Let me preface this article by emphatically stating that I am the biggest Q-Tip and Tribe fan on the planet hands down. I could go on and on about how I think the few albums Tribe crafted in my mind surpass the greatest achievements of The Beatles, David Bowie, etc. Midnight Maurauders, in my humble opinion, is the definition of absolute perfection on wax. I even own a physical copy of The Love Movement. But in regards to Iggy Azalea, my main man Tip is buggin’ out. By now, I’m sure you’ve combed through Tip’s lengthy tweeting session to Iggy, but here is a snippet: “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?” Q-Tip did go on to say that he respects Iggy and believes she should be allowed to make the music she feels comfortable making, but at the end of the day I ultimately feel that his criticisms are being issued at the wrong person. I don’t believe Azealia Banks was on a social crusade to save the culture when she called out Iggy, ultimately commencing this whole nonsensical mess, but more about that later. Nicki Minaj currently has a song on the radio called “Only.” To my knowledge, there is not a grand attack against her as far as misrepresenting the genre goes. Possibly, Nicki’s version U-N-I-T-Y is the shared-level of thirst both Drake and Lil Wayne have in regards to f###### her. Is Nicki aware of MC Lyte, Bahamadia, Queen Latifah, and a slew of other female artists that paved the way for her so that we could enjoy the “Anaconda” video in the 21st century in its glorious entirety? Regardless of whether Nicki knows her origins or not, the fact that these questions are not being asked of her is the problem. Why is she immune to the same criticism? First off, I have no ties with Iggy Azalea (unfortunately). A lot of people are under the misguided impression that artists and journalists work hand-in-hand together. The exact opposite is true in fact. In short, they hate us, especially when artists we love release wack material and get criticized for pointing out the wackness. For instance, I like the rest of the world banged the s### out of Kush & OJ, but bashed my head against the wall when I heard “Roll Up” for the first time. In short, journalism is a thankless job, and only the crazy ones get involved in the first place. But I digress. The crimes being issued at Iggy aren’t really crimes at all. When a new Hip-Hop artist appears on the scene, nobody’s initial reaction is to question whether or not they know their history. I won’t name specific names, but I doubt most of the artists (the black ones) dominating the radio right now probably think Erick Sermon is some television evangelist who sells overpriced self-help books. Iggy is being targeted because she is an Australian white girl– period. It’s akin to the f##### up citizenship policy of ours. Regardless of the fact that the names of James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and even the Vice President of the United States are elusive facts to most Americans populating the streets, immigrants that arrive in this country are supposed to learn this information before they become citizens. Metaphorically, this is exactly what the Hip-Hop world is doing to Iggy, and it’s 100% unfair. Hip-Hop has come a long way and is by far the most popular genre on the planet today. Recent releases by Katy Perry and Lady Gaga featured Hip-Hop artists Juicy J and Too $hort, respectively. Even former Disney princess Miley Cyrus is busy perfecting her twerking technique. It’s almost comical to listen to Ice Cube’s lamentation of radio stations refusing to play Hip-Hop on his song “Turn Off The Radio” in retrospect. The genre will always be copyrighted by African Americans, but to limit others from participating in the genre is ass backwards, and defeats the purpose altogether. In terms of the actual music, Hip-Hop is a blend of variegated musical genres re-purposed for fresh sounds (A Tribe Called Quest anyone?). Hip-Hop has always been about inviting people to the party, regardless of skin tone or origin. By all indications, Iggy has a genuine love for Hip-Hop. Her comeuppance has been well-documented, but surprisingly, it took a lot more than a big booty and a T.I. co-sign to get her to her current state. Regardless of whether you appreciate her music or not, she should not be accused of raping the culture when all her actions point to the contrary. There is not one single artist in the game right now that I couldn’t quickly rifle off a criticism in terms of them damaging the culture. Iggy should be able to do what she loves without having to memorize 2pac’s “Oldschool,” because let’s face it, neither have a lot of the individuals populating the current generation. “White chick on that Pac s### My passion was ironic And my dreams were uncommon Guess I gone crazy, first deal changed me Robbed blind, basically raped me Ran through the b####### like a Matador Just made me madder and adamant to go at em And even the score So, I went harder Studied Tha Carters till a deal was offered Slept cold on the floor recording At 4 in the morning and now I’m passing the bar like a lawyer […]