My most recent obsession (and the the only reason I have survived my exams this year) is angry female rappers. Especially Iggy Azalea. Born Amethyst Amelia Kelly, the 23-year-old rapper originally from Sydney, Australia, first arrived on the American rap scene in 2011 and made a name for herself with her controversial viral videos for songs ‘Pu$$y’ and ‘Two Times’. She was the first female and non-american rapper to appear in XXL magazine’s annual “Top Ten Freshmen” issue. ‘The New Classic’ is her debut studio album.
The rapper’s mission is to “make people question and redefine old ideals” and through this album she certainly does. The three songs released prior to the album were ‘Bounce’, ‘Change Your Life’ and ‘Fancy’. All of these are great songs, easy to listen too and enjoyable too. My particular favourite is ‘Work’ a story of personal struggle, that really puts into perspective the struggle of lower class women. The song is gritty and real whilst still being quite funny and catchy. This is skill Iggy Azalea seems to possess across all songs in this album. You can really tell she means what she says and isn’t just in it for the downloads, compared to artists such as Nicki Minaj.
The album as a whole flows quite nicely together all song possessing the same heavy beat and smooth rapping style. The artist hopefully paves the way for a wave of new hip-hop artists that lead the genre away from the gangsta rap culture. If you’re looking for badass women who know who they are and what they want then Iggy Azalea is a must! And, if you like her I recommend Angel Haze, a similar artist with a similar message. Iggy Azalea is a great female inspiration.
