Iggy Wants to Be America's 'One Rapper With a Vagina'

By Hillary Crosley Coker  |  April 22, 2014 | 11:50pm
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Iggy Azalea astutely noticed that America only has room for one vagina at time when it comes to women in rap, which sounds curiously like Hollywood’s penchant for identifying one woman each award season as the It Girl. Not saying we don’t like looking at ladies like Lupita N’Yongo in all of her fabulous outfits, but it’s a bit limiting if we’re only allowed one woman to fawn over.

The Australian rapper spoke to Billboard about her struggle to revive her short career about a failed start with a US label.

“The media [said], ‘Either you like Banks or Iggy,’ so labels were like, ‘There can only be one rapper with a vagina,’ ” explains Azalea, who says she found out the Interscope deal was dead through the press. “You go on MTV — ‘Iggy got dropped’ — that’s how you hear. Then you call the [label] and nobody picks up their phone. You may as well be f-ing dead.”

Like the drama on ABC’s Nashville, record labels can be cold-hearted but Iggy should be alright thanks to that catchy-as-hell single “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX. Also, she seems to be taking the Kelis approach to fame after leaving Interscope and signing with England’s Mercury Records; work hard to build your name in the U.K. then translate that brand across the pond here in the States.

As for her new album The New Classic, writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd says “she delivers staccatos in a sassy, Southern-accented tenor; the production follows suit, paying homage to Atlanta bounce while looking to the future with EDM leanings.”

We shall see what becomes of the artist born Amethyst Amelia Kelly as she battles her way up the Billboard charts. Hopefully Lil Debbie won’t call and ask for any more favors?

 
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