rich coming from Nicki. I liked her a lot when she first came on the scene but being a decent rapper wasn’t good enough, she found that a controversial and gimmick-y image is what sells and she embraced that. It is what it is but let’s not pretend that she got noticed for her music and not her image. Gimmicks SELL, period and I’m not sure that that aspect of it is racially-biased.
@Kitten – couldn’t have said it better (although I have to admit I was NEVER a fan of Nicki, heheh). Just sad that no matter the talent or the attention initially garnered for talent, many female artists fall to this gimmicky schtick to maintain that attention. But it’s infuriating in this Iggy situation because the gimmick was there right from the start (at least when she first blew up; I have no idea what she looked/sounded like when she was on the come-up) and everyone knew they could capitalize on the “leggy white blonde” aspect, no matter the lack of talent or originality. No different with Macklemore – gimmicks aside, people act like he was the second coming with his socially conscious commentary, like no other artist has taken that route, or that ALL other hip-hop is strictly of the “shoot-em-up/drinkin’ 40s/hoes & bitches” ilk.
Well said @ Zoe
I think her music sucks too. I just don’t understand her appeal at all, musically (physically, she is attractive and that is EXACTLY why she is where she is right now, as terrible as that sounds). Her lyrics are just so basic. And when she raps, she sounds very slow, like she has trouble even keeping up with her simplistic lyrics!
And yep, I also completely agree that Nicki Minaj got where she is today by her costumes and being overtly sexual (recall that Instagram of her boobs completely bare, nipples only covered by stickers). But, the few hits I know by Minaj have been really catchy imo, so at least she has talent to back her up, unlike Iggy Azalea.
Exactly, Zoe. You completely nailed the problem. There is always a “great White Hope” factor in hip hop, which is why Iggy is around in the first place. Don’t think black producers don’t know the score, which is why they promote artists like Iggy and Bieber–they know whiteness = $$$. Iggy is mediocre, at best, but after one album Forbes crowned her the queen of hip hop. I really don’t think that would have happened if she were not white. Also, Iggy has said and tweeted some racially problematic things (Google it). I don’t think she is sensitive at all about how problematic she is. At least Macklemore gets it, even if he is riding the same wave.
@Zoe – I agree with everything you said!
ITA. And as further proof of what you’re saying, Iggy was famous (in that her name was known, she was getting papped, appearing on awards shows, etc.) months before her FIRST album was even released. If that’s not proof of putting image before talent, I don’t know what is.
Totally agree and YOU ARE RIGHT!! Nicki Minaj does not talk about anything.
@ Zoe Nicki may not be saying that Iggy is racist but Iggy has said so many racist things in the past.
Yeah… Team Nicki on this. I really, really loathe Iggy… I don’t know if it was made up or real but I have read some quotes from Iggy that were racist and ignorant about Indigenous Australians. I think she is a one-hit wonder and I don’t really think of her as a real rapper. Probably because she has spent no time, that I am aware of at least, building herself up in the rap community. I see her as a commerical / pop-rapper, not a genuine person who is interested in the craft.
Because Nikki assumes that because Iggy is White she had a much easier time getting into the business and the industry and media such as Forbes is hyping her because of her race.
Think about Mackamore and his Grammy wins. Some people felt he only won because he was White not because he had the best Album.
IMO I think everyone should be able to perform the kind of music they want to but let’s not forget that the music business has a lot of unsavory politics. When it comes to these two I’m not a fan of either.
I honestly dont think Mackamore won b/c he was white, I think it was the subject of his song since it was at a time when gay marriage was the main topic in the news. I dont even remember the songs name b/c I only listened to it once. I really dont get the big deal with mack, he’s okay I guess but nothing special imo. I doubt he even would have got the attention that he did if it wasn’t for the fact that that was a hot topic at the time.
Sorry but I’m just gonna say this and let the haters hate.
I consider myself a true rap fan. Been listening to the underground sh*t for 20 years.
Black people do it better, plain and simple.
Most people who genuinely appreciate and respect hip-hop/rap find frat boy rappers to be a joke. It’s fine-there’s obviously an audience for it and I think it’s totally ok for that genre of music to exist, but it really shouldn’t be lumped in with some of the brilliantly creative stuff that’s coming out of the rap world right now and the simple fact is 99% of what’s coming from the underground is being made by BLACK artists.
That being said, Hoodie Allen is my frat boy rap guilty pleasure and I make no apologies for that 😉
I disagree, though I’m not that deep into rap like you obviously are. I think there are more black people who do it better, but I don’t think they are better in general. I can totally imagine that there’s much racism in the industry, but I don’t think that’s why Iggy, Eminem or Macklemore have success. Their way to the top may have been easier, but they have talent nonetheless.
Fair enough and I’m ok to agree to disagree, but I don’t think Em should be lumped in with Macklemore and Iggy.
I do agree to that. 😉
@LIV
Eminem and Iggy have success cause they are white. I like Macklemore, His music is directed to the suburban middle-class. I can relate.
Yeah, I don’t think so. Eminem was probably just able to make the film about his life because he was kind of ” special” being a white rapper, but he hasn’t got success just because he’s white.
@Zoe
I agree with what you said, but I think it unfairly highlights racism when in this case, it’s more than just that. Pop music is just about EVERY sort of -ist. People who can’t be marketed in some way probably won’t get financial backing. It’s not exactly news that Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, etc. wouldn’t have gotten to where they are without having to rely on *other* non-musical traits/talents.
Nicki is always salty about something… I don’t really care for her, especially the way she treated Lil Kim when she just came out . I hope Iggy knocks her off her throne. I can’t wait.
That’s a really good point. We shouldn’t forget how poorly Nicki treated Lil Kim.
Huh??? Lil Kim had been a celebrated hip hop artist since the 90’s. That beef between Kim and Nicki stemmed from Kim’s narcissism. She felt that Nicki hadn’t paid enough homage to Kim for paving the way for her. It was dumb.
I didn’t recall that Kim was the one who started it – thanks for clarifying. However, I do remember Nicki acting pretty nasty about it instead of taking the high road.
She tried to rise above it at first, but Kim kept taking shots at Nicki. Then Kim released “Black Friday” which was basically a whole album taking shots at Nicki and her record “Pink Friday”. After that, Nicki stopped trying to play nice.
It should be said that this wasn’t the first time Kim took shots at another female rapper/r&b singer for them not giving her the proper “respect” and it wasn’t the last.
Nicki IS tough and opinionated. I’m not a fan, but I tend to stick up for her on her right to be this way because I think criticism that she should be more demure only proves some of the points she’s making. In addition, Kim picked that fight with her as part of Kim’s desperate, and at times crazy, scheme to stay relevant.
LOL Iggy will never “knock Nicki off her throne” please.
and Lil Kim started the whole drama with Nicki. Lil Kim thought Nicki was copying her pictures and her rapping style and Nicki had always said she found inspiration from Lil Kim but once Lil Kim started insulting Nicki and releasing things like Black Friday and becoming the “highest selling artist on paypal” and always talking about Nicki THATS when Nicki responded and said a few things about Kim.
Uh, Li’l Kim has been in the game for years, long before Nicki.
+1
I don’t understand why a white girl can’t do hip-hop. I understand that hip-hop started in the black community, but so what? Thats like saying Tiger Woods shouldn’t have been able to play golf because golf is predominately white. Isn’t the fact that white kids aspire to rap, mean that the gulf between the races are closing. Why can’t we embrace each others cultures, as long as it is in a respectful way? Maybe I’m wrong, but I think whenever we blur the lines of between black and white, its a step forward…
I agree
I think the issue is that it has always been hard for black female rappers to make it. This was known before Iggy. Then Iggy comes And and seemingly becomes successful pretty easily. I think if Iggy had put in the same hard work to make it (and I honestly don’t know her past, so I can’t say she didn’t work hard for it), there wouldn’t be an issue.
Having said that Nicki can sit down. She is not great and her Grammys performance was he worst thing I’ve ever seen. She’s the beneficiary of the same “interesting look, not a lot of talent” machine.
My thoughts exactly.
Sorry to keep jumping in this comments section, but it’s not at all like saying Tiger can’t play golf due to his race. The music industry hasn’t gone to massive lengths to keep white people out of it, whereas the golf community actually had bans on non-white people playing the sport on certain courses. In fact, Tiger has played courses where technically he wasn’t even allowed to due to his race.
White teens obsession with rap/hip-hop/R&B doesn’t necessarily mean the gap is closing between the races. Often it means a particular group of youth have:
1. Found a way to gain street cred
2. Found a way to seem different/rebellious
3. Indulge in a temporary whim that will have no lasting implications
4. Royally piss off their parents, whom they will automatically morph into as soon as they graduate.
I’m just saying…
Isn’t it possible white teens can genuinely like rap music????
What Tiffany said.
Im white and far past being a teen but Ive liked rap/hiphop since I was a teen for no other reason than I truly enjoyed it and it’s my music of choice for working out. Now I dont like of all of it but the stuff I do Ive been listening to for yrs and yrs and it has nothing to do with anything you mentioned. In fact rap/HH is not big in my area and never has been, I always kept it to myself b/c ppl around here do stereotype ppl who listen to rap, just like the poster above did and nothing you listed has anything to do with why I listen to it.
@Damesnarkweed…My son and his friends love rap music from Tupac and Biggie to Jay Z and Kanye…My son is 25 and has been listening to rap for at least ten years so I don’t think its a passing thing or him just trying to be cool…Are you saying that its impossible for white people to genuinely like and appriciate anything in the black culture…and that if we do its just to be “cool”…my son has said that the words in the rappers songs speak to him…yes, just because he is white does not mean that my son has lived an easy life…and believe it or not, he doesn’t have a racist bone in his body…not everyone is racist and some people can appreciate black culture and want to immerse themselves in it…again, whats wrong with that…this country is supposed to be a melting pot, and music is def one way to bring all people together…
Relax, ladies. That’s why I said a “particular’ group of young people. In other words, if there are exceptions to the motivation then it is incorrect to say that the racial gap is closing because some whites embrace black culture. Of course there are white kids who love black music altruistically with uncomplicated admiration and sincerity but that alone doesn’t auger racial tolerance. Some slave owners would make the slaves gather in the front yard in the evenings to sing as they sat on the veranda with drinks, enjoying the rich sound of their voices.
I actually disagree with you there, Dame Snarkweek. At this point, rap/hip hop is simply a part of our popular culture – it reached mainstream status, and for individuals under 30 it now represents a music genre, not a symbol of rebellion. While it remains a musical style that is closely associated with a specific demographic, the truth is that the listening audience has managed to cross color lines.
That said, it’s naive to say that race doesn’t play a part in this discussion. While we may not be able to ‘hear’ color, we’re being willfully ignorant if we don’t acknowledge that the individuals that power the cogs of the massive music machine – that determine who gets on the radio, who gets exposure, who gets a publicity push – see a young white woman and know that she’ll sell to a mainstream audience. It’s a media-friendly image, and by virtue of Iggy being young, blond and white she’ll be viewed as an act with crossover potential that her black peers in rap simply won’t.
Forgot to add – I don’t think for one minute that we are a melting pot nor do I want us to be. I do understand the intended meaning of the term but I would rather be a pizza lol. Everything is distinct and has a unique quality but comes together beautifully in a complimentary, mutually respectful way. I guess I’m ready for lunch as well.
Bridget
Your key words ‘listening audience’ say it all. I feel like I am repeating myself here but I said some, not all. The truth is that the cache of black music is an extremely strong attractor for some white teens – and for many varied reasons. It is naive to believe that some of those reasons are not represented in my original response.
@Dame – I still respectfully disagree with your original statement. I simply don’t think that musical choices are the form of rebellion they were 20-30 years ago. It may be a form of self-identity (“I like this music so I’m going to hang out with other people who like it too”) but whereas with previous generations music was one of the few ways to voice protest (whether subtley or overtly) there are so many platforms for that type of self expression and rebellion. Like it or not, rap is mainstream music nowadays.
And I’d also like to point out, a lot of rap really is made that way. A lot of songs nowadays are made for the purpose of selling a lot of records, not for making a social statement.
Bridget
But our points aren’t mutually exclusive. Music as rebellion will always have some credence. And although rap is mainstream, it is still a highly sanitized, saccharine form of pop rap. Regardless, the black music as rebellion still exists because it is what the parents think not what counts as consensus among teens. Otherwise there would be nothing confrontational about it. It is 2014 and in the NC town I grew up in the country club soccer moms are actually wringing their hands because their middle and high schoolers are listening to Flo Rida and Pit Bull for goodness’ sake. So while true that black music permeates culture and rap is mainstream the argument that well, equality has arrived because white suburban teens are booty poppin’ is ludicrous. In an interview with Bensonhurst teens following the shooting of a black youth, many tried to explain the fact that black culture played an important role in their identity but they felt that befriending or dating blacks was insane.
For every white teen who truly identifies with and appreciates black music there is one who will enjoy the edge it conveys and never look back once a more permanent identity is formed. It happens. No shade on my part for non-blacks who love black music but I have seen too many examples where my original comment has been totally exemplified.
@dame – just because I’m saying that rap has achieved mainstream status does not in any way mean that I’m saying equality has arrived. Those are two very, very different sentiments.
And while obviously the parents may think that Flo Rida and Pit bull are rebellious and hardcore, I would be astounded if the teenagers themselves characterized it that way. More likely, they want to play what’s popular and what’s fun to dance to, music that’s played all over the radio – mainstream music.
Bridget
Agree but what does that have to do with bridging the gap between the races? The original poster was saying that white appreciation of black music should equal racial acceptance/equality. My point is that this is not a given because some white teens listen to black music for their own reasons and not in an effort to understand or connnect with the issues/concerns/struggles of black people. You help illustrate my point by noting that as pop music, black music is now mainstream, danceable fun for many white teens. Since this is true for some and not all white teens I feel this argument has probably stretched itself paper thin at this point, lol. Respectfully agree to disagree here.
@MrsBPitt, perfect comments and I agree with everything you said.
@MrsBPitt:
Nobody has said this AT ALL, and this is not the issue. There wasn’t similar shade at Eminem, Paul Wall, hell, even Lady Sovereign, was there? The issue with Iggy is her *appropriation* of hip-hop, which she herself clearly correlates with black culture, and only negative, stereotypical aspects of it. She admits, flat-out, she’s using that put-on voice/accent only when performing, then when the mic goes off she turns back into her normal self. It’s not the same as, (what someone mentioned above) a country singer ramping up the southern “honky tonk” accent – she’s imitating a culture based on how she thinks black rappers sound and she clearly knew that would garner attention when people heard her song and then discovered she’s not black after all.
It’s no shade at all at her ambitions in hip-hop – it’s purely because she’s not embracing the culture, she’s mimicking it and, to some extent, making a mockery of it. The other aforementioned rappers don’t sound different on and off the mic, or like they just walked into the hood, spent time listening to the black folks speak, put on an accent, and only then picked up a mic. She’s not blurring lines between black and white, but highlighting the differences (why not rap in her normal voice? She knew she could capitalize on the whole shock aspect of it all.)
She’s phony as hell and it feels, to me, like she’s shaming my culture and people with this BS – “this is how all black folks sound, this is the slang they use, this is the improper English they speak with, this is my collective impression of black American culture (none of which is positive, BTW – apparently to her, all we are is big asses, popping Cristal, twerking, and poor English/overt use of slang), so I’m going to adopt it as part of my persona in order to sell albums”. Then she gets the luxury of resuming life outside the studio or off the stage in her normal accent/manner of speaking? Do you think she walks around in everyday life saying “who dat?” and “bidnezz”?
This, to me, is modern day minstrelsy and blackface and it’s infuriating that people are eating this up like it’s no big deal. If she wants to celebrate and perform hip-hop, fine. But everything she’s done so far shows exactly what she thinks of the culture, and she is embarrassing herself without knowing how ignorant this whole mess is.
Yeah this. It’s really cringe-worthy.
That’s the thing about hip-hop/rap that people always forget about–there’s a really storied and fascinating culture behind it that encompasses so many facets of life–it’s not *just* about the music, it’s immersive. It’s not a genre of music that can be just ‘picked up’ by some white rando–it’s not pop music. Creatively, rap doesn’t “belong” to everyone and not everyone can do it right. A key factor in hip-hop is authenticity and without authenticity it becomes an unintentional parody. Not cool.
“– she’s imitating a culture based on how she thinks black rappers sound”
Couldn’t a person also say “she is imitating a culture based on how southern rappers sound?” Here’s my thing: music is regional. She likes the American southern rap style, that is what she likes to listen to, so that is what she tries to sound like when she raps. I think part of my problem with the way the debate gets phrased around this girl is that I think we wander into dangerous territory by implying that someone is “talking black”. It seems like a racist concept. IMO, race doesn’t impact how a person talks as much as their region and socioeconomic status, etc.. Rappers and musicians change their phrasing all the time to make it fit with the music, their words ARE their music. It is just odd that she gets told she must rap ONLY as she talks, yet tons of rappers deviate from that formula without backlash. Drake doesn’t rap like a suburban Canadian when he’s saying “Started from the bottom now we’re heeeii” or when he says “I done kept it real from the jump”. That phrasing just fits musically with what he is trying to say. I think people should be allowed to change up their sounds like that because it is music.
It would be like people saying Kenny Wayne Shepherd is trying to sound black and he should stop, simply because he plays the blues, which originated in black culture in the south. I think once a style of music gets out there, we should encourage all types of people to try it out and perhaps build upon it.
I do think there is a lot that can be said about marketing and the music industry putting flash over substance, but that isn’t limited to just rap either. The industry doesn’t promote people because they are talented, it promotes them if they think it will sell.
I think saying the concept of “talking black” is racist is sort of like saying “I’m color blind” in the sense that while we may not judge someone based on their race or the way that they speak, many people still do. Saying that black people don’t sometimes have a different style of speaking is like saying that our society doesn’t “see” black skin..IDK…it sounds a bit privileged IMHO.
I think the frustration stems from the fact that many black people speak a certain way naturally and face judgment, discrimination, and stereotyping because of it, while a white chick like Iggy puts on this style of speaking as an affectation and she receives praise for it.
I could be off-base though. I always get self-conscious on these posts because as a white chick, I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to speak for black people. I’m just a huge hip-hop fan that has an inherent distaste for acts like Iggy.
As I touched on before, I think speaking style has a lot to do with socioeconomic status. Sadly, because of the history of our country, we have a lot of black people that live in poverty. Sometimes I think people (speaking generally here), associate a speaking style with a race, when it is more about the education and poverty level of their community. If you get white people from the deep south in impoverished rural areas, you get similar pronunciations to African American people living in impoverished areas in the south.
TOK, I respect you very much and I love that we have in-depth discussions where sometimes we agree and sometimes we don’t. I hope you take everything I write knowing that is comes with respect! I have to disagree with the idea that black people speak a certain way naturally, because in my experience, I just know so many black people whose dialect sounds nothing like T.I , etc. They were raised in California or Minnesota, etc. and they sound like middle class Californians and Minnesotans, etc.. Their race did not impact their accent, even though it has impacted their life experience.
I do see your point about the frustration with how Iggy is adopting an accent and getting praise for it, while many people have it held against them in their everyday lives and are treated prejudicially and with discrimination because of it. I think it would change how a person views Iggy after experiencing that.
“I just know so many black people whose dialect sounds nothing like T.I , etc. They were raised in California or Minnesota, etc. and they sound like middle class Californians and Minnesotans, etc.. Their race did not impact their accent, even though it has impacted their life experience.”
Oh no I 100% agree with this. Re-reading my comment I realize that it might have come across as “all black people sound the same”. That wasn’t what I meant at all (and I don’t think that’s what Gigi meant either).
But originally, hip-hop DID have a lingo and a style of speaking within the lyrics-a cadence and a tonal quality that was created by black people. When a white chick is emulating that by choice, it reeks of appropriation. It seems like turning a culture into a gimmick. Or at least it does to me.
I always love talking to you but often wish we could discuss these things in person. I think a lot gets lost in type 🙂
I agree, in person would be so much easier! I write too much as it is, and sometimes I try to edit things down so it isn’t such a novel, it gets awkward and unclear.
In person we could also enjoy craft beer and a bowl of greens (wink), which would add so much insight to the conversation, I think. 😉
I think a white girl could do hip hop but I think people are put off by Iggy for many reasons. One she has a history of racism (see her tweets from a few years ago) plus she takes on a fake voice. I do think it should be noted that Eminem gets lots of respect in the rap community and does get taken seriously because he is a good rapper and he shows respect for his music.
I don’t take either Nicki or Iggy seriously at all but I don’t think Iggy or Mackamore will be taken in by their peers because they had too much success too soon and didn’t get the right kind of cred early on.
Exactly about Eminem! He acknowledges the roots of hip-hop (even referring to himself jokingly as Elvis), but one thing I’ve never heard him accused of from any detractors is that he’s phony or just usurping someone else’s experience and imagery in order to make a name for himself.
As far as Mackelmore getting too much success too soon…didn’t he rise up independently, playing gigs for years before he was able to put his singles out on his own? I am not a fan of his music, but it sounds like his story is the true “rags to riches” “worked his way up” journey.
Eminem DID have the same things said about him, but his talent prevailed so people eventually accepted him. I think he started with the same accusations of cultural appropriation, which is WHY he mentioned Elvis.
Mack is a college graduate from Seattle with a solid family background, Em is a high school drop-out from a broken home in lower-middle class Detroit.
Lord Jamar from Brand Nubian had an interesting take on the difference between Macklemore and Eminem. I’m not saying I entirely agree with him, but it’s interesting.
It’s NSFW so I’ll just paraphrase what he said: No black people own a Macklemore album and he’s risen through the ranks strictly based on having a white fan base and skipped having to come through the channels of real hip-hop to be accepted.
Here’s what he said about Em:
“Eminem is a different kind of story, you know? He came up—He came up worshipping black emcees,” Lord Jamar said. “So, now he was the first one that white people were able to look up to and worship. But you gotta look where he—the altar that he originally worshipped at was of the altar of the black emcee. He did the study…Putting in that time to do the knowledge to the history that you’re coming to. See Eminem is one of those dudes. That’s why I can respect him in a way. “
(*Disclaimer! There was a woman from Seattle that was posting about Mackelmore on CB the day. She wrote about his long independent journey to stardom, so I am trusting that without verifying it first.*)
But it seems like it is saying that even though Mackelmore worked his way up playing gigs, selling his music directly to fans, if it is a majority white audience it doesn’t count? Or is this about rap battles and competing with other rappers in order to secure the upper level status, and being more respected for that direct competition?
I feel like the biggest difference between Mackelmore and Eminem is talent. Eminem is insanely talented. I feel bad for any white rapper that is being told that in order to be deemed authentic they have to be as talented or more so than Eminem. That is a REALLY high bar to cross!
I think it goes back to the early 80s, rap battles, and MCs having to earn their stripes. Their ability to win a battle was based on the audience’s direct response to their raps. In other words, they had to gain a kind of approval from the black rap community–they had to earn it.
Em was doing this in Detroit as the only white rapper battling black rappers in front of a predominantly black crowd. That takes balls. On top of that, he was WINNING a lot of the battles.
Macklemore’s Thrift Shop was made when he was signed to Warner Bros. He had mainstream distribution. He’s not the indie success that his PR people put forth.
It doesn’t mean that Macklemore doesn’t count, it just means that he had excessive opportunities that Em did not. Em was hard-scrabble and paid his dues in the same time-tested traditional way as many black rappers before him and by comparison, Macklemore had his success handed to him.
@tiffany – that was me, and while I definitely wasn’t going on about his long independent journey, I was saying that it’s disappointing that there’s such a need to trash an artist who actually did hustle and work, and did start out as an indie artist (Se attlite here, so I’m at least familiar with that part) . I’m not saying that he DESERVED success over another artist, rather the need to tear down someone’s success in comparison to another that may be deemed more worthy. I personally think we can live in a world where both Macklmore AND Kendrick Lamar can be successful. THough I find the kerfuffle about him interesting. I mean, he’s a white suburban dude essentially just making music for a bunch of other suburbans. It actually seems nice and tidy.
Ironically, I can’t stand the man’s music myself. I think it’s terrible. Though Iggy’s is probably worse.
Just to be clear: I’m not trying to trash Macklemore (and I LOVE Seattle!) and I hope it didn’t sound that way. I think there’s a place for him and I have no problem with the fact that people that like his music–I just don’t really see it as *true* hip-hop. I was merely explaining my reasons why I feel like that.
But I don’t begrudge the guy for his success. He’s living the dream and good on him.
@o kitt – I actually dont think you were trashing anyone, my point was just referenced so I clarified (I clearly have time on my hands today).
I think it’s interesting because rap and hip hop have remained a primarily ‘black’ medium, but in the past couple of decades the musical form has become a huge part of popular music. We have a generation of young (and not as young) adults and teenagers that have been raised on hip hop and rap, and by far the majority of them are going to be outside the group that the music was intended for (ie white suburban kids). I think we’re going to be having this conversation a lot – where does cultural co-opting begin, and simply making a style of music end? Is it possible for a white (or Asian or Latin American) rapper not named Eminent to be respected? How authentic does rap have to be?
Personally, I’m pretty grossed out by Iggy Azalea. Every time I hear her rap the words “murder business” I want to stab myself in the ear. But then again, is Iggy Azalea really making music for the hardcore rap fans, or is she basically just a rapper for the young ladies who need some party music?
Completely agree 100%! Really tired of the debate going around that you should only be able to perform a certain style of music because of the colour of your skin. We’d be missing out on a lot of talented performers/musicians if people lived by that rule!
Exactly !
SO TRUE!
Seriously
It seems whenever we take that step forward… We take 2 huge YouTube steps back
No one is saying that a white girl can’t rap. What folks are saying is that Iggy is mediocre at best and that there are far more talented black female rappers being overlooked to sell the gimmick of a blonde, Australian girl with a big booty who raps with a southern accent.
I barely know who Iggy is. Famous female rappers have always been Black. So I don’t know why Nicki is complaining about ONE white girl. She herself has had major success in the history and is a household name. Before female rappers were much more about raw talent but now it’s all about looks and the sexy package or gimmick which Nicki also benefits from and now Iggy.
There are many, many, many more talented female rappers than Iggy or Nicki but they don’t have a sexy look so they never make it. Sorry but in this case it’s the pot calling the Kettle black.
I AGREE 100%
@ MrsBPitt
I agree . AMEN!!!
+100
I can see how this would be annoying, but… Whether or not you have a point, complaining about another artist’s success just makes you look petty. She should focus on her own career and let Iggy flame out or prove herself.
yes, you are right: in all of this she does seem very petty
That is the TRUTH!
Kind of off topic but it fits.. Nicki Minaj is still the most disappointing live act I’ve ever seen, as in she wasn’t live. She stfu with her talk about hard work and greatness when all she did was walk around on stage to a recording that sounded exactly like her CD. This was probably 3 or 4 years ago so maybe she doesn’t do thay anymore but I could not believe what I was seeing/hearing. She can have a seat. She is as fake and contrived as anyone else in the industry. And this comes from someone who actually enjoys her music.
Yes. And if little Wayne doesn’t write her raps he at least proofreads them :p also how can nicki comment on rap music when she has made just as many pop records?
None of the hip hop community has embraced Iggy. Nicki was featured on everyone songs before her first album. The only one propping Iggy is T.I.
The only features she could get are fellow up and coming pop acts like Charli XCX, Rita Ora and Ariana Grande.
Nicki is almost just as manufactured as Iggy so she does not have much of a leg to stand on here. The difference is that she seems to write her own rhymes (such that they are), when T.I clearly writes for Iggy.
On the other hand, Saul Williams is THE BEST, and his point is valid and speaks more to the history of the music industry, which is traditionally racist and of course continues to be.
Saul Williams is fantastic. That’s all I have to say about this.
I love him SO much!
His letter to Oprah was amazeballs.
http://www.stereogum.com/5168/an_open_letter_to_oprah_by_saul_williams/news/
Hahahahahha almost as manufactured? I mean… Nicki’s body alone is 10000 times more manufactured before you even start in on her image her music her lyrics etc.
It’s sad that every single thing in the US comes back to race. It’ll never not be an issue while people keep making it one.
What should Iggy do exactly? Stop her dreams because her trajectory is unfair to other struggling black rappers? It’s called capitalism and she is winning at it right now. Good on her.
You’re right – racism will totally stop being an issue if we just stop talking about it. Because ignoring stuff makes it go away!
Yep, sure. Because the moment we stop talking about race, the Tea Party, the KKK, and their ilk will simply hang it up and stop with all the madness. It’s comments like this that only perpetuate racism, by downplaying its existence and its impact. Yes, people do overreact, and yes, there are bigger fish to fry than some silly rapper feud, but to act like WE are the ignorant ones for talking about the fact that changes need to be made makes you no better than those who are out there actively stirring up trouble.
As manufactured as Nicki’s image is, if you listen to Nicki before she transformed herself into the world’s first Harajuku Muppet on heavy doses of helium, she was dope. She still is when she drops the schtick. Her verse on Kanye’s “Monster” was crazy. She’s talented, but it gets lost in the bs .
Well, if she’s shading Iggy she is totally right. One thing is being manufactured, another one is mimicking a supposed idea of blackness. The truth is Iggy wouldn’t have this success if she was a black girl and the same goes for Macklemore.
EXACTLY! To me, this is no different than someone portraying stereotypical imagery of another culture: if Iggy dressed up in a Native American headdress, painted her face, and did war whoops on stage. Or put a bone in her nose, picked up a spear, and shouted “ooga booga” on stage. Or remember when Nick Cannon took so much heat for his whole “dress up as a white dude” thing? That was mockery of another culture, so why do people not understand this is no different? Why do I have to witness this imbecile mock black American culture (to Iggy, has my life really been nothing more than popping Cris, booty booty booty, destroying haterz, gettin my hair did, and yelling “who dat!”?), and, even worse, to see people embrace it as harmless?
Wow, I disagree.
I’m of Scottish decent (practically translucent) and a middle aged mom of two girls. I’ve always had a passion and real love of rap and hip hop (not to mention Motown, R&B and Reggae) since I was 14. It’s the music I have always felt most connected to and it’s what makes me feel things. It’s what I love.
If I had the talent and the drive back in the day, working with other like-minded musicians (hip hop artists mostly), that would have been everything.
I get it.
I can’t stand when CB brings up Nicki, Iggy or racism within the rap/hiphop community because most of the commenters are so far removed from what actually is happening within that world that they make out-of-touch, dismissive and sometimes offensive comments about the whole matter. Even the articles that CB writes are somewhat dismissive to the whole matter though Kaiser seems to have a pretty good understanding of what’s going on.
That being said @Vera I totally agree with you, your comment is on point.
I don’t really consider Iggy successful, her songs are just ok to me. I think she’s pretty and I don’t dislike her but she’s just ok. Nothing I wouldn’t be crazy about. I’m not a pure rap fan but I do enjoy hearing Eminem rap if that counts. Now he, I consider successful. It would be refreshing if she can rap with her natural voice.
As an aside, why don’t a few female rappers just get together and crank out an awesome track? I would love that.
Iggy holds the records for longest time at #1 for a female rapper on the a billboard Hot 100 chart. Previous record holder was Lil Kim for Lady Marmalade.
I won’t deny her chart success or popularity. You can say she has mainstream appeal, which is nothing wrong; I still love Britney. I just do not see these measures as success, because I just don’t find her tracks super appealing. Nothing more to it : ) It’s the same with Miley. My opinion may not count because I am really not discerning enough about rap, but yea she’s just …..ok.
To be clear, just because something is successful doesn’t mean I like it or think it is a measure of quality. 🙂 There is a lot of stuff that makes a lot of money that I think is garbage (like Transformers movies). I have found a few of Iggy’s bits to be entertaining, but I am not sold on the idea that she is a talented rapper. The Black Widow song is pretty boring!
Iggy is successful, CURRENTLY. It remains to be seen if she’ll have lasting success, which is what a some consider true success. I’m up in the air on this one. It could go either way for her.
I never realized just how good Eminem was until I heard him on that Drake track with Lil Wayne and Kanye. I was blown away. I guess when you actually compare them he stands out. He’s a bit too angry in the way he raps but that doesn’t take away from the speed at which he spits lyrics, it’s amazing.
It’s a sad state of affairs when Iggy & Nicki are representing your genre of music. I grew up loving hip hop. Lauryn Hill may be racist and crazy as a shit house rat but she had a point of view and thought provoking lyrics. Nicki has delusions of grandeur. Her songs stink.
lol that made me smile. Yes, as insane as she was (and is), Lauryn Hill at least had talent. What a voice (singing and rapping)!
The Miseducation of Lauren Hill should be re-released. That was the BEST album.
#truth!!! I came back to college to finish my degree with a bunch of 21 year olds and it pisses me off when I have to listen to Drake or any young money acts. That’s not hiphop. It’s not rap. Rap is talib kweli, murs, nas and many other. Talking about getting high, boning b_tches, and flossin is not what it’s about. Smh. Nicki Minaj is a sell out from her lyrics to her butt to her boobs. Follow your own advice nicki. Aspire for greatness and leave other people alone.
I am a casual rap music listener and I have to say I love Drake. It may not be “real” hip hop/rap ( whatever that means) but it is fun and catchy, which is what mainstream music industry is based on especially in 21. century. Most music listeners don’t spend their time to find quality music. I am a rock music fan and most mainstream rock music is bad but people still listens to them because they are catchy. For example, Nickelback sucks but they are still doing “real” rock. Real and shitty at that.
GoogleEyes///I concur with everything you said. : ) Very well said.
I call Tribe, Black Star, De La Soul hip hop and mainstream, rap. If it’s mainstream (Iggy, Nicki) you can’t exactly accuse them of being an embarrassment to hip hop. Because they’re not even in that genre. Hip hop is underground, it’s thought provoking, it has intelligence, rap is not. Rap is money, hoes, chains, racks, bithxes. They’re not the same.
Lauren Hill did not actually say any of those bigoted things accredited to her. It’s been cleared up a long time ago. Google it.
I agree so much. I think that
1.) Women need more representation in rap. period.
2.) There have got to be better female rappers out there than Nicki and Iggy, and it is about time that the industry support them financially and promotionally. This INCLUDES the Cash Money family. If you can give Paris-‘effin-Hilton a record deal, you can give one to a female rapper with talent!
…a female rapper with talent who does not use her boobs and butt to get attention but instead uses her musical talent would be nice.
@ Tiffany and Word: I completely agree! Nicki just dropped her new “artwork” for Anaconda…basically her, in a thong with her arse out. Maybe she should be less concerned with Iggy and more concerned with the blatant sexism and double standards in music in general…
It would be nice to see women supporting each other in their industry instead of acting like jealous children. Nikki is acting like the spoiled brat that she is. How about focus on what you are doing and let Iggy do her own thing. It makes you look bad, which is a shame because nikki is talented, but she just looks like a sore loser right now. Australian hip hop is awesome – check out hilltop hoods – they rock 🙂
“It would be nice to see women supporting each other in their industry instead of acting like jealous children.”
+10 billion
Not to mention, I think all rap feuds are BS. I think they are all in cahoots to help each other sell records. My conspiracy theory for the day.
This always starts a heated conversation but only because it’s true. People (and not just white people) are so frequently telling black women, ‘You’re not nice enough, you need to be more supportive, you’re holding us back’, but when that ‘support’ needs to be reciprocated, *crickets*.
It comes from everyone, everyone has this ‘right’ to talk about black women’s bad attitudes, well, if you pick on a bad attitude maybe check out some of Iggy’s comments about Aborigines because that’s her thing, too. It’s not fun anymore when it’s not about profitting from or scolding our actions, it seems. And since that cannot stand, people revert to the ‘delicate white lady who just wants everybody to be happy, but the bitter black woman aggressor won’t let us move forward, so really, she’s the racist. Ooh, that means we get to shame her!’
I’ll bet money that people are thinking that about me, right now.
You probably don’t intend it, but our world has that mindset built into its DNA and it’s implicit. I’ll take the pleas more seriously when more white women stop assuming that they have some holy sanction allowing them demand alliance and sisterhood without giving it. As far the moral superiority goes, it’s misplaced.
I don’t think people do it on purpose, but it never goes the other way. And when people deny it, which they do, I don’t know.
@ Pepsi Presents……….THANK YOU!!!!
+1
Your comment hits the nail on the head and I couldn’t have said it any better. This view and attitude dates back to the colonial period. We live it, breath it and embody it unfortunately. It takes extra conditioning to think otherwise.
Slow clap…this + a gazillion!
@PPC your posts are usually on point and this one is no different. The role of black women in the (historically white) feminist movement has always been a very complicated subject and your point does a great job breaking down this often complex subject.
Lauryn Hill forever!
Iggy bores me to death.
Nicki’s face. Just wtf.
Ha!
Honestly, they’re BOTH hot garbage and should put in a lot more work on their craft
If you haven’t already, read Questlove’s response to an Iggy question in an interview. He really gets both sides of it.
I get Nicki’s arguement about Iggy’s rise and how it came about but… Nicki is the last person to criticize that. Wasn’t she on bunch of albums BEFORE her album dropped too? Even more so than Iggy if I am not wrong.
Iggy has been around for years doing underground shows and building her connections. She has loads of songs before Fancy; it’s not like she decided to rap, filmed that video and then BOOM famous. She’s been working to get there for 8 years.
Thank you. This ^ exactly.
Finally someone who knows what they are talking about.
A white singer appears in a predominantly black industry and people freak out. Well, yeah… Racism is alive and well, I’d say!
Missed the point entirely. Freaking out isn’t because she’s white but because of how she shows her ignorant perception of what blackness is all about.
So why was Miley Cyrus so embraced? She did a complete 180 and was embraced by the hip hop world. Why?
I read Nicki’s comments as shade directed at Forbes rather than Iggy, and I can’t blame her for side-eyeing their headline…seriously, it’s in really poor taste to start cheerleading Iggy’s race. Whatever the intention, it just comes across as “Woohoo, finally a white person is running things!” Which is….problematic in so many ways. It’s not as if it’s difficult for white people to be successful in hip-hop anyway, she’s far from the first.
It’s not racism, Nikki’s music is just terrible.
I love Iggy’s image- it’s very similar to Gwen Stefani’s (whom I adore). But the truth is that the girl CAN rap. Her early live shows prove it. No per-recorded vocals and she’s fast and clear and she’s got legitimate talent. That should be all that matters.
I find it strange that her rapping style has a southern flavor. I can see exaggerating your natural accent but her flow is just fake. It’s not an alter ego thing either. She’s not being true to her origins and she raps about frivolous crap.
Well Drake’s speaking voice and rapping voice are completely different too yet no one cares, so why does it matter if Iggy’s is? Also, I think Nicki is a little jealous. Don’t worry, there will be a new female rapper out in a year or two and will push Iggy out of the way. It’s ridiculous that male rappers can all enjoy the spotlight together (for the most part) but for some reason the females can’t ???
Also, Iggy did not come out of nowhere. She moved to America years ago and tried breaking into the music business. The first time I saw one of her videos was probably a year or so ago. Her single “fancy” just seemed to take off now.
http://thatgrapejuice.net/2013/06/report-iggy-azalea-responds-unearthing-allegedly-racist-tweets/
A roundup of the racist sh-t Iggy has tweeted, as well as the lame excuses she made, including “there was a time when my twitter was just for my family and friends to see” (on a public website!), “YES. I have an opinion.” (a super racist one!), and “I see a trend on twitter in the last week that involves ppl retweeting artists old tweets. I’m talking OLD, done and dusted ass ones.” Great, so they’re old. If she’d say “hey, I’m so sorry I was a racist idiot before but I’m not anymore!” that would help. But she didn’t.
And I’m just baffled that no one ever mentions this here on the (multiple) stories about how other artists think Iggy is racist.
THIS!!! Thanks for finding this article. I was too lazy to do it.
Wow, is that for real? I never heard about those tweets before. That’s horrible. I need to do some googling…
Yup! I really thought it was more publicized but googling “Iggy Azalea racist tweets” brings up all this recent stuff with Nicki Minaj, Chuck D et al. I added the year 2010 to the search since that’s when the tweets were made and you get a lot more results about it. She’s also made some homophobic tweets too! This Reddit post has a screenshot of them all collaged together: http://www.reddit.com/r/HipHopImages/comments/2654c5/iggy_azaleas_racist_and_homophobic_tweets/
Mind you, Eminem used the “n” word in his earlier raps and still uses homophobic language…yet he is embraced. I don’t know. I think people just pick and choose who they want to hate. Those tweets by Iggy are disgusting. Let’s hope she’s a better person now.
Eminem is an insanely talented rapper. His talent causes people to turn a blind eye. Is it fair? No but it happens. Although I never heard Eminem being racist. When did he use N word?
@ maybeiamcrazy
Yes so true. Like I said it seems people pick and choose who they want to hate. You will have to google “Eminem using the n word” or something like that and you will see proof. He said he no longer uses the word though.
It’s more fashionable to tell black people they’re racist. *cue boos* I’m not a Nicki fan any stretch of anyone’s imagination, (all that damn surgery, the skin bleach, a lot of the time she spends angry is over nothing, but I do appreciate that she’s dropped the ‘Yabba, Dabba Doo, Citrus Bubblegum Urban Barbie look), but Iggy’s (as they used to say) living foul.
I think many people of all races have said things that would be received as racist or sexist by many people. We are very imperfect human beings and we all have moments of stupidity and intolerance no matter how hard we try to avoid it. I had an ex wife who said the most racist stereotypical things about Asians until I mentioned to her that she has 4 or 5 friends that she really loved who were Asian. She did not see their race anymore because they were her friends and it mortified her that she was talking about them when she talked about Asians as a whole. We live and learn. I do not think Iggy is a racist (I am a black male btw) but I do think she is young and prone to saying stupid crap like most of us are. Now that she is famous her every utterance is dissected by people to further a particular opinion of her. Let’s relax just a little.
Oh please, both Iggy and Nicki (but specially Nicki) do nothing but pop-hiphop. They are mainly pop artists from the pop culture, who use other assets that not their lyrical/voice capacities to sell. Nicki, the used-to-be-a-rapper, who decided to get a ton of plastic surgery and use a baby doll’s voice to get on the charts. It worked, now she should step aside and make space for others coming along (and Iggy has been doing her thing for long, she was just not that known, as Nicki wasn’t before Lil’Wayne). I don’t think this has to do with race, they just use the same recipe to sell and it works.
Iggy is a splash in the pan like Nik-No bigs and I’ll love the time with her like I did with Nik.
With that said Nick is still a jealous insecure girl that lashes out and that is unattractive to see.
Luv2 LilKim
@word drake is terrible too. Record sales don’t equal artistry. How old is Iggy? The 8 years of working for recognition sounds a tad inflated. It probably went more like this – likes pop music, meets T.I, he sees star quality (willingness to be nipped, tucked, and filled with silicon), teaches her how to ride a beat, writes her raps, uses contacts to get her guest spots on up & coming releases. A star is born!
@ Jlee – I really like Drake and think he’s very talented…but that’s just my opinion. I’m not sure how old Iggy is but I do know she moved to the USA when she was 15 or 16.
I Heart Missy Elliott. That’a all I got.
I can’t listen to white people talk about racism and hip hop or the combo of the two. Some of these comments are so off the mark…must be nice though.
You come off a pretty racist yourself. So is hip hop only for blacks? What does skin color have to do with anything?
I didn’t know you can tell someone was white or black or chinese or indian, etc. just by reading comments. Genius !
It has nothing to do with racism. Nicki is jealous! A lot of the people we see at the top today arent always the most talented. They’ve got finacial backing from family or someone else. Some of the most talented we haven’t even heard of. I used to work in a live events theatre and some of the talent coming through the door would blow these people away. Too bad!
I agree, it is not that black rappers have not done very very well for themselves and gained great fame, fortune and power. They are hardly held back in today’s music industry, especially considering most of them are not anywhere near good as they think they are. No race is better or should have exclusive rights to anything. I like Iggy Azalea and I think she is a good rapper, personally I think she has a better voice and rap flow/lyrics then a lot of the mainstream rappers today, including Nicki Minaj and her god awful lyrics (saved only by good beats).
@stellar elaborate….every and anybody has the right to discuss race and music. If you think people are off the mark then express your opinion. Express don’t judge. It’s the foundation of intelligent conversation
Very well said 🙂
i miss the days of lil kim (when “notorious k.i.m.” came out), foxy brown, missy elliot, and total (omg “can’t u see” made my life! i loved them so much, they didn’t rap, but still)..i could never stomach nikki, can’t with this iggy girl, kesha or whoever the “it” rap/popsters are. lately if a song is played on the radio, i hate it.
Why do I get the feeling that Iggy Azalea is actually checking off the days on a calendar until she can end some kind of charade? Like “…just 280 days of this sh*t left and I can give back these gawdawful clothes, stop talking like a Lake Ponchartrain Causeway truckstop whore, and go back to being a middle class University of Adelaide master’s degree candidate in cultural anthropology?”
As a black girl all I have to say is: Please take it! It’s yours! Let this gutter trash called hiphop/crap be associated with white faces because I am sick of it! NIcki is just as bad what with her calling black women “nappy a*s hoes”. Trashy degrading lyrics…why the hell would I want to take part in my own degradation!?
White girls: take it please! you can be the video hoes in rap videos, you can be the booty pooppin’, p*ssy popin’ filthy whores and then be associated with that for the rest of your lives no matter how innocent you actually are.
I have never had anything to do with it but yet I am assumed to like this piece of sh*t called (c)rap. I listen to classic rock mostly and want nothing to do with crappers and hiphop. It has never benefited me or other black women and girls, if anything it has degraded us lowered our value in the eyes of the world. Thanks a lot crappers!
That’s interesting and as a minority, I get where you’re coming from. I’m not a fan of some of hip hop’s misogynistic videos and lyrics either. I wish these wouldn’t be pushed into the mainstream. I’m sure rap has some talent without having the need to show or rely on these.
Well said, I liked old school rap when it was poetic, now rap its all about sex, threats, swearing, name calling and showing off.
Observer: Fellow black chick who loves classic rock here! I started pulling away from rap when gangsta rap started becoming popular because it had nothing to do with my life experience. I’m an intelligent woman and listening to rap since then just makes me feel denigrated, for the most part. (The overuse of the “n” word does not help.) The worst thing is that I personally know white people who assume I’m into the crappy rap just because I’m black. To me, the only thing worthwhile about today’s rap is the Weird Al Yankovic parodies it inspires. Old school rap I love, though.
@observer how very strange. My dad used to call rap “crap” until I made him sit and listen to A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory…. someone should do the same for you.
If it wasn’t clear enough, I was talking about mainstream rap/hiphop that has dominated charts and pop culture for decades now. It started with gangster rap and went even further downhill from there.
Of course there are individual rappers who don’t rap about booty, bling and bitches. That goes without saying, but I am not talking about them now am I?
What is wrong with Iggy? Who cares if she is white if you like her music. Is she supposed to do only rock ‘n roll? What about the blues? There are MANY blues artists who are white even though the first blues singers were not.
My girl is a teen. She loves Iggy. Her friends love Iggy. Her friends are all colors of the rainbow.
YOu don’t have to like rap. But it IS music, it IS art, no matter what color skin the singer has.
You said all rap & hip hop was gutter trash. Some gangster rap is amazing and it brought police brutality and the reality of ghetto life to the publics attention. It had something to say. Unlike yourself.
This reminds me of one of my favorite lines by Eminem:
I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley, to do Black Music so selfishly
And use it to get myself wealthy (Hey)
This stuff has been going on since forever. I love Eminem for recognizing that.
Unfortunately, that’s just the way it is. Iggy isn’t good. Nicki is but Iggy is white. Which makes people jump right on the wagon. Its like how people compare very talented Beyonce to a loser with zero talent Kim kardashian. These two women shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence. Beyonce work so hard for what she got. Kim just laid on her back. The reality is women of color have to work four times harder. It’s just how it is.
Yes, yes and yes
Many salient points made on this thread.
I would just like to add that perhaps some will get the full impact of the lack of equity when you view it within the context of the the history of popular music in the US. There has been a long and consistent history of reappropriation and misappropriation by whites of music in the US that was indigenously black. And though many slickly cite Elvis Presley as prime example, it really predates him. It starts with ragtime, the advent of recorded sound, and the birth of the recording industry. Some of it was innocuous admiration for the music as was the case of George Gershwin, but much of it was tangled up in subversive tactics to capitalize off of the music while still trying marginalize those that created it. Consequently, many blacks are very sensitive to ‘ownership’ and appropriation. While it would be nice if we could hold hands and sing kumbayah, create music irrespective of the historical realities of racial politics because music is supposed to unify, and eschew dialogue dealing with color, it’s impossible. And irresponsible.
Whites can do rap and do so successfully. But it’s incredibly myopic to not recognize the historical precendences that contribute to the discourse in the first place and the reasons that done are ‘sensitive’ about it.
You’re telling me. Even earlier than Gershwin there was the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. They lied full stop about the origins of jazz music and claimed that jazz was a 100% white creation, and any talk to the contrary was vicious lies. They make a huge amount of money and black musicians began to perform in a manner that obscured their hands so their work wouldn’t be stolen by powerful white people watching and thriving their techniques.
Scuzz job for the ages, Al Jolson would walk into black clubs, take the work wholesale for himself and turn around and sue the black performers for stealing his music. Since he had money and race in his favour, he destroyed a lot of careers.
Ps. Sometimes we are being racist and don’t even realize. People keep mentioning Nicki’s cosmetic procedures. But ignoring the seven lbs of blonde weave Iggy wears or the fact that she’s very unattractive outside of make up. Nicki has posted her real hair outside if weave and its gorgeous. Shiny and black. Lets see Iggy real hair..
She needs to calm down. That Muppet-neon mess she was rocking a few years ago was one of the most contrived images I’ve ever seen.
She just gets pissed when people get more attention than she does.
I’ve been an Iggy fan for a few years now but she is VAPID. I had to stop following her on Twitter last year because it was all posts about how pretty she is and how she gets free clothes. Unlike someone like Azealia Banks who is actually quite intelligent and has interesting things to say.
And once you start getting into the p-ssy rap scene you realize Iggy sucks. Not just as a rapper but as a lyricists. There’s no depth. There’s nothing to her lyrics. Nicki, Kraeyshawn, Brooke Candy, Angle Haze, Azealia, they’re all very funny, witty lyricists. Pay attention to their lyrics sometime. They slay. Compare them to Iggy’s and there’s no competition. Not to mention her hooks repeat too much. It’s like three lines, hook, three lines, hook and it’s usually just a repeat of what she’s said. Listen to My World, perfect example.
I never liked Nicki Minaj, her persona when she was a Fraggle Rock knock off turned me off (thanks Michael K), but then I listened to her and she’s really good. I take back my shade.
I lost my last shred of respect for Iggy when it was claimed she has a ghost writer. As a rapper all you have are your lyrics. You can get a beat from anywhere, if you can’t even rhyme than what are you good for?
Im actually inclined to say, if anyone is being racist, its Nicki, because the hip hop industry is and has been “of, for, by, and aboutthe ‘ black’ community” (sorry to use that word but how else do I describe it without huritng everyones feelings since every word is forbidden?)
The attention Iggy gets may be more equal to that of a white woman because, she is one, regardless of WHICH field she is in.
And the hip hop scene, lets face it, is not exactly going to be main stream because it is just SO vulgar and violent and it speaks not to the mashed potato masses, but to a strict mentality of a group of people that isnt yet the majority. So it has its “own” life beside, or behind, or around, “pop” culture.
Iggy is getting treated like a “pop” artist although her sound is (blandly) hip-hop-ish.
If NIcki wants to throw shade at a white woman getting success, I call Nicki racist and bitter.
Nicki, already HAS loads of money and success. So has the industry really been racist to Nicki??? I see plenty of hip hop artists being successful and famous. That in its own right, is one thing, but to expect hip hop top be the new pop, is another.
Why want hip hop to be equivalent to pop? They are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. Hip hop is majorly alive and well and thriving. So whats the problem? Are there not enough forces and voices behind the hip hop artists, such that they could generate the same manufactured fanfare? I bet if they had more heads in teh industry, they would get to buy as many album sales, too…. so whats keeping them from generating their own heads an CEOs and marketing gurus to work for them?? But wouldnt it still remain WITHIN the domain of the hip hop community? (whats wrong with that!)
And yes, its a countdown to people calling me ignorant because I dont think an apple is an orange nor that an apple should be called an orange. If that makes me “racist” because I do accept the differences that exist (without wishing either of them any LESS or any MORE success), so be it…
The first and only women rap songs I ever purchased were by Salt and Pepper….salt and pepper here….Damn that’s ageing. Hahaha :). I found their music sexy but fun. Back in the day!
That said, my first real notice of Nicki was after Whitney Houston died and the Grammys gave Nicki the big build up and stage to perform..well she was AWFUL that night, couldn’t sing, couldn’t rap, the production was bewildering, (some Excorcist,opera-rap) her performance that night was almost embarrassing! After that performance she lost me, I saw no need to go further in finding out about her music.
Since then I avoid Nicki’s music and she always seems to be fighting with someone or throwing shade somewhere.
I’ve only seen Iggy’s video where she is replaying the movie Clueless using her song. I found it to be cute, funny and entertaining. I actually liked it and since then I heard one of her songs play at the gym while working out ,which was actually catchy and fun. Rap is such a big industry now, that It had to cross over eventually to kids of all backgrounds who grew up with it.
All Nicki has been doing is giving Iggey more publicity every time she throws a bit of shade. JMO
Iggy Azalea is the Katy Perry of rap and needs dearly to get over herself.
As long as. Iggy is getting ink, $ales and mentions, I doubt she or her pr team, care what they compare her to, Katy Perry or otherwi$e. Everything is not about a political statement and Nicki sounds jealous and mean spirited, there’s room for everyone.
I don’t think Dr.Dre or TI sold out, they are businessmen, as well as artists, there is not one thing wrong with that.
It’s called the Music busines$ for a reason.
Congrats to Iggy on her new show, MTV House of Style (90’s reboot)
Black people sow the seeds of their own destruction. Instead if thinking of legacy they think about cash and sell out to the nearest white dude. What is TI thinking? Take the money and run. It involves a lot of self hatred. He was brought up thinking he was inferior to the white man and this is how it plays out. Black people selling out. Look at Dr Dre, Usher and now TI. How many others? There is a pattern here people. Open your eyes and recognise it.
I enjoy Fancy and I was definitely surprised to see she was white. Don’t know anything else she did though.
Also, when I was growing up we had a kingsnake named Iggy, so that’s really all I think of when I hear her name.