Iggy Azalea says she will not apologize for how she's perceived.
During a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, the 29-year-old Australian rapper addressed her polarizing place in hip-hop as well those who claim her career was built on mimicry. But it appears Iggy is no longer worried about this type criticism, as she believes the concept of cultural appropriation is subjective.
"You could ask one person of the same race, 'Does this affect you?' and they will say yes," she told the magazine. "You could ask one person of the same race, 'Does this affect you?' and they will say yes. But another person will say no. They could be from the same place, same everything, but have different perspectives about it."
In the years since she broke into the mainstream, Iggy has faced constant criticism for the way she dresses, speaks, and creates music. Many have questioned the authenticity of her image, while others have accused her of co-opting blackness to propel her career. Iggy addressed this criticism during a 2013 interview with Complex, stating:
If you’re mad about it and you’re a black person then start a rap career and give it a go, too. I’m not taking anyone’s spot, so make yourself a mixtape. Or maybe if you’re black, start singing like a country singer and be a white person. I don’t know. Why is it such a big deal? This is the entertainment industry. It’s not politics. You should be more concerned about the message, not the voices saying it
Iggy reiterated her defense in the Cosmo interview, insisting she was not going to apologize for simply being herself.
"I’m still going to make the same type of music and still be ridiculous and larger than life," she said. "So I can’t be that fucking sorry about it."
But make no mistake, Iggy isn't dismissing the criticism; though she admits the cultural appropriation issue was once a touchy subject for her.
"I would hit back and say, 'What about this that I had to go through?' because I wanted to talk so much about my experiences of things I didn’t have, and I think it felt like I wasn’t acknowledging that there is white privilege and there is institutionalized racism," she said. "It seemed to a lot of people like I was living in this bubble or unaware of all these things that people have to experience."
You can read the full profile at Cosmo's website. Iggy also discusses her comeback, mental health, and relationship with Playboi Carti.
