Is There A "Culture-Smudging" In Hip-Hop??

The tension between Iggy Azealia and Azealia Banks may have died down, but the controversial statements Banks made back in December on Hot 97, are still causing people to think. Azealia Banks and Iggy have a history of beefing with each other, dating all the way back to 2012. A history of the beef can be found here. 

The latest feud stems from the emotional interview Banks gave on Hot 97. Banks stated:

Here’s the thing with Iggy Azalea. I feel, just in this country, whenever it comes to our things, like Black issues, or Black politics, or Black music or whatever there’s always this under current of a ‘Fuck you.’ Like ‘Fuck y’all niggas. Y’all don’t really own shit. Y’all don’t have shit.’ That Macklemore album wasn’t better than the Drake record. That Iggy Azalea shit is not better than any fucking Black girl that’s rapping today. And when they give those awards out–cuz the Grammys are supposed to be like accolades for artistic excellency. Iggy Azalea is not excellent. And the message I see when I see these Grammys being given out…I have a problem when you’re trying to say that it’s Hip Hop and you’re trying to put it up against Black culture.  

Even Nicki Minaj over the past 2,3,4 years has done so much to kind of create this social presence and this hold –like this social consciousness so she’s like “Re Up” and “Roman Reloaded” and here you got fucking Iggy like “Reclassified.” Like you’re trying to smudge out…it’s like a cultural smudging is what I see. And when they give these Grammys out all it says to White kids is ‘You’re great, you’re amazing, you can do whatever you put your mind to.’ And it says to Black kids, ‘You don’t have shit, you don’t own shit, not even the shit you created for yourself.’ And it makes me upset in that way. 

If you watch the video you can see and feel the emotion that she put into those words Azealia has been known for her lashing out and twitter beefs. But this time you saw a deeper side of Azealia. As she explained in her interview, with all the issues such as the Mark Garner and Michael Brown case, this is the type of conversations that need to be taking place, not heavily discussing accusations placed on Bill Cosby.

Banks statement are not new. However she has been one of the brave few people to actually publically speak on it. A lot of artists are afraid to speak on the subject out of fear of seeming racist or prejudice. Or out of fear of losing their biggest consumers, white youth. Azealia Banks is not being racist nor prejudice. She is merely being unapologetic.

In the next article, which will detail Iggy Azeala response to Banks outlash, I will further explain why the statements she made are relevant and important to hip hop culture.