“There comes a time when the system realises that “I can sell this white person” a lot easier.”
Before Azealia Banks weighed in on her supposed use and abuse of Black culture on ‘Hot 97’, ‘Crooked Smile’ rapper J. Cole made his way to Power 105.1 to explain his recent criticism of Australian superstar Iggy Azalea, whom he compared to Elvis Presley here.
There, he revealed that the remarks he made about the rapper wasn’t criticism at all, billing them an “observation.”
What he deserved?
The link between her success as a Caucasian female MC and efforts made by corporations to sell African-American culture to audiences more likely to respond to her than an actual African-America…even if said African-American is more talented.
His words below…
Hit the 14 minute 21 mark.
Cole’s latest album, ‘2014 Forest Hill Drive’ is out now.
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B**** jcole album was FIRE. The fact you listen to iggy proves you know nothing about hip-hop.
You stan for Onika though…
Wonder when she’ll diss him on twitter.
The Point When You Realise His Remarks On Music Industry Really Make Sense.
He basically said the same thing as Azealia but she knows better than to come for him. Nobody hates her because she’s white (that’s dumb) people hate her because she is a poor rapper with no lyrical skill who is being pushed as if she does have lyrical skill.
Flo Rida has skill and he flows on pop beats so this isn’t even about genre, it’s about authenticity and that’s something she doesn’t have.
Flo Rida? LOL you mean the lyrical genius behind such trash as ‘Whistle’? He’s real poet, that one.
Flo makes cheap music but his flow isn’t bad at all, I can’t say the same for Iggy who wouldn’t know how to use a smart metaphor if her radio spins depended on it.
u lost me at flo rida lmaoooo he’s worse than iggy
He told ABSOLUTELY NO LIES. We need more artist’s like J. Cole who aren’t afraid to speak about hard hitting issues affecting the masses at large. Azalea Banks(Banks shittty attitude aside) and Nicki Minaj(corny pop song’s aside) are way more talented than Iggy yet the media make her out to be the 2nd coming of Tupac. Her skin colour plays a large part in this and her fake inauthentic artistry makes it hard for rap connoisseurs to take her seriously.
So basically you’re saying there’s only room for 2 female rappers? You know at one point, Lil Kim, Missy, Foxy Brown, Trina, Queen Pen, Sole, Amil,Angie Martinez were all out and popular at the same time?? You def
We’re born in like 1999…. Idiot
@ummm your response is laced with stupidity. In no way did I say we can’t have more than 2 rapper’s. I mentioned Banks and Minaj because they can rap better than Iggy and those woman you mentioned could spit sick bars. You should be ashamed of yourself for comparing the likes of Lil Kim,Missy etc to Iggy. It shows you know nothing about rap and black culture at large. Educate yourself before jumping on topics you clearly have no idea what they’re about.
“Black people hate Iggy because she’s white and slaying in Hip hop.”
Oh? Didn’t Fergie just release LA Love? Wasn’t she rapping in Fergalicous? Everyone hated her too, right? WRONG, people LOVE Fergie because she’s genuine.
Fergie is dope and comes from a dope group the black eyed peas! Iggy alot of people dont like and not all blacks id assume. She isnt a real rapper she is more like a spoof version ya know like Weird Al. Bottom line! Now Black people in general dont want to see this trend of signing fair skinned RnB and HipHop artist because they are believed to be more marketable..the message that sends speaks volumes. AND for record labels and producers to act on it is down right fighting!
Ann, you just spoke the truth. This isn’t about Iggy or your little Stan wars. It’s more about systemic racism and the people are speaking out.
In other words, if a White artist is associated with Black artists then they’re welcomed with open arms? The hypocrisy is endless.
That logic doesn’t make sense. Isn’t iggy associated with TI?
You f****** idiots. Do white folks actually have issues with reading comprehension? Its not simply association with black artist (or the proverbial: but my best friend is black trope). Its about authenticity. Apparently, you don’t know what it means to be authentic.
The fact that there are thousands of unauthentic, wAck ass black people who exploit hip hop is why I never take an Iggy hater seriously… Well at least one who hates her of the precedent of authenticity. Rap is at an all time low and we have a plethora of black acts making a mock out of rap- exploiting women, glorifying drugs and much more terrible things etc. So some corny lil white chick is getting a lil shine, oh well.. Who cares? Worse things in rap have occurred.. Much worse
Are any of those wack rappers you mentioned being played on pop radio 150 times a week?
Did Forbes say that any of them ran Hip Hop?
If Iggy’s talent level is on 2, the hype around her is on 10 and nobody who likes her can explain why that is.
Yes, MANY of those rappers are getting popular shine.. You kidding me??? WAck ass, unauthentic was getting play Waaaaaaay before Iggy.. Do u need an example?
And the irony, since you stan for katy Perry who couldn’t sing/perform or do anything authentic to save her life except authentically make kids bop anthems.. Tuh
That’s not what I asked you. Iggy paid for a radio deal that got Fancy played 150 times a week and then Forbes said she ran Hip Hop, so I asked you if any of the wack rappers you mentioned were given the budget she got to pay for that deal or a article like the one Forbes wrote for her.
You really do her a disservice when you compare her to wack rappers instead of comparing her to good ones sis, and all you do is prove what everybody already knows. The only time a person can stan for Iggy is if they don’t know much about rap or how pretty much everything in the industry can be paid for.
Yes, many of the acts have gotten mass media love and a plethora of terrible acts have gotten much love over a long period of time. Rap is not run by authentic, lyricists anymore so stop acting like the core of rap popularity is ran by the true hip hop heads. It’s not.. Just like katy Perry’s non live singing ass is running popular music when there are a bagillion other, much more talented singers less popular, it goes the same for Iggys situation.
See how she can’t even answer my question? I gave you two examples that relate to Iggy directly and you keep dancing around them. Why can’t you name one wack rapper that got their own on the verge deal or their own forbes article saying they ran Hip Hop?
“Rap is not run by authentic, lyricists anymore so stop acting like the core of rap popularity is ran by the true hip hop heads. It’s not.. Just like katy Perry’s non live singing ass is running popular music when there are a bagillion other, much more talented singers less popular, it goes the same for Iggys situation.”
So you’re basically saying it’s ok for Iggy not to be talented cos other people aren’t either. What kind of loser logic?
On the verge, mass media exposure, number one status… Doesn’t matter what the specifics are what the point is, is that there have been tons- literally tons of wAck rap acts to be backed and achieve accolades. On the verge is specific to Iggy but to negate that worse acts have achieved a lot and have been doing so for years shows why you are a fan of Katy kids bop, I couldn’t sing if my life depended on it, Perry, that in itself is a read honey.
Akon, Flo Rida (speaking of radio…), 50 Cent, and endless others who rap about nothing but b!tches, DJs, drugs, cars (G6 anyone?), and other meaningless bull$hit.
Nah son… you haven’t given an example. Just because you don’t see the value in Flo rida, akon, or 50 does not mean that we don’t. Gtfoh. I don’t even like 2 of three of those artist you mentioned but that’s just preference not off their skill. Its not even Down to lyrics. The b**** has no flow. How do you not hear that s***. Very very often she’s not even on beat. Huh? Wtf! That’s the first rule of rap. You better ride the f****** beat. This ho be falling off major. Foh!
I don’t remember anyone going in on Pink when she did R&B. Wonder why? A little something called TALENT maybe?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoaDlErXm9c
I miss this P!nk 🙁
As a matter of fact it was La Reid who tried to push her to keep doing RNB but she didnt want to do what was not in her heart and lokk where she is now! I hate the black producers who try to mold white artist to sound and promote the rnb sound then end up sounding like RnB artists who are established as if they could be replaced. Now its not the sound that sells but the trending white face!
I actually like Iggy style & I’m not really into many rap artist I also LOVE J.Coles album & D”Angelo’s album as well!!
Well honestly you’re not really listening to j.cole or D’angelos albums very thoroughly bc they both speak about what I’m going to now bill “the iggy epidemic”. The s*** is sick and it stinks.
When people were saying Iggy couldn’t write the first thing her fans said was “so what?”. That alone should tell you why people don’t take her seriously.
Thighyonce doesn’t write either, but she sure loves to take credit for doing so.
But Beyonce is an exceptionally good singer. Is Iggy an exceptionally good rapper?
Two points.
1. TI used to write Kim’s songs when they were both on Atlantic.
2. Any real TI fan knows why b****** think he writes Iggy’s songs for her.
Lol, her album does sound like something T.I would put out. The keep it 100 song especially!
So I see some people don’t know what some people mean when they say Iggy has no rap skill, so this is what I want to do.
I want an Iggy fan to get any Iggy verse and annotate the lyrics on here without using rap genius. I’ll do the same with a Nicki verse and you’ll see that there’s a BIG difference between the two.
Who’s up for the challenge?
So basically you’re saying because nickis here Iggy shouldn’t be? So basically only nicki should be put and no other female rappers should be able to eat????
No honey, Iggy being here is great because I love her songs but she shouldn’t be compared to Nicki because she’s not as talented. Simples.
Saying Iggy isn’t as talented as Onika is like saying Zimbabwe is more poor than Ethiopia. Sure, that may be true, but they’re still both 3rd world he11holes.
People are pressed over Iggy like she’s actually selling or something. Last I checked her albums flopped so why so bitter?
Ikr!!!
Lets look at Iggy’s career this year. Her album and EP flopped and she got mixed reviews for her album. But the media, especially Billboard, names her one of the top women in music this year. The same people who panned her album are now praising her. That is the white man’s capitalist mindset. Her music is wack, her swag is wack, her image is wack, she’s just wack. The fact that she’s from Australia does a lot for her, but her success and rise to fame isn’t that credible or worth praise. I do believe that her success surprises her. She hasn’t succeeded in doing anything apart from a hit single.
She still had a more successful year than A**elia Banks and Onika.
Sweety you need to re-assess YOUR definition of Success. Pfffffff…… GTFOH
Maybe cuz iggy raps about other stuff not just s** and that’s why she’s appealing to the masses? You can’t make people buy a song they don’t like, so maybe people LIKE her music. Personal opinions aside.
Her songs are dope because she has dope writers and when it comes to her sales? Can we not. Her ep and album sales don’t even come to 500,000 even when they’re put together.
And a lot of new albums flopped this year. Soo. Stop that. She had one of the biggest songs this year.
Iggy Azalea fan logic 101.
“Why you getting at me for not doing my homework cos that b**** over there didn’t do hers either.”
#LoserMentality
The allegations that people write her songs should’ve been enough to pan this biitch and put her away for good. T.I. is just making money off of her. He knows she’s wack and that her whiteness will sell records.
By your logic Thighyonce should also be panned. Especially since she takes credit for songs she doesn’t write.
Iggy is good but i know she isn’t as good as nicki i guess all the compari son between the two Where just about Being female rappers and having success not about talent
if all this was generalised i might agree with it the fact that they going after one person specifically is what makes it hard to swallow.
If he came for other black people with minimal talent that get major backing then i might listen.
Point is her label think she can sell because she had 2 hit songs so they pushing her. Billboard named her one of the biggest female names because she was fancy, black widow speak for themselves plus her album is doing ok.
Ther are a billion girls that can sing and out dance beyonce, rihanna, katy perry, gaga and the black communities little love project bieber and yet their promo budget is 1million times greater than anyone else, because their sales justify it.
But what minimalyl talented black artiste gets shine in the same vein that iggy does. I’m not saying that there aren’t black artist who make less than great music. The point is, those people will never and have never been given the opportunities that iggy had. And if it ever does occur on any level, its the machine feeding us metaphorical toxic waste. Generally speaking, we have to be exceptional.
Any way i don’t understand all this SHADE iggy is talented it’s obviosly she won’t ever had the same lyricism of others rappers she comes from a different COUNTRY AND CULTURE!
That’s stupid. There are plenty of MCs from other countries and cultures that are amazing. Off the top of my head I can think of wiley (uk) and renee of calle13 (Puerto Rico) or timbuktu (sweden) so miss me with that… wait I can even through in a female, lady leshurr (uk). So, once again, miss me with that.
In other news, Pink Print will come in at #3 with 160K while Slayor amd some other artists will top the chart with 300k and 200k. The barbs failed.
Yes, she should. Her string of lawsuit are proof. Biitch I don’t even like Thiefonce. You must not ’bout me.
@OMG LOGIC!!!
First of all, J. Cole told no lies.
The fact of the matter is, Iggy is a ter.ri.ble artist. AWFUL. No one would care if she were like a Flo rida or a Pitbull because they are not being sold as the second coming of hip hop. They make bad pop music, Lots of people buy it. Lots of people enjoy it. We move on. Iggy, on the other hand, is being propped up as a true hip hop artist, which is disgusting, condescending, and dripping in skin privilege.
There is no way on earth she should be nominated for Best Rap Album. No way. She can be fun. She can be disposable. Cool. But to suggest that “The New Classic” should be eligible to receive the same award as “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is asinine. Insulting.
Look folks, if Eminem can discuss this issue on his own song “White America” and Macklemore can concede that Kendrick Lamar DESERVED that award over him, why is it so difficult for some of you to understand?
Iggy is a second rate talent. Mediocre to the fullest. Never will be anything else. If she were treated like the rest of the mediocre talents, there would not be a problem. However, she is being treated like a first rate talent and Azealia Banks and J. Cole have explained to you exactly why that’s the case. You don’t like it. Oh well.
So what do you call it when “they” tried to sell Nicki Minaj to the “white” audience. These negative comments toward Iggy are so embarrassing.
Lmao Iggy has everyone pressed! Let the girl make her cute, radio friendly hip pop music. She isn’t hurting anyone. Meanwhile Nicki is outchea flopping. What happened to her fair weather fans? 😆
Smh omg, if there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s a bully, just leave the girl alone, let her make her music. You know what, I hope she wins a Grammy.
Same here! I wanna see egg all over their faces and I’m not even a real fan of hers. 😆
Exactly.
Why are people acting like Iggy’s Minstrel Show isn’t harmful and dangerous? She is literally profiting from a 21st Century minstrel act and people are yelling “let her live,” “leave that girl alone,” it’s just harmless pop music” blah blah blah…
She is not a victim. She deserves every shred of criticism that she receives. And people hoping this trash wins a Grammy are the same one’s who will use a Grammy as a receipt to prove an artist is superior. Iggy winning a Grammy, by default, makes them irrelevant. Not a good look.
IGGY REALLY GOT YALL IN AN UPROAR LMAO!!! IS THE ANGER COMING FROM HER DOING BETTER THAN TRICKI?
I would be fine if iggy was presented as a pop artist like florida and pitbull are. Instead they try to present her as a lyricist and have the nerve the nominate her for a RAP GRAMMY? foh
I can’t take any of these opinions or hate towards Iggy seriously because the majority of them are oozing hypocrisy. Give it a rest already. Talent in itself is subjective to the listener really. I know several people who would claim Iggy is a better rapper than Nicki and several more who would say the opposite. Because you don’t care for her music or it doesn’t speak to you, doesn’t mean its trash. End of. Likewise, who sets the golden standard for what is hip-hop and what isn’t? How can you b*tch about Iggy being in hip-hop categories but then claim Nicki and Azealia are?? Nicki rapping over pop beats is no different than Iggy rapping over pop beats or Azealia rapping over dance beats. And what is this nonsense about Iggy being overhyped? Because one magazine that knows nothing about music claims she runs hip-hop? Everyone here is claiming that the media is over hyping her but aside from Forbes, I don’t see it. No sh*t Billboard would name her one of the top artist of the year, Fancy was the song of the Summer and she was featured on the runner up song Problem. You can keep calling The New Classic a flop but how many other debuting artist in pop, hip-hop, or R&B sold more than 430k this year? I understand the argument behind the hate but the approach is flawed. Using Iggy as the scapegoat will only paint a picture in her favor towards the GP. When these “outspoken” rappers decide to call everyone out, maybe I’ll take them seriously. The same ones crying culture appropriation are the first ones to collaborate with Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus if they came calling. Funny how no one really came for them.
I think it’s quite generous to label Iggy a “scapegoat.” Iggy’s “performance of blackness,” the way she erroneously conceives the concept of “blackness,” is lazy, unoriginal, and disgusting. She deserves the criticism on all levels.
Justin Bieber and Mily Cyrus received LOTS of criticism for many of the same reasons as Iggy. The difference, however, is degree. Iggy is doing far more than cultural appropriation and using black women are props (which are the main charges against Bieber and Cyrus respectively), she is ushering in a new form of minstrelsy straight from the 19th century.
If she didn’t use that “verbal blackface,” as Jean Grae aptly labeled it, her criticism would greatly diminish. Also, people ARE treating her as the second coming in hip hop when her catalogue has done nothing to warrant this praise. Sorry.
I’m not a relativist. I believe that some things are better than others. For example, I can confidently say that Kendrick Lamar’s new untitled song that he performed on The Colbert Report is better than anything that Iggy has produced, or ever will produce. If someone disagrees, fine. I’ll still stand by what I said and what music will in the future will be a testament.
Nicki’s music is trash too yet here yall are praising her up as the benchmark for greatness.
Iggy is were she is because whether or not her s*** is good or bad its selling. And thats it. Rihanna and bey are sold to the white community, praised by white media all the time and you dont see white people up in arms about that.
Whats funny is Nicki is actually getting more of then iggy ever got and lets face it, her music aint much better where are the many rappers talking about that?
People forget media love pushing those hated by public artists. Why did Bieber got successful? Becuase everyone was talking about him and how they hate him. If everyone didn’t mention Iggy so much she would probably be a lot smaller. Let’s be honest, she only gets hits because of catchy hooks on her songs.
I’ll be interested in what J Cole has to say when he comes for Eminem. How come these rappers ain’t mad about a white rapper who’s been practicing cultural appropriation for decades and keeps making derogatory statements about Latino women and now gets to rap bars about beating Lana and raping Iggy? Racism is real and it’s sad but at the end of the day it’s easy to go for Miley and Iggy while they all patting white rapists like Eminem and Bieber in the back whenever they have the chance.