Some of rap history’s biggest sellers, from Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross to Nelly, Pitbull, and Flo Rida have all had their rap (and street) credibility questioned at one point in their careers. None listed, however, were rebuked with the intensity of criticism like that aimed at Iggy Azalea.
From barely a buzz to a bulls-eye, she went from obscurity to enemy #1 in just a year.
Besides the unique position of being a white female emcee from Australia who rapped with a southern U.S. accent, not much else surrounded the newcomer’s name initially. In fact, this time last year she seemed poised to take rank with the many other unsung female rappers trying to find a place in the male-dominated game.
Despite backing from one of the genre’s frontrunners (T.I.) and a number of well-prepared videos to boot, success would not knock on the rapstress’s door until the unveiling of the pop-cloaked number ‘Fancy’ and its ‘Clueless’-themed music video. In conjunction with a timely “assistant role” on rising pop starlet Ariana Grande‘s hit ‘Problem,’ Iggy, seemingly out of nowhere, was thrust to the top of mainstream music consciousness.
Undoubtedly a dream come true for any female rapper, especially a Caucasian one traipsing a path so many before her had failed (see: Sarai, Kreayshawn), that dream would prove itself a nightmare as all but the very genre she pursued would openly embrace her.
Has “winning” caused Iggy to lose hip hop’s respect?
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