Source: Matt Jelonek / Getty
If she raps with a blaccent and appears dark like a blackfish, then Iggy Azalea’s latest attention-grabbing antics must be problematic, right? That’s what critics on Twitter are saying after the rapper appeared on social media debuting a shockingly darker appearance from her latest music video “I Am The Strip Club.”
According to The Grio, the drama went down after the rapper released the new song and its accompanying video last Friday. In the video, Azalea wears a long black lacefront wig with a deep bronze skin tone. The jarring hue change reaches beyond a sunkissed look that fair-skinned people may naturally achieve if tanning under the sun.
Immediately social media was in an uproar flooding the timeline with accusations of “blackfishing,” a term used to describe non-Black people drastically manipulating their appearance with makeup and kinky-textured hair to present as a Black or mixed person.
Under a thread discussing her skin tone, Azalea clarifies the makeup used during the video shoot. “This is the color I wear, it’s on the arm color of a tan white person. I’m not wearing crazy dark makeup at ALL. Everyone in the club scene looks darker, it’s a club scene!
I’m sick of ppl trying to twist my words or make sh*t a problem when all I’ve done is try a hair color.”
One fan quizzed, “I’m a little confused about quotes ??? you don’t even look tanned or is it because of black hair?”
The 31-year-old jumped into the replies and addressed the confusion directly. “I’m the same color as I always am, just in a dimly lit room with red lights,” Azalea said. “It’s the same makeup from every other part of the video just with a Smokey eye and different wig. Just ignore them, who cares? Let em talk.”
The Grio also points out previous times the Australian-born suspected cultural appropriator was accused of using a “blaccent” in her music. Her response was very unapologetic: “if you’re mad about it and you’re a Black person, then start a rap career and give it a go too.”
“I don’t think the voice makes me fake; it makes me an artist,” she added. “Voice is my medium. I should have creative rein to do whatever the [heck] I want with it.”
The competition in the female rap game is fierce these days, but there’s got to be a better way to break through and become visible.
Anyway, watch her “I Am The Strip Club” video below and let us know what you think.
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Photo: Getty
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