A brewing battle between Iggy Azalea and fellow industry artists has found the Australian-born rapper in hot water, yet again.
Following a series of tweets responding to rapper Azealia Banks candid Hot 97 interview where she expressed her much-publicized issues with Iggy, “hacktavist” group Anonymous threatened to release “snapshots” from an alleged sex tape featuring the chart-topper if she didn’t issue an apology for her comments to Banks.
As if that wasn’t enough, veteran MC-musician Q-Tip took to his personal Twitter account on Saturday to give Iggy, and his more than 700,000 followers, a history lesson on the origins of Hip Hop and its connection to sociopolitical movements. Here’s what he wrote:
“HipHop is a artistic and socio-political movement/culture that sprang from the disparate ghettos of NY in the early 70’s Coming off the heels of the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and approaching the end of the Vietnam war it was a crossroads 4 America specially for blacks in the US our neighborhoods were PROLIFERATED w/a rush of HEROINE.”
“Our school systems here in NY dungeon traps with light for learning… blk men some of whom didn’t return from tours of duty n the ones who did came w/war baggage (agent orange, addiction, ect..)… these men had families but due to these events and throw into the mix the public emasculation… they proved to be handicapped parents. The surrogate parents? The STREETS… the streets of gangs, crimes, and the hustlers coddled us and swept us up.”
“But! Being a spirited, rhythmic & expressive people music art dance outlined our existence… it proved a way for us to exhault to scream to dance to laugh and find OUR VOICE… we weren’t at the time skilled musicians as kids. We had records, turntables, ideas and INGENUITY being natural chemist we took from whatever was availed to us and we created something mighty and special.”
“We cut breakbeats back n forth we took a hybrid of Jamaican toasting along w/ radio jock rap( hank Spann, Gary Byrd, ect.) and we put our rap down.. it was a neighborhood thing really. Black and Latino Kids were carving out their space and it became infectious… eventually Keith Cowboy coined the phrase hiphop . Yrs later the first rap record was recorded and now we r moving.”
“But during these strides this country still had the monster of racism and racial insensitivity breathing and ruling… believe it or not young black n Latino lives specifically weren’t acknowledged in mainstream American culture unless Of course.. the convo was abt gangs , being criminals or uneducated. And hey! Like I stated early our families were rushed our schools sucked and we were left to put devices to survive… but HIPHOP showed that we had DEPTH, fire, and BRILLANCE… the music was undeniable! It moved from NY N became national and even GLOBAL.”
“Hiphop now was FOR EVERYBODY!! All of those who cld relate to the roots, the spirit, the history, the energy.. It reached YOU… it touched your spirit n took u up. We magnetized you! That’s what BRILLANCE does… now u are fulfilling your dreams … BUT! you have to take into account the HISTORY as you move underneath the banner of hiphop. As I said before… hiphop is fun it’s vile it’s dance it’s traditional it’s light hearted but 1 thing it can never detach itself from is being a SOCIO-Political movement.”
“U may ask why … Well once you are born black your existence I believe is joined with socio-political epitaph and philos based on the tangled and treacherous history SLAVERY alone this is the case it never leaves our conversation… Ever. WeAther in our universities our dinner tables our studios or jail cells… the effects still resononates with us. It hurts… We get emotional and angry and melancholy… did u know president Clinton was the ONLY PRESIDENT to apologize for it? did u know that remnants of slavery exist today thru white privilege? When certain “niceties” r extended your way because of how u look? Isn’t that crazy?”
“I say this 2 say u are a hiphop artist who has the right 2 express herself however she wishes… this is not a chastisement this is not admonishment at ALL this is just one artist reaching to another hoping to spark insight into the field you r in. I say this in the spirit of a hopeful healthy dialogue that maybe one day we can continue… I’ve been on twitter a long time and this will probably be my last series of tweets pretty much but I’m Kool with it as long as I got to share this w u. Zzzzzzz’s up! Peace!”
Following Q-Tip’s 40-plus tweets, Iggy’s label boss, T.I. also decided to jump in to share his thoughts by tweeting a followup response.
Yes @IGGYAZALEA @QtipTheAbstract all these facts are true. This is useful info to absorb as U find yourself in da midst of several people
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
who U may not share many things in common with besides #HipHop. Understanding the plight assists U in knowing how to accept,respect…
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
& live in harmony even without a boatload of similarities.
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
Also what I think my big Bruh kinda left out is that OUR people (blacks in America,& HIPHOP) have had much less qualified White People
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
come along & manipulate our culture for their own pers gain. This lead to an almost incoherent overly defensive, paranoid sense of…
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
“All White People Wanna Steal Our Shit” mentality. Now as difficult as this is to believe…. We think all white people who do our shit…
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
gotta kiss our ass or we don’t like em!!! “Dey shady!!!” (Lol No pun intended) But me knowing U,Eminem,and a handful of other…
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
(just so happen to be) white people who were inspired by our culture allowed ME TO SEE, that not all white people out to steal our culture..
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
There are some that merely wish to contribute to it. And I’d be less than ME if I didn’t say that… If WE don’t allow u guys the same…
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
…rights & respect we KNOW WE DESERVE in other areas of humanity… WE’RE ALL JUST A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES. AND THATS NOT HIP HOP!!!!
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
So in a nutshell, absorb da info…apply it where most useful,and above all KEEP SHINING,FOLLOW YOUR HEART,& STAY TRUE TO WHO U ARE!!!
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
I know u don’t deserve all da negative shit that comes your way. But like I’ve told u before, it just kinda comes wit da territory…
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
when u gain so much positive attn SO FAST! It all balances out. I know u been broke,hungry& disgusted before,so I know u know just like I do
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
It COULD BE A LOT WORSE. If dis all U gotta put up wit/sacrifice to earn our very above average lifestyles….
— T.I. (@Tip) December 22, 2014
And, as expected, Azealia Banks – who has previously had a public feud with T.I. before, too — responded to the rapper’s remarks.
I’m REALLY starting to realize how indoctrinated and conditioned T.I is. And I don’t think I should tease him about it anymore.
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) December 22, 2014
He actually has no clue…..
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) December 22, 2014
Why can’t you just admit that you idolize/fetishize black american women and that is what influences you the most? It’s easy….
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) December 22, 2014
