Be it for the good, bad, ugly, or downright shocking, 2021 was full of memorable moments!
Now, as the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on the occasions that rocked – and to some degree maybe even reshaped – the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.
Next, we’ll revisit the shocking announcement that GRAMMY-nominated femcee Iggy Azalea was hanging up her mic forever.
With millions of records sold, multiple top 40 hits (including the #1 smash ‘Fancy’), a 10-year-old catalog, and a nearly unrivaled videography among her peers, Iggy Azalea stands as one of the most successful female rappers of all-time…on paper. In reality, the Rap diva – despite a legion of dedicated fans affectionately called #Azaleans – has a reputation and legacy that’s been tarnished by (arguably) undue cultural blacklisting.
In the face of that seemingly insurmountable obstacle, Iggy’s managed to hit a number of critical homeruns in the years that followed the release of her debut album, 2014’s ‘The New Classic,’ but none of that success was mirrored commercially.
The nonresponse to her musical releases, alongside the demands of motherhood, were just what the ‘Started’ rapper claims started her desire to seek professional fulfillment outside of the music industry.
The announcement, which preceded the release of her third and final studio album, ‘End of An Era,’ was expounded upon during her accompanying press run.
Ultimately, the set was met with critical acclaim upon its August release, but became her first studio effort the miss the Billboard 200 entirely.
All was not lost, however. Before the year’s end, Azalea not only hit the road with fellow emcee Pitbull (as we reported here) but also launched the next chapter of her career: a makeup line.