During a recently released interview for Peter Bailey’s NiteCap show, Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon spoke on the topical subject of Iggy Azalea and the continuing debate regarding cultural appropriation in Hip Hop.
During the conversation, Rae offered some words of support for Iggy Azalea, subsequently complimenting the Australian-born emcee for her talents.
“All I can say in that situation is that she’s doing what she wants to do,” Raekwon says. “She was able to take it from somewhere so far away where she was at, to here and nobody’s gonna ever wanna give it up because of course she’s a white girl, pretty and she’s got talent. Then you’re gonna have people ridicule that because she’s from Australia. Music is for whoever knows how to it make it, man. We have to say to ourselves, ‘If you’re talented, you’re talented.’ I think she’s talented in her form and we just have to accept that and don’t look at it as, ‘Oh you ain’t from that life,’ because a lot of people aren’t from that life. I might sit here and look at a couple of rappers and say, ‘Yeah, he sound like a perfect one, but you really not from that.’
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“Look at French [Montana]. French is African. He’s Moroccan,” Raekown adds. “These guys that come from so much of a different background, they recognize the music and they’re able to relate to it because it’s like, ‘Oh, whoa, that’s what he said?’ And we develop our own forte of how we live and how we move. It goes the same way through the music. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s somebody from Mongolia that come out and sell 100 million records. I wouldn’t be surprised because it’s so much influence now that’s being given, it’s only right to sponge it up. Sponge it and be able to define the true talent in yourself to make it happen for you. That’s what it is.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Raekwon offered some insight into his upcoming documentary on the making of his debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Rae says the documentary — which will heavily involve fellow Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah — is a more “hands-on” situation for him.
“It’s just telling the story for the people that appreciated my story,” Raekwon says. “That appreciated when I came into the game and they seen my evolution happening. It told a story… We just gonna go in and give a powerful piece. Like I said, it’s going to be more hands-on situation for me. So just get ready for it. [With] me celebrating the 20 year anniversary this year of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and coming with a new album called Fly International Luxurious Art, I’m just telling my story in the greatest way but also celebrating where me and my team came from. We came from some stuff.”
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Raekwon’s full interview with Peter Bailey can be seen below:
For additional Raekwon coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
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