Hip-hop newcomer Iggy Azalea seems to be intent on finding her own voice as an artist; even if that means forcing her way out of the shadow of her mentor, T.I. The leggy Australian has made several statements in recent weeks that indicate that she and Grand Hustle’s head honcho may not be on the same page, musically.
In a recent interview with 16 Bars TV, Iggy revealed that Tip isn’t executive producing her debut LP.
“Well, he’s actually not anymore,” Iggy said. “He was going to be, but originally when I was making The New Classic, all the records that I had on [her 2012 EP] ‘Glory’ were supposed to be for The New Classic, and he executive produced what ended up being ‘Glory.’ But as I was making it, I felt like, ‘This isn’t The New Classic; this is something else. It’s not the right sound.’ Not that it sounded bad, but it wasn’t what The New Classic is in my head and he executive produced that and it went good, it was an experience, but after, he said and I said it’s better if I just make my own music … because sometimes being around him, it influences the music I make to be a bit too much of a different sound … [it’s] not because I don’t love [him], because I love him.”
The statement comes on the heels of Azalea admitting late in 2012 that she doesn’t always heed T.I.’s advice, musically.
“I don’t listen to T.I. … sorry Tip,” she said back in December. “I love him to death. It’s kind of like a friendship. I rarely ask for his opinion, but if I do and he gives it to me, I consider it but I don’t always go with it. Most of the time I pass it in the wind. Sometimes he says ‘I told you so’ and sometimes he says ‘I was wrong’ and bows down. I kind of do my own thing. I love Grand Hustle and everybody, but you don’t really see me with them a lot. And that’s not because I don’t love them to death it’s just that I’ve always been a bit of the lone ranger.”
Fans will have to wait for The New Classic to determine whether or not the model-rapper’s independent streak has paid off.
—stereo williams
