For Halloween:
Amethyst Kelly (1990- ), better known as Iggy Azalea, is a White Australian rapper. She is best known for the song “Fancy” (2014), which went to #1 in the US, Canada and New Zealand and to #5 in Britain and Australia.
Azalea came to the US in 2006. She got fake breasts, a fake nose and a fake booty and rapped in a fake Black American accent. Her song “Fancy” went to number one in the US and stayed there for seven weeks in a row – outdoing both Lil Kim and Lauryn Hill, much less Nicki Minaj.
In the US, a bad imitation of a Black female rapper does better than the real thing.
And then came the award nominations, even from BET. She received four Grammy nominations, the top music awards in the US.
Azealia Banks, a Black female rapper from Harlem, was brought almost to tears:
“When they give these Grammys out, all it says to White kids is, ‘Oh yeah, you’re great, you’re amazing, you can do whatever you put your mind to.’ And what it says to Black kids is, ‘You don’t have shit, you don’t own shit, not even the shit you created for yourself.’ ….
“They’re trying to erase us, all of our books and scriptures and everything. Everything we are supposed to know about ourselves have gone, completely fucking gone, never to be seen again.”
Iggy Azalea dismissed this as envy and bigotry.
Q-Tip, who was rapping even before hip hop reached the suburbs of New York, much less Australia, patiently told Iggy Azalea, tweet by tweet, the history of hip hop, of why it matters to Black Americans, who have lost so much and have so little, yet have created a thing of “depth, fire, and brilliance”. Hip hop was for everyone, but its roots and history should be understood and respected.
Iggy Azalea dismissed that too, as patronizing and irrelevant:
Im also not going to sit on twitter & play hip hop squares with strangers to somehow prove i deserve to be a fan of or influenced by hiphop.
She did not care. She did not have to.
Sure, Black Americans started hip hop, it grew out of their experience in “the disparate ghettos of NY”, blah blah blah, but they were no longer the main audience. White people were. Whites have most of the music-buying dollars. They run the Grammys. White people determine what hip hop is. Welcome to cultural appropriation.
That process did not begin with Iggy Azalea or Macklemore or even Eminem. It goes all the way back to at least “Yo! MTV Raps” (1988-1995), created by and for White people in the disparate suburbs of America. In a broader sense, it goes back to Elvis in the 1950s, to minstrel shows in the 1800s, to blackface in the 1700s.
Iggy Azalea’s “verbal blackface” did not come out of thin air. Nor do her racist tweets. Nor does her belief that she is not racist because she “loves” other cultures and has family and friends of other races.
Thanks to Pumpkin for requesting this post.
– Abagond, 2015.
Sources: Especially Azealia Banks’s interview on Hot 97 (2014) and Q-Tip’s tweets (2014).
See also:
- hip hop
- cultural appropriation
- The disparate ghettos of NY
- Lauryn Hill
- “Some of my best friends are Black”
- booty
- Halloween
- Compare and contrast: Teena Marie
- Mock Ebonics
606
Besides the fake accent, I don’t see why she gets so much hate. She’s no different from Eminem, Vanilla Ice or Snow. Sure, she’s callous but when has Eminem ever spoken out against racism, white privilege, etc? Please, don’t bring of “White America” which is only one song from 13 years ago. He even said he only gets called out for misogyny because he’s white. (Take that however you wish.)
LikeLike
She’s nothing but a no- talent blonde bimbo. Just another in a long list of culture vultures!
LikeLike
“Hip hop was for everyone, but its roots and history should be understood and respected.”
*Like*
Many people don’t understand the (largely Black) roots of hip hop and rock. If they do mention Black artists who helped to create a genre, those artists are often presented primarily as “forerunners” to the “main attraction” (White artists).
LikeLike
*actually, the parentheses should read: (White artists or the artists that White people tend to like). Jimi Hendrix and Tupac are usually taken seriously, for example.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know anything about this, but my wife says a black rapper named T.I. discovered Iggy Azalea. Not questioning your piece, but does this fit into the traditional white appropriation pattern? What do you and your readers think?
LikeLike
@ louis2decaro
Yes, T.I. did discover Iggy Azalea. But just because he is Black that does not somehow “cleanse” it. In the 1800s, Blacks put on blackface and took part in minstrel shows. Whites still pulled the strings. You will always find Blacks who will sell out and coon.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks Abagond. I can see that, buy my wife thinks that’s a little unfair. She thinks that this line of analysis depreciates those white artists who are actually talented, although she doesn’t feel that way about Iggy Azalea, she does feel that Eminem is, and that he was also discovered by a black artist, and that this also undercuts blacks who are successful in taking a position culturally where they become the ones who exercise influence–unlike Elvis and early whites who simply exploited the black sound. She suggested the same critique could possibly be lodged against me for writing black biographies. I suggested you probably wouldn’t make that comparison because you’re addressing a specifically black artistic medium. Whew. From what you wrote, however, it seems to me that we cannot dismiss that white privilege is always a factor that works to an advantage (except, of course, for white biographers of MX, because it definitely doesn’t 😉
LikeLike
I laughed when Azealia Banks nicknamed Iggy Azalea “Igloo Australia” I know Banks is hurt because Azalea is getting all the shine doesn’t know or respect the culture and by virtue of her being white doesn’t have to learn or know or respect the culture. And to add insult to injury all these white woman loving negropeans falling on their swords for her. Everybody knows Azalea is fake. Azalea is the goose that lays golden eggs for T.I. so i can kind of understand he is invested in her. But she really needs to disappear into the ether.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Just Stop it “”” Cypress Crew Boys were in the rap game (Puerto Ricans & Blacks) when Gran Master Flash was spinin at St.Anns on 138th st
RIP CYPRESS CREW :140th & Cypress Ave South Bronx
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Iggy Azalea dismissed this as envy and bigotry.”
Since this was apparently given in response to a comment about the impact on Blacks in general, is she insinuating that the whole Black race envies “White” success? That she’s saying Whites are superior to Blacks at Blacks’ own cultural work?! Now if that ain’t racist, I don’t know what is!
What’s up here?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Iggy is having her moment/ Like most hip hoppers, it probably won’t last long.
LikeLiked by 1 person
BTW, what’s going on there with her butt?
LikeLike
I can’t stand this chick. I am not a huge Azaelia Banks fan but she was right about Iggy Azalea. There are many Caucasian entertainers like Iggy Azalea who exploit and profit from Black cultural characteristics such as the Blaccent in Iggy Azalea’s case but wouldn’t lift a single hand to help better the plight of Black people. To me, that is cultural appropriation and I am glad Azalea Banks called her out on it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I could write for days and days till my fingers hurt about this.
Why do we create so much and pass it over to people outside the culture and then when Macklemore or Eminem get voted album of the year we get mad
You don’t see Jewish, Mexican or East Indian culture exploited (you can partake) but they are the be-all and end-all in there art form.
It goes back to Sam Cooke in the 60s. He owned his own masters and threatened the white music industries control of black music. So like Michael Jackson he was murdered because both were trying to build a black music publishing house that would draw all the major black artists to them, That was Sam Cooks and Michael Jacksons dream.
Even moreso Sam Cooke was going to finance the work that Malcolm X and MLK once they agreed to join forces. He was going to use the money from his masters and his music to part finance their civil rights struggle. Even the black panthers (who i hold in high esteem) were in part financed by white philanthropists. So Sam Cook had to be killed,
Sam Cooke – Tupac Shakur – Notorious BIG and Michael Jackson and any other black person who tries to separate themselves from the majors has to be exterminated.
The only person who escaped this control is Prince. Since then Prince has been pretty much banned from the music industry, banned from radio play and video play, that’s why you don’t see him that much these days. He sells his music online, don’t me wrong he’s still doing very very well, and according to him his break was the best thing he’s ever done.
One of the problem we have is that many black people don’t control anything in hip hop and nor do a lot of them want to control anything. Because to control makes them responsible and accountable.
That’s why you have Iggy Azalea. So many black hip-hop artists don’t want the responsibility that comes from publishing, promotion and distribution their own work.
Look at Puffy and Jay Z and 50 cent – none of them own distribution. If white people decided they were not going to distribute there music. You’d never hear from them again. And before you think that’s impossible, Prince was much bigger artist than Puffy, Jay Z or 50 cent, but they silenced him.
When look at Nike, Coca-Cola, What do you see ?
1) Ships
2) Trucks
3) Airplanes
That’s distribution. That is what we need and that’s Marcus Garvey said we needed. That’s not going to be easy and that’s not going to happen over night either. But it’s what is needed to stop the like of Iggy Azalea and others.
LikeLiked by 5 people
On a side note, this is all the more reason why we need to start building our own economy, our businesses and take control of our dollars if we’re to build business empires. Whites control darn near everything, and something’s gotta change, and we can’t continue looking to white people to create our avenues.
Now, back on Iggy Azalea. I never heard her songs. I hardly listen to mainstream music anymore. But She’s one of the poster children for cultural appropriation right after Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. And like those two, she doesn’t seem to care. Then again, why would she. She doesn’t have to. That’s white privilege.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Iggy Azalea can’t rap at all. Who told her she can rap? Heck, I can spit better rhymes when I’ve had one too many drinks. lol! 😀
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH15YLAo5Wg)
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t understand how you can say, “much less Nicki Minaj” after Lil Kim. Kim bit Biggie’s flow, had him write her raps, heavily depended on an over-sexual image, and rapped about nothing substantive. Not to mention her raps were incredibly vulgar. Im not saying that’s a bad thing (music is mostly about entertainment value for me), however she isn’t any better or worse than Nicki.
Lauryn Hill was truly on another level.
LikeLike
@ The Pragmatist
I agree that Lauryn Hill is way better than Lil Kim or Nicki Minaj, much less Iggy Azalea, who barely belongs in the same sentence with her. But the comparison in that paragraph was NOT about artistic merit but chart performance. Among female rappers, Iggy Azalea holds the record in terms of a number one hit with the most weeks at the top, seven weeks in her case. Lil Kim comes second at four or five weeks (“Lady Marmalade” in 2001) and Lauryn Hill at two weeks (“That Thing” in 1998). Nicki Minaj, to date, has not had a number one hit in the US as a whole. “Anaconda” in 2014 came the closest, reaching #2.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@ mike4ty4
I think Iggy Azalea was mainly talking about Azealia Banks being envious and bigotted, but she said it in a way that it would apply to anyone who agreed with Banks.
LikeLike
@ louis2decaro
It can be a fine line between cultural participation and cultural appropriation. Reasonable people can disagree. I would count Iggy Azalea as an appropriator but Teena Marie, say, as a participator. Both were both protegees of Black men – T.I. and Rick James, respectively. But with Teena Marie I got the sense that she was making music mainly for Black people, while Iggy Azalea seems to be mainly making it for White people. Also, Teena Marie seemed to respect Black culture and Black people, while Iggy Azalea does not.
I think historical figures can be appropriated. That has been done by Whites to Martin Luther King, who have made him into the patron saint of colour-blind racism. Malcolm X is harder to appropriate. He is protected in part by his autobiography.
LikeLiked by 6 people
To hell with this cheap imitation of a rapper. If you guys want to hear a real female mc and aren’t afraid of super hard, hard, HARDcore lyrics I strongly recommend Angel Haze. She runs circles around Iggy AuFailure and while she’s much too young to call the greatest femcee of all time she definitely takes the cake on a technical level. See for yourself;
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szj7efHG-00)
She’s even written dark personal songs about being sexually abused as a child in her cover of Eminem’s “Cleaning Out My Closet”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FagjDPRbUNw)
T.I. has recently parted ways with her most likely due to the fact that she’s on her 13th of 15 minutes and will soon start to hurt his bottom line than increase it. Another white so-called rapper named Action Bronson who has a carbon copy voice and flow of Wu Tangs Ghostface Killah had the nerve to say Ghost wasn’t as good as him even though Ghost has actually done songs with him and given Action his own stamp of approval.
This is probably a much better example of White appropriation; Wu Tang has been around for 20 years and Ghost has 2 classic solo albums under his belt -VS- a White guy with a trailer park dweller appearance and subject matter who like Iggy will soon see his fame dry up. Where’s the respect? In a genre as trendy as hip hop where acts come and go every year 2 decades of relevance for an entire outfit of mc’s should be enough for anyone to pay deference to them.
But instead we get a guy who thinks he’s something special because he wrote a few songs based on a Black mans style he stole and took advantage of the fact that Whites would rather hear Black music with a White face attached to it instead of the real deal. As one of the more outspoken members of the Wu however, Ghost didn’t take too kindly to Action Bronson’s jabs and fired back a few of his own, had Action shown respect it would never have even needed to get to that point.
LikeLike
Abagond my comment isn’t going through, did I break moderation rules?
LikeLike
Really, I had never given this behind/tuchus / bum/ buttocks/booty thing much thought until I had heard Trevor Noah joke about it, I started doing Smolov jnr for squats program and coming to Abagond’s blog. You can’t even go into shop to buy toothpaste in Cape Town without having Kim Kardashians bum in your face. I have no real interest in this topic per se, except that it is written by my favourite blogger.(I am more of a Blues, Jazz and World music person).
Karma is a b*tch, and mark my words, it won’t before long before the gutter press will have a field day when her previously half-eaten Apple logo bum, injected with silicone, ruptures/ leaks/erupts.
I must say I must have been awful in previous life, because I can’t wear earphones for a few reasons, and at the local gym have to endure (aural) torture when they turn up the amp on this said desperate fake wax con-‘artist’ and other white screeching banshees.
As to the cultural theft by white ‘musicians’, seriously, kleptomania is extremely difficult to treat.
LikeLike
Disclaimer: I am white and Eastern European.
Rap is enormously popular in my country. Well, at least it was in the 90s. It was used as a political protest during the horrible times we were going through. I don’t know if it’s cultural appropriation – good local acts never tried to imitate black artists (and always rapped in our language).
I think Iggy’s main problem is that she doesn’t respect rap’s history and rap as a genre created by black people within the context of this experience. It’s more than just being a fan of rhyming – you have to understand where it’s coming from and what it means. I do think it’s possible for non-black people to enjoy the genre or try to rap but it has to be with understanding of culture behind it AND they have to draw from their own experience when writing songs and not to imitate black people (let alone to make a racist vocal blackface and whatever). Iggy is obviously not interested in any of that, and as I understand she’s not even particularly talented.
I am all for female artists and I’d like to see more successful black lady rappers. I am not saying that a white girl (or a boy) cannot rap but you have to have respect. I do like Nicki Minaj despite some very questionable things she’s done. But I do have a soft spot for her.
Re: Eminem. As far as I know, he is considered “authentic” because he grew up in Detroit and was immersed in rap from an early age. He built his credibility through rap battles and what not. He was almost 30 when he made it big so by that time I guess people accepted him as credible. Also, he’s famous for rapping about being white trash and hating his bullies, his parents and his wife.
I think he’s somewhat aware of the white privilege that made him popular. It’s not just “White America” – I swear I heard him talk about being so popular and selling so much because he’s white and that this is the reason he was so hated in early 00s – not by black people but by whites because whites started caring about violent sexist misogynist lyrics only when their kids started listening to this and did not care what black kids are exposed to. (There were huge protests about Eminem in the early 00s, I remember that). He also does seem to respect rap as a black genre and prominent black rapers. But on the other hand, I don’t think he ever spoke about racial issues outside his songs – he doesn’t seem to touch upon politics or anything like that in interviews.
There is also the idea that rap is somehow more violent (sexist, misogynistic) than other music genres, which is a racist notion on itself. I’m into hard rock (and some metal) and I can tell you it’s simply not true. (Yes, I know rock is not a white genre historically but it’s considered white now). So, rap is seen as a black genre and therefore inherently violent (sexist, homophobic), AND it’s seen as reflective of ways “blacks are”. Then you have a white boy in the game and suddenly there’s an outcry by white Americans because a) their kids listen to this and b) a white person should “know better”.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Correction: (and I hope my previous comment will go through). I meant to say: I don’t think it’s IMPOSSIBLE for non-black people to enjoy the genre or try to rap but it has to be with understanding of culture behind it
LikeLike
@ A
I moderate YouTube links.
LikeLike
@ Mira
I agree. If Iggy Azalea had rapped in her own accent about her own experiences, as Eminem has done, she probably would not be seen as an appropriator.
LikeLiked by 1 person
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ko3GVW418)
nsfw
LikeLike
What do you guys make of dancehall reggae artist from Africa toasting/deejaying in Jamaican patois with a Jamaican accent? Could that be considered cultural appropriation?
LikeLike
@ ZT
Are you talking about Idris Elba because his musical moniker I believe is Dj Drizzy and I’ve heard a song of his where he rapped/chanted in patois. Afro-British not African I know but his song immediately came to mind when I read your comment.
LikeLike
@ A
Actually, I didn’t have Idris Elba on my mind at the time of my first comment. The only time I’ve heard him rapped is a D’Banj tune his featured on. Here’s the link:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaHaK9BR5Jg)
On this track he raps in Sierra Leonian creole, and D’Banj sings in Nigerian Pidgin English and English. You’ll notice there are similarities between the Pidgin Englishes spoken across West Africa and the English-based creoles in the caribbean region.
I had in mind African dancehall acts like Pato Ranking, Cynthia Morgan and StoneBwoy amongst others. All these acts were born, raised and based in Africa. Here are links to some of their songs:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljkLsq887rA)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59kz-6GXKNo)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhVIPSsVVF0)
Are their attempts to sound Jamaican in their songs cultural appropriation or participation?
LikeLike
I see her going the way of Vanilla Ice. Her and Macklemore both.
LikeLike
I see Azalea going the way of Vanilla Ice and she needs to take Macklemore with her. I will say this in his defense he does try to respect the culture when he won the Grammy last year over Kendrick Lamar he knew in his heart of hearts that Grammy belonged to Kendrick Lamar. He knows he’s not Eminem and that he needs to tread lightly because many black people who are true to the culture and are die hard hip hop fans he needs to respect them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eminem in my opinion is an authentic rapper who paid his dues and understands the culture this is not the case with Azalea.
LikeLike
Another white PIG and brainDEAD creature masturbating his empty head!
Do you see any cultural appropriation with whites living in Europe like Britain, Slovenia, Latvia, Malta versus whites living outside Europe , which is all white people mother land, like in US, Australia, Quebec, Brazil, Mexico or South Africa? No.
Because even though you whites you are always screaming that you are unique and you don’t have any white or European culture, your belief, attitudes and actions towards one another paints an entire different picture.
Are you going to accuse a European from Mexico making moves like Elvis Presley and singing like him of cultural appropriation? No. Because as long as is white it makes no difference in your eyes.
But it’s perfectly appropriate to accuse Elvis Presley ‘s of cultural appropriation because his music is a copy carbon of African music.
So are you going to say a European is dancing, moving and singing in an American patois and American accent ?
Do you refer to the way Australians, Americans or Quebecois speak as patois or accent every time you talk about them ?
In case you have a memory problem, let’s me remind you that whites in Australia, whites in America, whites in Quebec and Canada, whites in Mexico or in South Africa are ALL from the same part of the world, E U R O P E.
Americans , Canadians are all white and European.
Whites , as usual, you are pathetic and full of stinky shit! It ‘s very interesting to see that even though you seem like you’re talking about Africans living in the CONTINENT and those living outside African countries like Jamaica as two separate people, you still find the way to display your usual negative mindset, derogatory, and demeaning words towards the two groups of people. The ones living in the CONTINENT and the ones living outside it. Degrading tone you whites never apply towards Europeans whether they are still living in their Europe or outside it .
LikeLike
It is all Pathetic! as long as is white nothing can’t be WRONG with that !
LikeLike
It all sounds pathetic. As long as is white, nothing can be WRONG with it .
LikeLike
Australians (whites) are bigger racists than Afrikaners. They actually take second place and that’s saying a lot if you are familiar with the pure racism that still pollutes South Africa (Sometimes I just want to slap Zuma). They treated aborigines terribly almost in a similar way that Leopold did to the people of Congo. I say this because I have interacted with my fair share of people from the land down under. I don’t think Iggy cares what Black Americans say about hip hop.
LikeLike
@villagewriter
“Australians (whites) are bigger racists than Afrikaners”.
Villagewriter, with all due respect, I would disagree. I don’t want to go into now, but one born in apartheid or has lived in South Africa for while, at least, will be able to make that comparison. To put it mildly, Afrikaners have their own special meanness.
As to the different “flavours” of white racism, that could make an interesting discussion, but on a another thread.
“(Sometimes I just want to slap Zuma)”: Thank you for invoking his name and putting me in a good mood.( Joking).
LikeLike
Fuck Dizzy brain no talent Australia! She knows damn good and well that her sorry whiny little slut ass can use and abuse her privilege and that anything whites come along and rip-off of black folks will get more praise than the lowly folks who actually INVENTED it! And Eminem he is another fake ass sneaky culture vulture asshole. It’s the same thing with British white artists and Robert Johnson. They can sing the songs and take the persona but at the end of the day they aren’t nearly as good but fully aware that the white skin trumps all. As Gabby said in Bring it On every time we create something her come white folks putting some blond hair on it and calling it something different. If a Aborigine were to wear a blond wig, talk like a valley girl, and play a fancy dingerdoo nobody would be slobbering all over her. She’d be a pathetic wannabe that white folks will trash and criticize at every turn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So what if she has a fake butt (euw), and did her nose. She put out a track that people liked and gave her her playtime and fame. Whether it’s a one hit wonder remains to be seen, I believe so. In two years it will be someone else who’s being fake. It is what it is . REALLY, it’s that serious that you are so angry and bitter. I come from the roots of rap when the Hook was “Yes Yes Ya” and yadontstop” throwing parties in abandoned buildings on 138th street in S.Bronx. High Treble on one and loud bass on the other turntable while mixing, Sometimes, we’d blow out the system bass and just kept on wit the high Treble track”smh” and the party was still rocking. We never thought that this would be what it is today. We loved it and thought not what it ended up being what it is today.
Are we remembered, (Cypress Crew Boys 140th & Cypress Ave, S.Bronx) of course not but I’m not bitter that FLash that mixed two blocks away on 138th street and others are credited with the infancy that the Cypress Crew Boys had a part in no I am not. Remember, Not everyone is in the movie or the story. The drug game was law back then and that’s how we held it down and helped others out. It cost the Cypress Crew Boys lives in the South Bronx. Im the only one left that I know of as I ended moving to Jersey. However, the truth is the truth. The fun, danger, and the talent that was lost in the drug game are still with me. I’m not bitter or hatin. Why put energy into what society eventually picks for the camera, lights and mainstream America. That’s the way its been since Gate.
I’m just glad that I am able to share my menories and contribution even though we didn’t make it on BEHIND THE MUSIC lol.
It was just a goof which turn out to be a Cultural phenomenon.
LikeLiked by 2 people
KingRaised, write it all down somewhere… everything that you remember. Might be a book in it somewhere down the road. Who knows?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Iggy Azalea is the flip side of the saying that Blacks have to be twice as good. As a White person, she only has to be half as good.
LikeLiked by 2 people
@ abagond
Mediocrity is truly the whitest of all privileges.
@ Brothawolf
Our greatest flaw to date is that we’re still seeking permission to live alongside our former masters in peace and harmony. And the answer, of course, is a resounding NO.
But we still haven’t gotten a clue. Because we’re scared of what’ll happen if we tried to strike out on our own en masse? Because we’ve seen what happens when black individuals intentionally stray far off the beaten path?
Or is it because we’ve lived in the shadow of white culture, society and government for so long that, if we finally move ourselves completely from under it all, we could effectively cease to exist?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought T.I. said he don’t want no mediocre h**? The pure irony in him backing Iggy.
LikeLike
This is my first comment here. I’m just writing to say I love this blog and this excellent analysis. Keep up the good work Abagond!
LikeLike
Thank you, Michelle!
LikeLiked by 1 person
To me, Iggy Azalea is mocking Black culture and Black Vernacular English to the FULLEST. What she does on the mic is what racist White trolls do on commentary forums – type in mocked Ebonics words to discredit Black commenters. They failed to realize that Black people are taught to NOT let words or mocked words offend them. But back to Iggy, it’s hilarious to see her imitate Blacks on the stage with a mic in her hand and then to hear her talk with her natural-born Aussie accent during post-performance interviews. LOL!!
LikeLike
The opening line: “For Halloween”… because Amethyst Kelly is wearing Iggy Azalea like a costume. That, sums it up for me. When there’s no respect for the culture you’re “wearing” and you’re doing it purely for your own personal gains or entertainment, that’s clearly cultural appropriation.
One thought I had: If TI “discovers” a racist White girl from down under, puts her in a costume and has her perform minstrel-like R&B to appeal to White folks and then uses the profits (White money) to help build Grand Hustle Records, a Black-owned label that also represents Black artists, does the means justify the end?
I guess I say, “Shame on you Amethyst Kelly” but “Good for you TI for capitalizing on her fake a$$”.
At least we can all agree that, at the end of the day, she’ll be all used up (unless she gets a spot on The View).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess if she’s code switching to emulate black culture to sell itunes to white kids? She needs something to prop her career up
LikeLike
Maybe a little off topic but I realized after writing my comment commending the
Wu Tang Clan for their longevity the question of whether or not their name & image is cultural appropriation occurred to me. To a degree I think so since it is based on Chinese martial arts, culture & films. I think I may have contradicted myself in applauding them. What say you guys?
LikeLike
@V8
“She needs something to prop her career up”—Talent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@ Michael Cooper
It comes off as Mock Ebonics to me too.
LikeLike
@A,
Cultural appropriation goes in all directions. It is not merely something that whites do to blacks.
LikeLike
Now they are using Kamit women natural beauty traits (anyone who went to the motherland knows what I am talking about) which are still mocked on when kamit women have it, in oder to uplift their so called “white beauty” (when we know they don’t have it naturally) and promote it worldwide even when it is a fake one. They are very sick
LikeLike
Very helpful, thanks.
LikeLike
Louis de caro’s comments
(https://abagond.wordpress.com/2015/10/31/iggy-azalea/#comment-301748)
on 31 Oct 2015 got redated to 27 Nov 2015 and showed up again on the comment news feed.
The comment news feed has REALLY been acting up lately.
LikeLike