Iggy Azalea Defends Herself After Latest Appropriation Accusations

Rapper Iggy Azalea came under fire for her new music video released on Friday called “I Am the Stripclub,” but she is fighting back. Fans are accusing Azalea of “Blackfishing” in the video, where she wears a black wig and dark makeup that some critics believe was intended to make her skin look darker. Azalea has taken to Twitter to say that’s not the case.

Azalea is a white rapper from Australia, and she has faced accusations of cultural appropriation many times in her career. Many viewers were especially incensed by the video for “I Am the Stripclub” on Friday after seeing the 31-year-old in dark makeup and black hair rather than her usual blonde. While artists often stay silent on these social media controversies, Azalea fired back in many tweets on Saturday, claiming that critics are “reaching” for these complaints.

Azalea claimed that the lighting was the culprit for her apparently darkened skin tone and that she did not intend to appear that way. Of course, critics fired back that lighting, makeup and wardrobe are all meticulously controlled on the set of a music video, so on some level, Azalea and her team were aiming for this look.

Fans are still debating Azalea’s new video and her legacy in the rap music world at the time of this writing. Here’s a look at what Azalea has been saying in her own defense.

Same

Azalea claimed that her makeup was consistent throughout the video, but that the lighting made her skin appear darker in some scenes than in others. She also pointed out that this is not the first time she has worn a black wig.

‘F— Those People’

Earnest fans tried to alert Azalea to the controversy and advised her to set the record straight once and for all. Even in replies to supportive fans, Azalea did not mince words.

‘Those People’

Azalea did not mend any fences by generalizing her critics or dismissing their concerns wholesale. Many were upset by her flippant attitude and use of terms like “those people.”

‘Those People’ (Cont.)

Azalea did not back down as the backlash began to turn in on itself, with heated replies to her replies to other peoples’ tweets.

Predictable

Azalea has generated so much controversy in her career that she said it now rolls right off of her back. She assured fans that she was much less bothered by this than they were.

Special

Azalea later added that this song was “special to” her specifically because it generated such controversy. She claimed that she feeds off of this kind of debate.

Retweets

Finally, Azalea retweeted many of her fans as they rushed to her defense on Twitter, including some who tracked down the specific makeup combination she was wearing in the music video.