The upset usually reaches a fever pitch because white rappers like Iggy Azalea get away with appropriating Blackness, ripping off everything but the social and institutional indignities rooted in the black experiences that lead to the creation of hip-hop.
But, more often than not, the conversation delves into a minefield of these potential impasses:
1. So what if they rap or sing like black people?
Contrary to most media narratives, black people dont all speak the same way. Our sayings, dialects, and even vocal dynamics may bear common roots, but are heavily influenced by life experiences, education and regional differences. Even in hip-hop, artists like Trina, Eve and Da Brat have exhibited a variety styles and flow. .
Even though Macklemore arguably uses and abuses the white privilege hes fully aware of having within hip-hop and popular music, he at rhymes using the vocal dynamics derived from his lived reality. Iggy Azaleas natural speaking voice is actually the sugary-sweet, rural Australian accent she grew up withnot the grungy, Southern blaccent she adopts for the sake of rapping.
2. Youre just hating on them because theyre more successful.
The real question here isnt about the hard numbers, but even those figures currently side against Iggy. A look at the numbers tells a completely different story. Although Iggy Azalea is the queen of the Billboards Hot 100, a throne many black female emcees have never gotten the chance to sit upon, she has yet to match their sales figures and business ventures. Queen Latifah doesnt rap as much anymore, but her career of more than 20 years includes talk shows, TV series such as Living Single, product endorsement deals, acting roles and even an Academy-Award nomination for Chicago. As for Nicki Minaj, her debut of Pink Friday moved 375,000 copies in its first week, compared to 52,000 for Iggys The New Classic.
But fans should instead ask about and, eventually, acknowledge the conditions that allow white rappers like Iggy Azalea to reach such stratospheric levels of popularity. More specifically, Iggy Azaleas public image merits examination as one that mainstream white American audiences consume voraciously at the expense and exclusion of her black counterparts. She makes money and breaks records, largely in part, because shes a blonde, white, foreign woman whos doing the new hip thing, even if her act may be a bit recycled.
3. Youre racist for suggesting that white people cant participate in rap.
Sure, she can. However, theres a difference between appreciating an artform and adding to its richness and appropriating a minstrel-like caricature thats composed of various tropes. With Azalea, its the obsession over her curvaceous cakes, the blaccent, and an overidentification with the abject poverty disproportionately encountered by black folks, as seen in her video for Work.
In the entertainment business, almost all of the stars have highly manicured public fronts that have been calculated for their profitability. It applies to rap, but only to a certain extent. Perhaps if Azalea were instead centering her raps on topics such as growing up in Mullumbimby, Australia, and doing it with her own accent, maybe wed be looking at her differentlyor not at all.
4. But they had help from a black artist, so that gives them credibility.
T.I. deserves all the credit for mentoring Iggy, but thats not where his culpability ends.
Just as he profits from the offensive nature and history of Native appropriation via his Grand Hustle label and merchandise, T.I. does the same by enabling white artists like Robin Thicke and Iggy Azalea to rip off blacks with impunity.
Last fall, T.I., Thicke, and Pharrell preemptively sued Marvin Gayes family over Blurred Lines, after the late-singers estate claimed the trio ripped off the sound of Gayes hit Got To Give It Up. Gayes family eventually countersued all parties involved and, earlier this year, reached a settlement with music publisher Sony/ATV. The other battles continue.
T.I. has a similar relationship with Iggy Azalea, often helping her fend off scorn about her lack of authenticity. While discussing the infamous Forbes article in an interview, T.I. said, She is running this moment in hip-hop, but to say running [hip-hop]; thats a very broad statement. Although I feel eventually that is the outcome.
5. Black people should be flattered that someones singing and appreciates their music.
The success and vitality of black-created genres doesnt depend on white people performing the music, especially when its been pillaged and stolen for decades. As noted in in considerable detail over at Racialicious, various white icons and their hitsincluding Elvis Presleys Hound Dog, Madonnas Vogue and, yes, We Cant Stop by Miley Cyrus, to name a fewall are culprits. Despite the history cultural theft, black artists like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson and Jay-Z have smashed Billboard records, sold out concert venues worldwide and influencing many white artists who acknowledge and truly appreciate the genresartists like Adele, Duffy and Sam Smith.
If nothing else, at least their voices and lyrics are theirs.