for real, back in my day, I was discussing new music with some of the dudes at my college station–all black–and I mentioned a track with the N word in the title. I got embarrassed and said that was not a word I would ever say otherwise; my friend looked at me earnestly, right in the eye, and said “why?” Obviously that’s not the same as calling him that, but I’ve known one or two fully hooded-out white dudes that dropped N bombs right and left because that was how they were legit acculturated (IA is not one of them, though, lol.) Believe it or not, this is a non-issue to some persons OC. But of course it is still a huge issue to many persons OC. I don’t know what was said by Azalea, but how the lady it was directed at took it is far more relevant than any general social more, or what, say, Sharpton for example, thinks, or what “allies” think.
The OP wasn’t clear that “racially tinged language” was used so I was just going by that post earlier, but I personally feel that if IA was using slurs, that’s no good. I’m just saying that my opinion, while informed, doesn’t really help me make a call, here. We as whites can say to Iggy “that’s not cool,” but us telling the lady she dissed that she needs to be offended because it makes us uncomfortable is wack. It’s a subtle distinction, but crucial because white people tend to take over an issue a lot. that’s all.
The difference between appropriation and influence is basically this:
It is both difficult and undesirable to avoid the influence of other cultures, even when the power dynamic is skewed (as it was/is in this case). However, it is equally important to understand where rock or rap or hip-hop or blues came from. Paying tribute to the originators and acknowledging their contributions would probably be a good start.
To be honest, I think that’s a much bigger problem for rock (and derivatives) than it is for rap. Rock ‘n’ roll is so assimilated into mainstream white culture that it’s likely more people know about Elvis Presley than Chuck Berry.
Hi old people… you know you can search all of this on teh interwebs. Iggy Azalea is a white Australian born artist who moved to the US at age 19 to follow her passion of hiphop. Azeilia Banks, a black hip hop artist, recently went on a childish Twitter tirade cause she thinks that Iggy’s popularity rides on the back of black culture yet she is not vocal over everything happening in Ferguson.
Snoop dogg also posted an unprovoked “whiteface” photo of himself saying he was Iggy Azalea several months before that, despite sopposedly sending his people backstage to ask for photos with her earlier in the year.
For the record and for the benefit of all these tools, and the several regulars here who are being uncharacteristically tooly in this thread, this is 2014 and any style is up for appropriation. There are no rules. If these insular hiphop “artists” had any appreciation for their own genre outside the narrow worlds of east and west coast hiphop they’d know that they should shut the fuck up because hiphop is bigger then anything they or anyone has control over.
I personally don’t listen to any of the involved artists except Snoop. I do know that Nicki Minaj is hot and freaky and I want to fuck her but I’d personally not characterise her music or rapping as good. Therein lies the heart of everything behind this discussion: Its all subjective depending on one’s tastes.
All I know is that true artists aren’t usually concerned with what others are doing. There is so much good stuff out there and these people aren’t making it. Here’s a good place to start for 2014. http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/bestof/14/lists/hiphop.htm
Stop listening to and publisising these bickering talentless nobodies.
I don’t think there is any video and people should probably refrain from at first assuming any actions are legitimate actions of a hacktivist group rather than some moronic asshole with a Twitter account that includes ‘Anonymous’ in the handle.
Dooddd… I think you mean “lesbian shit asses”… [edited to add] and in what world is jezebel even remotely journalism? commentary on social, cultural, and political issues is far from journalism… or maybe it’s a subset of journalism?
Like you say, musical taste is indeed subjective… I’m not a fan of much of what you mention, including actually Snoop. Just not my cup of tea (I guess my hip-hop tastes run more political and classic era, but YMMV).
Also, just a note on discussing popular culture - whether we talk about them or not, they are out there, and they say something about our culture. I think that makes them worth thinking and talking about.
Since the replies have already deviated from the story into who’s good at creating music, pedantic question here - does anyone make sex TAPES anymore? Wouldn’t it be a sex mp4?
