Tire marks tire marks , finish line with the fire marks/ when the relay starts ma run away slave–master” – Iggy Azalea “D.R.U.G.S.”
The line above has put Iggy Azalea in a position to have to defend herself after she was called out on it by another African American female rapper Azealia Banks.
As we have previously documented, the feud between the two started when Iggy was placed on the cover of the 2012 XXL Freshman cover. Banks immediately responded to it by lashing out at XXL and Iggy via Twitter.
“Iggy Azalea on the XXL freshman list is all wrong,” Azealia wrote on February 28. “How can you endorse a white woman who called herself a “runaway slave master”? Sorry guys. But I’m pro black girl. I’m not anti white girl, but I’m also not here for any1 outside of my culture trying to trivialize very serious aspects of it. In any capacity. *kanye shrug*.”
Since then the conflict has grown to include T,I,, who is executive producing Iggy’s debut album and is also her mentor at Grand Hustle.
Today Iggy addressed the lyric by writing a letter that was posted on the website MissJia.com. Read it below:
Dear world,
Im writing you today to address a lyric I said a few months ago in one of my songs that I feel has been used to unfairly slander my character and paint me as a racist person.
Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite artists and I loved his song ‘Look Out for Detox’ so much I decided to do my own version of it last year. The lyrics I wrote follow the original version closely; One lyric in particular has offended a lot of people and for that, I apologize.
The artist’s lyric was:
“when the relay starts I’m a runway slave”My lyric was:
“when the relay starts I’m a runaway slave…Master, sh*tting on the past gotta spit it like a pastorThis is a metaphoric take on an originally literal lyric, and I was never trying to say I am a slave owner.
The intent was to say was that past histories have been mastered, or overcome, and that you may feel my line was ‘shitting on the past,’ just as many feel pastors s*** on the bible or biblical history…although they mean no ill and just have their own take, hence the lyric ‘gotta spit it like a pastor.’
In all fairness, it was a tacky and careless thing to say and if you are offended, I am sorry. Sometimes we get so caught up in our art and creating or trying to push boundaries, we don’t stop to think how others may be hurt by it. In this situation, I am guilty of doing that and I regret not thinking things through more.I don’t hate any race of people, and it pains me to wake up to other young people being misled to believe I do. I am for unity and equality. People should get a fair shot at whatever they want to do no matter what color they are; rap and hip hop as a culture is not exempt from this.
It is unfair to say other races who also grew up listening to rap don’t get a place too. We have a place and the Azaleans and myself are evidence of that fact. All people have a voice and equal right to use it.
In your lifetime you will say a lot of things you will wish you hadn’t too. I have to have my poor choice of words live with me forever on the internet. Please know that I have grown from this and hope to have your continued support in life and my mission of bridging the gap.As one of my lovely azaleans said last week: we are the prototype and far beyond the stereotype.
Love always,
Iggamonster.
