Stunner Music: Iggy Azalea

by Claude Julian | ARCHIVES

Stunner Baby Magazine is honored to provide an in-depth feature on the skyrocketing music notoriety of female hip hop rapper, Igga Azalea. Azalea is an Australian recording artist and model from Mullumbimby, New South Wales. She recognized her talents early, motivating her to relocate to Miami, Florida at the tender age of 16 years. When she first came to the United States, she stayed in Miami then Houston before settling a few years later (2010-2011) in Atlanta, Georgia.   Azalea worked with a member of the Dungeon Family named Backbone. She took her stage name from the name of her childhood dog, Iggy, and street she grew up on, Azalea Street, where her family lives to this day.

“People would laugh their ass off at my flow, they thought my raps sucked but having grown up getting laughed at, you have to shrug the haters off.”

Azalea raps with a Southern American accent, although her native Australian accent is quite prominent when she speaks. The Southern hip hop culture in Atlanta made it easy for her to master the Southern influence in her music:

“I lived in the South for five years; you pick up things from your surroundings and teachers. The people who taught me to rap are all from the South and so was the music I had listened to as a teen.”

In 2011, Azalea began uploading a number of videos featuring her freestyle that build street credible and recognition for her music videos controversial songs “Pu$$y” and “Two Times” raced up the viral social media barometer on YouTube. Iggy is no stranger pushing the envelope of shock infused street lyrics of eye candy hotsauce. Azalea went into professional wrestling, when she became represented by Wilhelmina Models was announced the “New Face of Levi Jeans.” Also, became the first female and non-American rapper to be featured on XXL magazine’s annual “Top 10 Freshman List “cover issue. She was featured on the cover of XXL, along with fellow up-and-coming rappers French Montana, MGK, Danny Brown, Hopsin, and Roscoe Dash.

Between 2011 and 2012, Iggy had her sights of taking her rap talents to the next level by teaming with EP Executive producer/rapper T.I. by releasing two mix-tapes. Azalea reached out to Southern rapper T.I., for music direction of her debut album. T.I. was set to executive produce “The New Classic, soon after a phone call the two had. Azalea was eyeing a summer release for “The New Classic: “Hopefully if all goes to plan, my album will be out in June and I’ll have it recorded by the end of the month.” However, after Interscope Records did not allow T.I. to be an on-going part of her deal, Azalea opted not to sign with the major label and stay independently signed to Grand Hustle Records, along with rappers Chip and Trae tha Truth. On March 26, 2012, Azalea posted “Murda Bizness”, the intended lead single for The New Classic. The album debuted inside the top five of several charts worldwide and was preceded by the lead single and her commercial debut single “Work” and three hit singles – “Bounce”, “Change Your Life” (featuring T.I.) and “Fancy” (featuring Charli XCX). “Fancy” became a global top ten hit and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, with Azalea becoming only the fourth solo female rapper ever to top the Hot 100.

Azalea premiered “Work”, the lead single from her debut studio album. The single premiered on BBC Radio 1Xtra (February 11, 2013). She joined East Coast rap legend NAS, on the European leg of his “Life Is Good Tour.” On April 23, 2013, Azalea announced that she had signed a solo record deal with Island Def Jam. On April 26, 2013, Azalea’s second European single “Bounce”, premiered on BBS Radio 1. Vevo announced Azalea as its second LIFT artist of 2013 and that she would film live festival performances, fashion and style pieces and behind-the-scenes interviews as part of the eight-week-long campaign. Also, second single “Bounce” premiered on Vevo.

Azalea began dating rapper A$AP Rocky (late 2011), whom she met through American record producer Chase N. Cashe. She confirmed that they were dating in a January 2012 interview with Vibe. She later tattooed on her fingers, “Live. Love. A$AP” motivated by Rocky’s breakout mix tape titled, “Live. Love. A$AP.” After, their break-up in March 2013, Azalea revealed she had crossed out the “A$AP” part of the tattoo. Currently, she dating Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Nick Young.

IGGY AZALEA GALLERY

To learn more about the raunchy Southern rapper from ‘Down Under’, please visit

www.iggyazalea.com