It’s interesting to me to watch the commotion around Iggy Azalea and the reactions from people who don’t understand why she catches so much heat. I mean, it should be pretty obvious that Black people are never, ever OK with appropriation of our culture (unless you’re the one cashing the checks because of it. *cough*, T.I.) But, just so you can have an even greater understanding of why we hate (on) Iggy Azalea so much, let me enter exhibit No. 3,005:
Kid Sister.
Kid Sister, whose real name is Melisa Young, is a young woman from Chicago’s south suburbs who’s been making the rounds of the international music scene since 2007. Her brother, Josh Young, of the hip-hop/techno duo Flosstradamus, wasn’t banging out like he is now, and Kid Sister was the budding star of the family. She first got national acclaim with her Kanye West supported single “Pro-Nails” and at the time, it was only a matter of time before she blew up. For those not familiar with her sound, please click here and here for a sample.
I’ll wait …
… So did you listen?
Who did she sound like? Mmm hmm. The question really should be, who sounds like her?
On the conspiracy theory side of my brain, I’ve deduced that a yet to be named ‘Iggy’ Azalea was at one of Kid Sister’s Australian concert tours where she first heard a sound and a style that intrigued her. I imagine she went back to her Australian home and mimicked Kid Sister’s style until she had it down pat, and then entered the performing arena of a hip-hop culture that she already adored. A White girl rapping like a Black chick is much more marketable than Kid Sister, who is a mix of Black, White and Native American, who came out rapping like … herself.
See, these are the things that make us hate on the Iggys, Macklemores and even Eminems of the world. You see Em wasn’t doing anything that Redman wasn’t already doing. Macklemore wasn’t doing anything that, let’s say, B.o.B wasn’t already doing. And Iggy Azalea wasn’t doing anything that Kid Sister wasn’t already doing.
So what’s the big difference between them, you say? Must you ask.
You tell me. I shake my head at the tomfoolery of it all. Needless to say, that’s why we hate. And that’s why we hate (on) Iggy Azalea.
