Iggy Azalea: ‘I Sparked A Change In What People Accept In Hip-Hop’

Iggy Azalea’s career may be over within a year — and the 24-year-old Australian rapper is okay with that. Mainly, she says, because despite her fast rise to the top, Iggy feels she’s already impacted her genre for the better.

“If I have a short-lived career, at least I could say I sparked a change, ” Azalea told GQ recently.

“I inspired some leniency in what people accept in hip-hop.”

Azalea has come under fire from members of the hip-hop community, specifically Azealia Banks, whose beef stems from the claim that Iggy has misappropriated black culture to build her brand.

But the Grammy nominee shrugs off such claims. In fact, Iggy claims the award season has actually helped her overcome the negativity surrounding her career as of late.

“Anytime where people get to choose who they want to have a voice and they choose me, I just think that makes it worth it. And that gives me the patience to just bite my tongue.”

Despite the Azealia Banks/Iggy Azalea beef that’s dominated Internet headlines leading up to her Grammy nomination, Iggy has actually received her fair share of support from the hip-hop community as well.

As reported by Inquistr, hip-hop personality Charlamagne Tha God is the latest artist to stand behind Azalea. According to the Daily Mail, when asked about Iggy’s “realness,” Charlamagne laughed it off.

“Ninety per-cent of hip hop is fabrication and illusion… why is Iggy the poster child?” the 34-year-old said.

“We let all of this fake s*** go on in hip hop all the time, and all of a sudden Iggy Azalea is the punching bag?”

He also continued on about Azealia Banks’ claim that Iggy has stolen black culture in order to make a profit.

“White rappers in America will never threaten this culture… it’s not about black or white, hip hop isn’t that type of culture anymore… who are we to tell white people they don’t belong in hip hop?”

And Azalea’s popularity has already shown that she does have a place in hip-hop. Her Grammy nomination can also be admitted as evidence. No matter what though, Iggy is also very aware that her career could very well be short-lived, despite the momentum she’s gained.

“You never know how long you’ll be in people’s good graces, especially in this business. So I hope it’s long—but I could be here for three or four years and then be out, like most artists… if I have a very long career and can be gyrating in a leotard at 35, that would be great.”

[Iggy Azalea image via Music Row Girl]