Iggy Azalea may be watching her rap career go up in smoke.
After weeks of negative press, her latest embarrassment is a newly viral video that calls to question Iggy Azalea’s rapping talent and authenticity as an artist.
In the video, Iggy Azalea is being interviewed by reporter and rapper Sway Calloway on Sway in the Morning .
At 1:17, Sway asks for a beat and then asks Iggy to lay down a freestyle rap.
For those who don’t know, a freestyle rap is an on the spot improvisation where the rap artists strings together lyrics off the top of his or her head. Some have a talent for it.
In this video, we learn that Iggy Azalea does not.
At first Azalea tries to blame the beat, saying that she couldn’t come up with anything over a “hood a** beat.” Sway takes the criticism in stride, telling Iggy that they would “find her a beat.”
Iggy Azalea then said she preferred to discuss her love life rather than attempt a freestyle.
This embarrassing video of #IggyAzalea freestyling from 2013 has resurfaced—the internet responds appropriately http://t.co/rZkrTGqPgF
— Myspace (@Myspace) December 30, 2014
Eventually she rapped a few lyrics from a then unreleased track called “New B***h”.
While there was only a minor furor at the time this video was released to the public, it has regained new life thanks to Iggy’s current decline in popularity.
The discovery spawned a social media meme called “Iggy Freestyle,” where persons substitute the failed freestyle by Iggy Azalea with, er, interesting substitutes.
Here are just a few examples.
“iggy, freestyle for us!” Iggy: “lol ok” Iggy: Iggy Iggy Bo Biggy, Banna fanna fo Figgy, Fee Fy Fo Miggy, Iggy!
— Sassy Whale (@asassywhale) December 29, 2014
Radio host: Iggy, can you do some freestyle for us? Iggy:…. Iggy: Call 1-800-STEEMER, Stanley Steemer gets your home cleaner!
— Aggressive Asian (@JennLi123) December 30, 2014
Reporter: Do a freestyle rap Iggy: Do not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against
— Brandon (@UNTRESOR) December 30, 2014
15 “Iggy Freestyle” Posts That Prove Tumblr Has No Chill http://t.co/FqbLdEiWS2 pic.twitter.com/jxQQzzdNZQ
— BuzzFeed Community (@BuzzFeeders) December 29, 2014
Although the Azalea Banks vs. Iggy Azalea controversy has taken center stage, another rapper’s name has come up on the back of this re-discovered embarrassment: Nicki Minaj.
Nicki Minaj not-too-subtly called out Iggy Azalea earlier this year at the BET Awards.
To many this video and the backlash is vindication for Minaj, who was pressured to apologize for her statements.
As for Azalea, the Australian rapper has found herself on the wrong side of a number of African-Americans and rap fans for what is perceived as a willingness to profit off of African-Americans and African-American music while being indifferent to the ongoing racist controversies. Her silence over issues such as the death of Michael Brown , Eric Garner , and Tamir Rice — among others — annoyed some.
However, things didn’t truly begin to turn sour for Iggy Azalea until rival rapper Azealia Banks called her out (and gifted Azalea the moniker “Igloo Australia”).
The timing was terrible for Azalea, whose responses have only served to fuel negative opinion of her.
Do you think Iggy Azalea can bounce back from the social media hatred of her or is she done?
[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons ]