It’s 2019 and Iggy Azalea is still going at it. During the last five years since her runaway hit “Fancy,” the Australian native has become the poster-child of cultural appropriation. In addition to an avalanche of criticism, the “Black Widow” rapper has been plagued with perpetual label issues.
Her sophomore album, In My Defense, is her first release after going independent last year. In a Trumpian twist, the album is absent of any genuine apologies or self-awareness. What’s also missing is any compelling reason for it to even exist.
For the majority of the project, Azalea is either rapping about her haters or desperately trying to crank out a sex-positive twerk anthem. The album opens with “Thanks I Get,” a generic trap song that has her demanding gratitude for her alleged contributions to the culture. She raps on the chorus, “I’m the one that had to show you how to grind/ I’m the one and only, I’m one of a kind.” Though Azalea is hardly the first artist to be so blatantly delusional, “Thanks I Get” has her coupling these grandiose claims with really boring music.
The production on In My Defense is handled by J. White Did It, the producer genius behind Cardi B.’s studio prowess. Clearly, he’s saving his best work for other artists because this project is sonically derivative and bland, as the intended “hits” sound uninspired. “Sally Walker” sounds like a cheap combination of J. White’s production on Cardi B’s “Money” and Kendrick Lamar’s smash hit “Humble.” And “Started” is a rehashing of Azalea’s gimmicky earlier work.
In terms of lyrics, “Clap Back” is the album’s lowest point. Over a menacing beat, Azalea addresses her critics. She raps, “Cause I talk like this and my ass fat/ They be saying Iggy tryna act black” and then doesn’t offer any coherent reason as to why a white Australian woman raps in a Southern black accent. Later on, she attempts to squash claims that she is racist with a cheesy joke, “They call me racist/ Only thing I like is green and blue faces.”
The money comes and goes fast, Iggy Iggz.
Since everyone has bills to pay, a few guests have shown up to try to make things vaguely interesting. On “Hoemita,” a labored song about twerking, Lil Yachty raps like his manager just woke him up from a nap and threw him into a recording booth. “Freak of the Week” has Juicy J giving a solid performance in a song that’s meant for the existential-crisis inducing hours of a strip club. Perhaps the album’s most illuminating contrast is “Fuck It Up” where Kash Doll’s verse serves as an oasis of charisma. During the chorus, Azalea repeats “fuck it up, sis” over and over again until it becomes a chant devoid of any meaning.
Nobody expected Azalea to come back super talented and with an entirely new shtick. Nonetheless, In My Defense could have been a tad bit more introspective or at the very least, fun.
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Iggy needs a new lawyer because if this is her defense she’s going to jail fo sho. Trash album
u put ur name as b that says it all get a life
Let’s be honest though … this could have been an instant classic … and people would still shit all over it … her lyrics are not any worse than all the other hoodrats people claim are the truth …. female rappers are all mediocre …. couple outliers in the bunch but barely anybody will listen to even half an album … let alone a full album
I wonder if she’ll take that porn contract if this flops
We can only hope…
I absolutely love how sonically put together this album is. Well worth the wait, Iggy. screw these reviews. Their opinions are dumb and dont even talk about the album.
Queen of rap ..haters Iggy is doing what she wants to do and making the music she wants she doesn’t want to be fucking black no matter what she puts out people will always have something to say.She is doing sold out shows she is independent she is mohter hear her roar periodddd
Perfect I am happy she is back
it’s a great album, feels like a great progression from her 2018 work S.T.S
This is actually better than I expected. A lot of truly trash releases still get ratings of 3+ on here for some reason so I am not sure why this one gets singled out for a 2.5. I guess she is an easy target. To me this is a 3.5 album. I doubt I will ever play it again after the summer but it has some decent beats on it and her rapping has improved. Just not her writing.
The tracks on this record gel really well. You can hear it on repeat on and on again, without skipping and without fearing the tempo of the album getting sacrificed. This is what you call a Marvel.
Stop reviewing trash like this and review Big K.R.I.T.’s latest. The disrespect! ?
Waited for this!!
I feel so bad for this girl…. I get that she’s kind of a poser and has a little bit of a Rachel Dolezal vibe to her but man… she’s just a symptom of a bigger inconvenient truth. Rap legends never did shit and failed the hip-hop movement…. anyone whose famous as an OG rap star should look in the mirror and realize that your lack of instruction insured this kind of future for rap/hip-hop. On the other hand, there’s very few things that can stop this girl from making bad decisions but she shouldn’t have to eat so much shit for wanting to be a product…. I hope she can overcome all the hate
I agree….I can see why Ti gave up on her…
Meanwhile…Manz Still waiting for the Maxo Kream album review.
If ur gonna blame Iggy 4 cultural appropriation, then blame post malone, riffraff, justine bieber, mgk, g-eazy, yellawolf, as well.
Not a fan of her music, not a fan for what she stands for. G-eazy wanted to play that racist Presley. And Yellawof was idolizing racist country musicians. Ppl let that slide, why????
Glad you agree. Consider it done.
nobody knows how proud i am after going through so many issue prior this album release she managed to stand on top and with ever track each gets better one of the most talented and realist rappers out there
LMMFAO bro whatever blowing on put that shit down yo!
In my defense is actually really good better than nickis new song megaton lol it’s sad because she’s not black nobody wants to play her on radio started and fuck it up should definitely be radio hits but the critics will never let it happen . We are all human why does skin color change so many peoples mind when it comes to rap
It’s sad that in the real world black people are denied basis rights and often times even our lives because of our skin colour. So even if Iggy Azelea isn’t accepted because her skin colour, it’s a small thing in the grand scheme of things. Her whiteness will still afford and award her many undeserved benefits that black people are constantly denied. Besides didn’t she gain popularity after being elevated by black people in a genre of music created black people to begin with?
It is an awesome album I haven’t even stopped listening to it since it came out cuz you know why it’s Iggy season. And if you got nothing nice to say don’t say nothing at all. Just fucking up sis bow down to the goddess.
This morning, I awoke to find out that my teenie white penis had grown into a massive Negro schlonger donger hanging between my pasty white legs!!! I had been praying to Allah for months day and night that my itty bitty white pee pee would grow to the length and girth of that of the typical American Negro. Today, at long last, my prayers were answered! Where once there was a tiny pink wee wee, now there is a giant black mamba, a 10 inch boa constrictor hanging out of my boxers, splayed across the floor! I thought my prayers had indeed been answered, my life was finally worth living, all the bitches would want me, and I praised and thanked the Profit Muhammed until tears streamed from my eyes and snot dripped from my nose, but I am now suddenly shocked to find that, although my penis is now Sambo-Sized, all the money that was in my bank account has suddenly vanished, my fridge is full of nothing but two week old fried chicken and malt liquor, I have dozens of illegitimate kids with names like Leroi and Shaquanna, I have four fat, lazy, angry baby mamas on food stamps, I have nothing in my wallet but a maxed out EBT card, I have three outstanding warrants for vagrancy, robbery, and public chicken consumption, I’m unemployed and I live in a filthy trap house! HELP! HEEEELLLLPPPP!!! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEE!!!
As much as I dislike Iggy I dont even see this as a review.
The point of a review is start from an unbiased base and judge the work.
This “piece” was written like a slander article. It was written like I cant trust anything being said here.
I ordered the album. Still hasn’t come in yet, but I support her and will give it a fair listen.
She’s STILL I-G-G-Y!
Garbage
The best