THE SWITCH UP! A break from your regularly scheduled Music Department album reviews: When the Promo Lady Takes On Music…

Artist – Iggy Azalea

Album –The New Classic

More-Than-Ten-Second Bio – Since she first made her way onto the music scene most only paid attention to the fact that Iggy Azalea was an attractive woman, slowly but surely they began paying attention to her ability to rhyme.  The Australia native (Mullumbimby, New South Wales to be specific) relocated to the USA at the tender age of 16, first staying in Miami then parts of the Southern US.

The Aussie gained recognition years later with provocative single “PU$$Y” and the accompanying video. Iggy has only released two mixtapes Ignorant Art (2011) and TrapGold (2012), was the first female and non-American rapper to grace the XXL magazines annual Top 10 Freshman (2012), and is currently signed to Grand Hustle and Interscope Records.

What Can Your Ears Expect? – Expect to want to stand up and shake your moneymaker in the middle of the library, headphones blaring. Laced within its mellow beats and quick verses are tracks that could quite possibly become your new anthem. Each song will force you to throw up a fist in the air to Iggy’s struggle to become a respected artist or for girl power in general.

Unfortunately (for this fan) half of the album has already released as singles, which won’t have a negative effect on sales but for those who have heard those singles we’re expecting the rest of tracks that live up to the hype that “Fancy” has already readied us for. For those who haven’t heard of anything Iggy Azalea has done this album will be a fantastic introduction.

While Azalea has been in the States for years her accent makes appearances throughout the record, at times it is difficult to understand the thick cut of her rhymes because of it. Though that just makes you cooler than you already were because now you’re listening to an Australian rapper with a Southern flow. That Southern flow that she picked up from her label mate and mentor, rapper T.I., is what adds bounce to the album as a whole. They make you want to raise that one corner of your lip and tell off anyone trying to knock your hustle.

Beware of Miss Iggy Azalea and her rapid-fire rhymes, beats that make you shake what your mama gave you, and lyrics that make you pay attention to a woman who came across oceans in pursuit of a dream.

Note Iggy Azalea is NOT the “typical” white girl rapper, spitting lyrics about Forever21 and doing wheelies in the mall parking lot. Azalea has been slammed for “trying to hard” and not being hard enough and this album is her response to every single person that thought this project would never see the light of day.

“Oh what? A white girl with a flow ain’t been seen before/Bow down until your knees get sore.” – from “Goddess”

Target Audience – If you enjoy both the club shaking hits and femme fatal attitude of Beyoncé and Southern style -with lyrics that put you in the artist’s shoes lyrics- of T.I. then this is the album for you.

Key Tracks from The New Classic – “Fancy” (track 5, featuring Charlie XCX), “Goddess” (track 9), and “F**k Love” (track 12). The Deluxe Edition features two bonus tracks: “Rolex” and “Just Askin’”

Grade: 7.5 (out of 10)

“Put that paper over all, I thought you knew that, knew that/I be that I-G-G-Y, put my name in bold/I been working, I’m up in here with some change to throw.” -from “Fancy”