March 11th, 2012 | Posted by Miss Jia | Posted In Exclusive

Iggy Azalea has been on the minds (and lips) of several of the hottest blogs and magazine editors. Her stock went even higher once she was named XXL’s only female for this year’s Freshman Class. An additional head nod came through from fans when she aligned herself with The KAAANG for the production of her first album slated to drop this year.

But with so much press, there comes controversy.

Immediately after Iggy was announced XXL’s first, Azealia Banks took to her Twitter page to express her dismay about the decision to feature her in the magazine with all considered.

Azealia is referring to Iggy’s song, D.R.U.G.S, where she throws out the following verse:

…tire marks, tire marks. Finish line with the fire marks. When the relay starts, I’m a runaway slave….master. Sh-ttin’ on the past, gotta spit it like a pastor….

While many of Iggy’s fans simply overlooked the verse, several people literally called for her head on a platter. TIP recently spoke out against Azealia Banks in reference to the Iggy jabs. Throughout the attacks, though, Iggy has remained silent about everything…until now.

I recently reached out to Iggy to see if we could, once and for all, get some clarity on the controversial line from her song, and she was more than happy to clear the air.

What many don’t know is that the line from Iggy’s song is from a song called “Look Out for Detox” by Kendrick Lamar, where he recites the same verse that Iggy did at the beginning of D.R.U.G.S (but as you can see, Iggy added her own twist to it). Check out what Iggy had to say about the song & her intentions with the track after the break!

Dear world,

Im writing you today to address a lyric I said a few months ago in one of my songs that I feel has been used to unfairly slander my character and paint me as a racist person.

Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite artists and I loved his song ‘Look Out for Detox’ so much I decided to do my own version of it last year. The lyrics I wrote follow the original version closely; One lyric in particular has offended a lot of people and for that, I apologize.

The artist’s lyric was:
“when the relay starts I’m a runway slave”

My lyric was:
“when the relay starts I’m a runaway slave…Master, shitting on the past gotta spit it like a pastor

This is a metaphoric take on an originally literal lyric, and I was never trying to say I am a slave owner.

The intent was to say was that past histories have been mastered, or overcome, and that you may feel my
line was ‘shitting on the past,’ just as many feel pastors shit on the bible or biblical history…although they mean no ill and just have their own take, hence the lyric ‘gotta spit it like a pastor.’

In all fairness, it was a tacky and careless thing to say and if you are offended, I am sorry. Sometimes we get so caught up in our art and creating or trying to push boundaries, we don’t stop to think how others may be hurt by it. In this situation, I am guilty of doing that and I regret not thinking things through more.

I don’t hate any race of people, and it pains me to wake up to other young people being misled to believe I do. I am for unity and equality. People should get a fair shot at whatever they want to do no matter what color they are; rap and hip hop as a culture is not exempt from this.

It is unfair to say other races who also grew up listening to rap don’t get a place too. We have a place and the Azaleans and myself are evidence of that fact. All people have a voice and equal right to use it.

In your lifetime you will say a lot of things you will wish you hadn’t too. I have to have my poor choice of words live with me forever on the internet. Please know that I have grown from this and hope to have your continued support in life and my mission of bridging the gap.

As one of my lovely azaleans said last week: we are the prototype and far beyond the stereotype.

Love always,

Iggamonster.

As for me and my take on it….

I’ve had a few people ‘question’ my ability to judge and discern right from wrong when choosing who it is that I ride behind. Although I never explain why I ‘fan myself out’ for certain artists, I do feel that Iggy is being dragged through the mud over something that a LOT of people wouldn’t do the same for if their favorite artist (no matter what color) said something in their rap lyrics that they didn’t like or approve of.

We have rappers using the n-word, misogynistic lyrics, calling people ‘retards’ and the F word (to speak negatively against gays)….but many of you are choosing to ‘finally’ speak out against this?

When I first heard D.R.U.G.S, I immediately felt that it was word play…word play that could cause controversy and absolutely be taken the wrong way but word play all the same. It never dawned on me (fan or not) that she was purposely trying to make a negative reference towards blacks or poke fun of slavery. One of the first people to really bring it to the (public) forefront was Azealia Banks, and many retweeted and cosigned her sentiments…not realizing that not too long before that, she ‘thought it was funny’ when people used the word nigger and couldn’t understand why it was so offensive.

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Either or, I respect the hell out of anybody who chooses ‘not’ to support any artist that they don’t feel like supporting; I’m just saying that some people should watch who they offer their cosignatures to, especially this Azealia chick, as it looks to ME that she doesn’t have a firm grip on what the word offensive means.

Choose your battles wisely, but on this end, I’m riding out as an Iggy fan.

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