Has Hip-Hop Fallen Victim To White Privilege?

Iggy Azalea

Last week Harlem rapper Azealia Banks went on the Hot 97 morning show and spent near enough the whole 40 minutes talking about her feelings towards Iggy Azalea and that state of hip hop music today. She cried, she ranted and she struck up a very heated debate, specifically aimed towards Iggy, amongst rappers and hip hop fans that has dominated media news and twitter for the past week.
J.Cole, Will.I.Am, Q-tip, T.I, Solange Knowles, Lupe Fiasco and many more have all had something to say on the matter, as do I.

This whole Azealia Banks/Iggy Azalea fued started many years ago before either of them were charting on Billboard or circulating on the radio. Many believe it isn't just a coincidence that they share the same name. Iggy is accused of taking Azealia's name to fire up her rap career and considering she debuted a little after Banks it could have some truth to it.
But it was a questionable lyric in one of Iggy's Youtube videos that got Azealia all riled up and I don't particularly blame her. I know rap is all about controversy and playing on words but for Iggy to call herself a 'runaway slave master' wasn't all that impressive. Now I don't know Iggy personally but I would be very shocked if I found out that she is racist in anyway.
However, Azealia was offended, and rightly so, she called her out on it and from that day forward the girls have not had a kind word to say about each other.

Azealia Banks

I believe that there is more than a hint of bitterness in Azealia's hatred towards Iggy because the two girls started around the same time and their around the same age but Iggy is the only one getting number one singles and Grammy nominations when Azealia is far more talented than the Australian rapper. So race aside, there was always going to be some jealousy on Azealia's part.
But throw in the fact that Iggy is white and born in Australia, it rubs a whole lot more salt in the wound because, as Azealia has stated many a time, Iggy is not what hip hop culture is about and she is taking that away from black people.

Now I can completely understand and appreciate Azealia's argument as I was one of the many hip hop fans who was deeply frustrated when Macklemore stole a Grammy from Kendrick last year. It would be equally upsetting if Iggy walks away with Grammy's that she doesn't deserve over some really talented rappers/artists.
I am not saying that Iggy isn't talented because she is a great popstar but just because she 'raps' it does not make her a rapper or a hip hop artist. Her music, by definition, is commercially successful pop music so, by definition, she should be competing with the Taylor Swifts and Katy Perrys certainly not the Nicki Minajs and Azealia Banks.
Iggy may be a hip hop fan and appreciate the culture but she is not technically a part of it based on her debut album filled with everything but inspiring, original hip-hop music.
I know people often bring Eminem into this argument. Why is he accepted? Why does he get a pass? Well, to put it simply, because he is one of the best rappers and lyricists of all time regardless of his skin colour. Besides, he was raised within the culture, competing in rap battles and such, he is not appropriating black culture. Whereas, Iggy gets all of this flack because she is from a white privileged background and she isn't all that great of a rapper. If Iggy was making great hip-hop music and writing high quality lyrics then I doubt that this debate would have ever happened because we would have to give her credit and respect for being amazingly talented just like we do for Eminem and Justin Timberlake. We don't even really consider the colour of their skin even though they compete in genres built and dominated by black people because they are great at what they do and musicians respect other great musicians. Unfortunately Iggy is not a talented artist within the genre mainstream society have placed her in.
That being said, Iggy has never claimed to be a hip-hop star and it isn't her fault that she is put in these categories for awards and then wins them. Just as Macklemore shouldn't get the blame for winning the Grammy.

So, on the one hand, I strongly agree with the point that Azealia is making; HOWEVER, why is this all being put on Iggy's shoulders.
At the end of the day, she is just a 24 year old musician trying to make some money by following her dream and all of a sudden she is at the centre of a race row.
One white woman is not going to erase the decades of history hip-hop has engraved in music culture and she is certainly not trying to do that either - well, at least not consciously.
I am hard pressed to believe that when Iggy moved to America all them years ago her aim was to change the face of hip-hop music by making it a 'white thing'. I am sure she is aware of the challenges she would face because of her race and I am sure she wanted to open a few doors for other aspiring white rappers. But she not only seems to embrace the black culture, she has unarguably introduced it to a new audience.

So all in all, Azealia Banks makes some great points and I was glad to see that she was so passionate about the issue she calls 'cultural smudging'. She has sparked an interesting debate that I have found to be both educational and thought-provoking. But can we please see the conversation, and that same passion, being aimed at everything else that demeans the black race and our culture, which isn't necessarily Iggy Azalea.
J.Cole sums it up best on a line from his latest album. On the song Fire Squad, J raps 'watch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile' which is most definitely a premonition based on last years awards season. He quickly follows this lyric with 'I'm just playing' but then backtracks once again by stating that there is some truth in every joke. J.Cole's sentiment is the exact same as mine - if I am right in assuming I understand how he feels about the topic based on these lyrics.
Yes, it is annoying, frustrating and upsetting to watch pop artists, who just so happen to rap, win awards and accolades ahead of real, talented and authentic hip hop artists. It must be even more blood-boiling when you are that artist losing out seemingly based on white privilege.
But I am not going to get worked up to the point of twitter ranting and publicly crying over a few white people who rap with successful music careers because there are far more important issues I can be concerning myself with.
Instead of complaining about Iggy, why don't we keep our focus and attention on the cases of Eric Garner and Mike Brown.
Instead of debating Grammy awards, why don't we discuss the issue of inequality in the prison system and the prejudice in the educational system.
Maybe if we addressed the more concerning, life-threatening issues that black people all over the world face every day, our worries about great black artists being underrated and the hip hop culture being 'erased' won't exist anymore.

Weekly Round-Up | A Week Of Women Dropping Surprises

This week has been filled with surprises in the world of music and the first came from outspoken rapper, Azealia Banks. After three years of anticipation, Azealia dropped her debut album Broke With Expensive Taste unannounced on Thursday. It has received high praise from fans and critics which I can understand as the album is a courageous step for any musician with experimental sounds, bold attitude and impressive lyrics. However, the album is not to my personal taste and I was a bit let down what with Azealia having made amazing songs such as 212, Liquorice and 1991.

The surprises continued with an unexpected musical release from pop princess, Selena Gomez, who has been quite on the musical front for over a year. What was even more shocking was that the subject matter for her new song was very clearly about her rocky relationship with Justin Beiber. The Heart Wants What It Wants is a really personal and vulnerable song, as is the endearing video that goes with it and, although it was made almost a year ago, the lyrics couldn't ring any truer for the young star.
It is nice to hear a softer side to her and that she is, at last, opening up about a topic that has been making headlines for years.

There were more album releases this week from two other female artists whose music couldn't be more different. Teyana Taylor released her album, VII, at the top of the week to much critical acclaim. The album is brilliant, innovative and authentic, and Teyana has found herself a new fan in me - a more detailed, track-by-track review will be available on my blog tomorrow.
On the other hand, Cheryl Cole didn't deliver such a stellar album although I am sure it will still be a commercial success. She seems to have taken a step back in terms of musicality and there is no growth or excitement in any of the songs on the album. In fact, the only two tracks worth listening to have already been released as singles so the album was a disappointment to say the least.

New Video : Azealia Banks

I am not Azealia's biggest fan as the girl is constantly stirring up trouble on Twitter and making more enemies than allies in the music industry. It's unfortunate that she is so angry and bitter because she is very talented and makes great music but it is so hard to support her when you know that she is not a nice person.

Regardless, she has dropped a new track Heavy Metal and Reflective and a video to go with it in anticipation for her eventual album release.

The video had great potential with its scenic views and BMX-ing but seemed a bit anti-climatic and didn't really live up to the attitude that the song is filled with.

New Video : Azealia Banks

Azealia is back and although I am no longer a fan of her after her constant Twitter feuds and ignorant comments, I still keep track of her music because she is talented.
Unfortunately I am not feeling this latest track ATM Jam or the video she released today to go with it. The song itself is bland and doesn't seem to go anywhere which fits perfectly with the video which lacks all the energy and entertainment of what we have come to expect from Azealia.
Don't get wrong, Azealia looks great (she should stick with that weave) and the colours and costumes are visually appealing but it's all just a bit . . . safe.