Questlove Addresses Claims Iggy Azalea Represents "Culture Vulture-ism" In Hip Hop

QUESTLOVE: WE AS BLACK PEOPLE HAVE TO COME TO GRIPS THAT HIP HOP IS A CONTAGIOUS CULTURE

(AllHipHop News) With her single “Fancy” dominating the season, Iggy Azalea has become a main topic of conversation in rap music over the last few months.

For some, Iggy represents the “Elvisization” of Hip Hop. For others, she is a symbol of how far the culture has expanded.

[ALSO READ: Radio Stations Were Required To Play Iggy Azalea & Other Artists’ Songs At Least 150 Times]

Hip Hop veteran Questlove was asked if he was “pro- or anti-Iggy Azalea” in an interview with Time. The Roots drummer used the opportunity to share his thoughts on the Australian performer and what her hit song means for the current state of Hip Hop.

Questlove said:

I’m caught in between. And I defend it. I see false Instagram posts like, “She said the N-word! She said the N-word!” I’ll call people out — “Yo, don’t troll.” I know you’re ready to give your 42-page dissertation on theGrio about why this is culture vulture-ism. You know, we as black people have to come to grips that hip-hop is a contagious culture. If you love something, you gotta set it free. I will say that “Fancy,” above any song that I’ve ever heard or dealt with, is a game-changer in that fact that we’re truly going to have to come to grips with the fact that hip-hop has spread its wings….

I’m not going to lie to you, I’m torn between the opinions on the Internet, but I’mma let Iggy be Iggy. It’s not even politically correct dribble. The song is effective. I’m in the middle of the approximation of the enunciation, I’ll say. Part of me hopes she grows out of that and says it with her regular dialect — I think that would be cooler. But, yeah, “Fancy” is the song of the summer.

[ALSO READ: Questlove To Produce “SoundClash” Music Series For VH1]