Q-Tip Gives Iggy Azalea a Sociological History of Hip-Hop (on Twitter)

Iggy Azalea recently found herself at the focal point of the discussion on race in America when she struck back at Azalea Banks‘ recent comments in an interview with Hot 97. Azalea, known largely for her relationships with Nick Young and T.I. alongside her hip-hop-influenced music, went on to claim that her music isn’t particularly intertwined with race or politics – ostensibly pointing a finger at Banks for ‘coloring’ her work. Being that Twitter is a public forum, none other than Q-Tip quickly jumped into the conversation, astutely explaining hip-hop’s origins (and purpose) as a means of social-political expression. As he goes on to say: this doesn’t necessarily make hip-hop always pertain to race per se, but modern hip-hop artists ought to concede to hip-hop’s original role in empowering the current generation of dream-chasers. Admittedly, this discussion is more faceted than a Twitter discussion, but Tip does admirably well to tie music into the conversation of dissecting privilege. Head here to read the full interaction.