''Ignorant Art'' is the debut
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
by Australian rapper
Iggy Azalea
Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...
, who released it as a free
digital download on 27 September 2011, and is widely recognized as the work that launched her music career. The mixtape includes
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
by
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
-based production team
D.R.U.G.S., with their member Chordz 3D having executive produced the project, along with Azalea and Stix as co-executive producers, as noted on the mixtape's back cover credits. It also features
guest appearance
In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...
s from
YG,
Problem, Joe Moses and Chevy Jones.
Background and release
''Ignorant Art'' is Iggy Azalea's debut music release and the project generally credited as Azalea's career breakthrough.
The strength of the release contributed to ''
XXL's'' decision to list Azalea amongst the magazine's 2012 Freshmen list, the magazine stating that Azalea is "the first female MC to grace the cover on the strength of her track "
Pu$$y" and breakthrough mixtape ''Ignorant Art''".
''XXL''s decision proved controversial, particularly with rapper
Azealia Banks
Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. In 2 ...
who started a public
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
with Azalea.
The mixtape is further credited for giving Azalea enough exposure to convince rapper
T.I. to sign her to his
Grand Hustle
Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the lab ...
label.
Prior to the release of the mixtape, Azalea had shared several
home videos
Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming media ...
on her YouTube channel as an
underground rapper, including
remixes
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
of
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
's "
Gucci Two Times
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...
," and
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
's "
Look Out for Detox
To look is to use sight to perceive an object.
Look or The Look may refer to:
Businesses and products
* Look (modeling agency), an Israeli modeling agency
* ''Look'' (American magazine), a defunct general-interest magazine
* ''Look'' (UK ma ...
," as her "Pussy Two Times" and "Look Out for D.R.U.G.S." versions, respectively.
Her "Two Times" remix originated a part two that was included on this mixtape and used as the first promotional track, "Pu$$y." During an interview at
102.7 KIIS FM
KIIS-FM (102.7 Hertz, MHz) is a commercial Radio broadcasting, radio station licensed to Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a contemporary hit radio, top 40 form ...
in August 2013, Azalea revealed the title of her first mixtape was originally going to be called "Coming to America," named after the
1988 comedy film of the same name.
The
MOBO Awards
The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Af ...
, who nominated Azalea for Best International Act in their 2013 award ceremony, stated that "''Ignorant Art'' was a superb introduction to the amazing talents of Iggy Azalea. It felt more like a mini-album and she delivered as she promised she would."
MOBO called the mixtape an instant "cult classic", and MTV agreed, stating that Azalea "made waves" with the release.
On signing to
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
in the UK in early 2013, the label's president stated that "''Ignorant Art'' catapulted her into the limelight in 2011," adding that Azalea is "incredibly exciting and forward-thinking" as well as "utterly unique."
''Ignorant Art'' was released as a free digital download on 27 September 2011.
In December 2011, Azalea shared an
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
version of the project for
DJs
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
and
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
ers. Azalea also released accompanying visuals for three tracks of the mixtape, including "Pu$$y," which was first uploaded on her
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel in the Summer of 2011.
"My World," directed by Alex/2tone, was released in November 2011, and featured a
cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
from character actor and former wrestler
Tiny Lister
Tommy Deebo "Tiny" Lister Jr. (born Thomas Duane Lister Jr.; June 24, 1958 – December 10, 2020) was an American character actor and occasional professional wrestler known for his roles as the neighborhood bully Deebo in the 1995 film ''Friday' ...
, which earned her more attention due to its rising popularity online. "It's supposed to have like, all the ridiculousness of a big-budget '90s video, but then chopped and screwed," said Azalea, of the video.
In January 2012, a 40's
glam/
surrealistic
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
inspired-music video for "The Last Song," directed by Bell Soto, premiered online. Soto said the video "was very inspired on
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
and the old school process of
Photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
(red darkroom, contact sheets, 4×5 cameras). But we did not go vintage, we kept everything very polished and modern."
Concept
Azalea has claimed on numerous occasions that the title of ''Ignorant Art'' is a direct reference to
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement.
Basquiat first achieved fame as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al ...
.
Azalea stated: "I like how the stuff he did was crude and wasn't super polished, I wanted to do my music like that too."
She says that the title is a direct quote from Basquiat, who, on meeting
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
, asked Warhol if he would like "to buy some ignorant art."
Azalea claims that Basquiat felt misunderstood and disliked being labelled a "black artist", mirroring Azalea's own feelings, with her stating "I identify with that because people are always like, 'You're a white rapper.' I'm like, 'Why do I have to be that? Why can't I just be a rapper?"
She further explains that she "made ''Ignorant Art'' with the intent to make people question and redefine old ideals."
The cover of the mixtape is a further reference to the Warhol/Basquiat connection, being a remake of a poster the two artists made for a 1985 art exhibition in New York.
Azalea also addresses perceptions in
hip hop about "what makes rap art or not", stating "I'd hear people in rap talk about what "real" rap is ... I wanted to change that so on that tape I used a lot of samples and made my own version of a rap record. I wanted it to be purposely ignorant."
Elsewhere, Azalea states "If I tell a story, then that's real rap, but if I talk about vaginas, then that's not art anymore. What is real rap? What is art?"
Despite referencing Basquiat's "crude" approach, ''Ignorant Art'' was followed by more commercial works, Azalea allegedly having "decided to ease off her raunchy style and capture a more mainstream audience."
Recording and production
''Ignorant Art'' was recorded in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, where Azalea was residing since 2010 after migrating from Australia to Miami in prior years.
It was produced by
D.R.U.G.S., an acronym that stands for Directing Reality Undermining Governed Systems, to which Azalea and Problem, who is also featured on the track "Drop That," were members, along with the executive producer of the mixtape Chordz 3D, and being described as "a group of artists, producers and musicians from all over. We've come together to save the world from mediocrity."
The
intro track, "Dirt in your Pussy Ass B!tch", consists of a
skit
Skit may refer to:
*
* A short segment in a performance, such as:
** Sketch comedy
** Hip hop skit
** Puppet skit
** Promo (professional wrestling)
* Skit note, parody of a banknote
See also
* Skete
A skete ( ) is a monastic community ...
on which a male voice loftily recites a poem about "young girls dropping their panties in hotel rooms, ignoring calls from their moms", Azalea explained, "It's a parody of
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's song "
Blame Game
"Blame Game" is a song by American hip-hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' (2010). The song features recording artist John Legend and was produced by West, Justin Franks, and Mike ...
"," which famously ends with a serious verse by a woman called Chloe Mitchell. "She's my friend, and we thought: let's get together and write a poem that is the most ignorant shit ever but is actually really well-written. We wanted to see what's rap and what's not," she said.
Azalea replaces her speaking Australian accent by a
southern drawl
A drawl is a perceived feature of some varieties of spoken English and generally indicates slower, longer vowel sounds and diphthongs. The drawl is often perceived as a method of speaking more slowly and may be erroneously attributed to laziness ...
throughout the project.
When she first moved to America, Azalea was involved in the Southern hip hop scene of Miami and later Atlanta, which made it easy for her to cultivate the Southern influence in her music: "I lived in the South for five years; you pick up things from your surroundings and teachers. The people who taught me to rap are all from the South and so was the music I had listened to as a teen."
During an interview with ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' a few months after the release of the mixtape, Azalea talked about the perception people had of her sexually-charged imagery, "So much of what I do that's controversial in America wouldn't be a big deal back home. America is a highly sexualized society but people are afraid to admit what they like. When people tell me that I have to be sexy that's demeaning, not powerful...to a lot of people, a powerful, sexy woman is vulgar. When I first came out people said, 'She only raps about her vagina.' I'm not a vagina rapper!
aughs I talk about many other things."
Critical reception
The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' wrote about Azalea's "
flow" on ''Ignorant Art'', calling it "brash" and "aggressive," whilst ''Complex'' stated you should "let Ms. Azalea's machine gun flow win you over. Yup, she's that nice."
MTV Base
MTV Base was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia that focused primarily on hip hop, R&B, grime, garage, reggae, funk, soul and dance music. It was launched as part of MTV's digital boutique of music cha ...
wrote that "the 2011 mixtape ... was the kind of impressive, raw statement one expects from an unknown with no pressure on her."
''Rap Reads'' gave it four and a half out of five stars, saying "Iggy chose eccentric, eclectic, intriguing production to rhyme over. The unique soundscapes that she chose do nothing but accentuate her very unique style," concluding it's "a very clean, concise listen."
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called the mixtape "forward thinking" whilst ''HNHH'' noted that "Azalea's musical situation is improving with every new release, and ''Ignorant Art'' will most definitely help the cause."
RapReviews.com were more sceptical, stating in their review of the mixtape that "'ignorant' probably isn't the right word. But neither is 'intelligent'."
In a chart of Azalea's best songs published in 2015, the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' rated "Pu$$y" at number ten, writing that "her debut mixtape's title, ''Ignorant Art'', seemed amusingly perceptive to haters ... and 'Pu$$y' ... is the crux of her problematic pop allure."
Track listing
;Sample credits
Information adapted from
WhoSampled
WhoSampled is a website and app database of information about sampled music or sample-based music, cover songs and remixes.
History
Nadav Poraz founded the site in London, England in 2008, as a way to track musical samples and cover songs. ...
.
* "My World" contains a sample of "Astronomia" performed by Tony Igy.
* "You" contains a sample of "
Crash Into Me
"Crash into Me" is a song by American rock group Dave Matthews Band. It was released in December 1996 as the third single from their second album, ''Crash''. It reached number 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart in March 1997. The s ...
" performed by
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...
.
* "Backseat" contains samples of "Last Night" performed by
Niki & The Dove
Niki & The Dove are a Swedish indietronica duo from Stockholm, formed in February 2010. The group consists of Malin Dahlström (vocals and production) and Gustaf Karlöf (production), and are signed by TEN Music Group, licensed to Sub Pop and ...
and "Backseat" performed by STAYGOLD featuring
Spank Rock
Naeem Juwan, better known by his stage name Spank Rock, is an American rapper and songwriter from Baltimore. He rose to fame with his 2006 album ''YoYoYoYoYo'', which was produced by former group member Alex Epton (XXXChange). A harbinger of po ...
, Damian Adore, and
Lady Tigra
L'Trimm was a Miami bass hip-hop duo composed of Bunny D and Lady Tigra. Originally from Coconut Grove, Florida (origin neighborhood of the City of Miami), they recorded three albums for Atlantic Records: ''Grab It!'' in 1988 (which is certifi ...
.
* "Treasure Island" contains a sample of "Waste" performed by
Foster The People
Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members are singer Mark Foster, guitarist Sean Cimino, and keyboardist Isom Innis.
Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending several years in ...
.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2011 mixtape albums
Albums free for download by copyright owner
Iggy Azalea albums
Self-released albums
Electronic albums by Australian artists