Here's What Iggy Azalea Has To Do To Get The Public To Take Her Back
-by Jasmine Grant
To put it simply, Iggy Azalea really isn’t having a great year. For starters, her Great Escape tour was canceled after the 25-year old rapper suddenly had a “creative change of heart” and decided to find a new sound. But industry whisperings suggest low ticket sales and lackluster promotion were the real culprit. Either way, it’s certainly not a good look for an artist with a dwindling buzz.
On top of that, she’s proven unable to play nice in the sandbox with artists who have tried to extend the olive branch. Her track with legendary pop star Britney Spears, “Pretty Girls,” was met with unfavorable reviews. Instead of standing behind her music, Iggy decided to pass blame onto Britney for her unwillingness to help promote the single (See Britney’s ultra shady response to that here). Her twitter fingers have also landed her on the shit lists of artists like Rita Ora, Q-Tip and former mentor T.I., who explained that he just can’t continue “blocking bullets” for an artist that continues to get in their own way.
All in all, this is a crucial time for Iggy. She can either solidify her place in pop culture or let public opinion and a series of unfortunate events write her history for her. What fans largely care about is the music, and if things don’t shape up soon for Iggy, it’s possible she could become rap’s next court jester. We’ve provided a list of things Iggy needs to do to get back in the public’s good graces.
Stay Off Twitter
There are some celebs we follow on social media simply because they provide an amusing distraction from our day. Iggy isn't one of them. Although she took a social media hiatus earlier this year to relieve herself of the “negativity,” she couldn’t stay away for long and is still messy and confrontational on Twitter. She used all 140 characters (and then some) to slam Rita Ora’s idea of collaborating on a “Lady Marmalade” remix. Then of course, there’s the infamous ongoing twitter war with Azealia Banks, who continues to berate Iggy for appropriating Black culture. Social media is good for one off announcements and interaction with fans, but it certainly shouldn’t be the megaphone for artists to vent frustrations.
That brings us to step 2.
Actually Rap
Iggy, we get it. You’re tired of the white girl jokes. You’re tired of people questioning your authenticity and making fun of your hokey lyrics. The memes have gotten old and you’re ready to be taken seriously. Want people to actually care? Go ahead and just rap. The beauty of hip hop is that it’s innately competitive. During rap’s genesis in the '80s and '90s, there was no Instagram or Twitter available to give your enemies a piece of your mind. You just had to clap back. And that’s what Iggy needs to do. Challenging the anger and pent up frustration into a dope ass album or mixtape could actually be Iggy’s saving grace right now. Whatever the case, we the people just need to be convinced that the girl actually deserves to be here – and another ‘woe is me’ twitter rant just isn’t going to accomplish that.
Make Allies
Iggy isn’t the type of artist that can afford a whole lot of enemies right now. Once she proves to be in possession of the raw rap skills we’ve been hungry for, more artists will come out of the woodwork to extend their support and, ultimately, might be open to collaborating on more projects that will get Iggy's music to the right ears.
Be Nicer
Insiders on the video set for “Pretty Girls” dished to gossip rags about Iggy’s bossy and rude behavior during filming. Those involved with her now-defunct tour said Iggy gave her management and promotional teams a hard time, making it impossible for decisions to be made. When your reputation as a brat or diva precedes you, the list of folks unwilling to work with you begin to pile up. Whatever has Iggy all wound up should instead manifest passionately in her music, and not in the treatment of those trying to keep her relevant.