With two singles currently out, Iggy Azalea is set to make a splash in the rap world. This Aussie MC began rapping at 14 and moved to the States at 16 in order to begin her career. She was so determined to hit it big that she told her parents that she was just going on vacation, but never came back.
Although Azalea was heavily influenced by her close friend Tip Richardson a.k.a. T.I., she decided to strike out on her own and she left his label (Interscope) for Def Jam to continue to craft her sound. She is much loved by her fans (called “Azaleans” on Twitter), but relatively unknown to the casual rap listener. This will probably change soon, though, as her first studio album The New Classic is set to drop later this year.
ANDPOP’s Evan Ross spoke to Iggy Azalea about her beginnings, what it’s like to work on a full record, and why she is wary of the term “role model”.
Evan Ross: What was it about rap that drew you to it?
Iggy Azalea: Some things can’t be explained, I just had an emotional connection to it.
Why did you pick the name Iggy Azalea?
Iggy Azalea: My grandfather kept saying that I had to have a stage name and my real name (Amethyst Amelia Kelly) was too long. I had a dog named Iggy, who was named after Iggy Pop and I wore a necklace that said “Iggy” on it so people started calling me that a lot. Azalea was the street that I lived on at the time.
Who are some of the artists that influenced you, both now and when you were younger?
Tupac definitely when I was younger. In terms of a female influence I would say Missy Elliot; she was a woman I wanted to dress like, wanted to dance like. I would save my money so I could buy the Adidas jackets that she wore. I basically wanted to be Missy Elliot (laughs). Now I don’t idolize people so much, I have grown out of that. But I like Kendrick Lamar and really like Andre 3000; I hope he has another record.
You talk a bit about how you supported yourself when you left home in “Work.” How else has your past influenced your music?
My music isn’t really biographical, but what I think definitely shapes the music. My music has both my past and my present, and past stories are evident.
Is there any reason behind the accent you use when you’re performing?
We can all admit that there is one animal out there that absolutely terrifies us. For me, it’s birds. Those beady eyes, the thought that they might come flying at you ready to attack or shit on your head at any moment, it’s all just too much for me. And apparently this australian reporter shares these sentiments.
In what appears to have supposed to been a harmless, fluffy segment on some type of farm and their animals, the reporter gets up close and personal with a rooster. However, the little guy seems to be having none of it and when he makes one wrong move, the reporter goes nuts and can’t get out of there fast enough. While I do understand the aversion to squawking spawns of satan, the 13-year-old girl scream was a little much.
Watch the video to see the hilarity ensue.
Australian morning show anchor Karl Stefanovic strikes again.
The Today show host known for his bad puns, awkward interview with the Dalai Lama and making dirty jokes on air, Stefanovic pulls a prank on his colleague Roz Kelly. he was most likely channeling the movie Anchorman as he added an extra line in Kelly’s sports segment script. He somehow managed to put “how good are the [hash] cookies there” at the end of her soccer results report which Kelly obviously just had to read.
“See I read everything on the auto-queue. It’s like Anchorman,” she joked after the incident just as Stefanovic and his co-host lose it. She later followed it up with, “”Karl, you’ve won the battle. The war has just begun, though.”
Karl and Roz, I hope you both know the whole world will be waiting to see how your on-air rivalry unfolds. Make it count!
Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles NERVO, an Australian electronic duo.
What’s better than a set of identical bombshell twins from Australia? A set of identical bombshell twins from Australia who are talented songwriters and general EDM superstars that’s what. Say hello to NERVO, the powerhouse duo who are coming off a busy weekend of making people sweat at Coachella and prepping to release their debut album.
Origins: Melbourne, Australia
Band members: Miriam Nervo, Olivia Nervo
Known for: This delicious duo is known for their hit-writing abilities
Used in a sentence: Mim and Liv know how to make you dance all night long
File next to: Robyn, Afrojack, Avicii
Download now: “Hold On”
Five fun facts:
1. NERVO have written songs for Ke$ha, The Pussycat Dolls and Ashley Tisdale
2. They did some modeling when they were 16.
3. They have a monthly show called NERVO Nation on SiriusXM’s BPM channel Read more…
If there wasn’t enough reason to completely abandon this year’s stupidest viral sensation already, you might just stop stupidly convulsing right now because the “Harlem Shake” could actually get you fired.
According to the Associate Press, up to 15 Australian miners were fired from their jobs at a gold mine after their underground Harlem Shake performance was deemed unsafe. It wasn’t just the miners-turned-dancers that were let go—those who were simply watching were also given the boot.
While the dancing miners were all wearing helmets, the mine owner still considered the stunt a safety issue and a breach of its “core values of safety, integrity and excellence.
While we all think the Harlem Shake is a complete waste of time now we have screaming goats interrupting Taylor Swift every five seconds, do you think the miners should have been fired? Comment and let us know below!
WATCH THE MINERS’ HARLEM SHAKE VIDEO BELOW:
Whatever you do, don’t try this prank in the US or you’ll probably get some overworked mall cop tackling you to the ground before an actual cop or Homeland Security apparates with a taser. The prankster put disguising nude tights over his head to mask his face — usually a dead giveaway for a robber — and went into various shops to try and buy things. While the joke, posted on Woods Bog, was all in good fun, it definitely freaked some employees and shoppers out.
When he’s questioned about why he’s wearing the mask, he just says “it’s cold” or “it’s just what I wear.” The hilarious clip is from a show called The Chaser in Australia.
A tropical cyclone that struck Australia yesterday blanketed a stretch of Australia’s Sunshine Coast in sea foam. The foam reached 10 feet high in some places. Many would say the outcome of a natural disaster is NOT a laughing matter. Australians on the beach beg to differ because they find the foam to be a perfect photo op.
I can’t blame them either — pictures in the foam would make for great display pictures, am I right? I hate to say it, but more find the whole thing amusing rather than threatening. What did a little foam ever do to anyone, right? I guess it’s true what they say, every cloud has a silver lining.
Watch the sea foam ordeal below
Did a prank go too far?
A nurse who unsuspectingly transferred a prank call from Australian hosts posing as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles has been found dead in what is reportedly a suicide. The nurse has been identified as Jacintha Saldanha.
Saldanha was the first to answer the call on Tuesday as hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian tried to get information on expectant mother Kate Middleton, who was admitted into the King Edward VII Hospital after suffering from acute morning sickness. Saldanha’s first responses along with those of a second nurse were recorded and broadcast on air.
According to a statement by hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur, he said: “This is a tragic event. Jacintha was a first-class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients during her time with us. She will be greatly missed.”
Prince William and Kate have also issued a statement, expressing how deeply saddened they are to learn of the death.
“Their royal highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.”
While the Australian Communications and Media Authority are still investigating the case, the radio hosts have since issued apologies and have decided not to return to their radio show until further notice.
“Just on our royal prank call… we were very surprised that our call was put through, we thought we’d be hung up on as soon as they heard our terrible accents,” Christian wrote on his Twitter account. “We’re very sorry if we’ve caused any issues and we’re glad to hear that Kate is doing well.”
Imagine a nice, relaxing canoe trip with your pops. Now imagine that canoe trip on Fraser Island in Australia. Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? Not when a random whale decides to show up and burst your canoeing bubble!
In the video, “What watching from canoe,” a father and his daughter are literally freaking out over a giant whale just casually interrupting their afternoon stroll in the water. The daughter, who appears to be the one holding the camera, completes the epic video with heavy breathing and “oh sh*ts.”
I have no idea what I would do in this situation. I think it would be amazing to have a close encounter with a whale. But not when I’m in a very fragile canoe. Nope.
Watch the video here:
Somewhere in Australia, a weird drug deal went down the other day. You know you’re going to have a problem when the ritzy dude buying drugs from you is completely indiscreet and wants a receipt to claim the product on taxes. He’s that guy who has obscure dietary restrictions and refuses to eat anything that’s not fat-free. It is 2012 after all, every product should be tailor made for the beach bum Australian.
The sketch, which is currently trending online, is by Alex Williamson, the same dude who told us why Aussies were so cool yesterday.
Watch it here
There are sooo many reasons why Aussies are hardnuts, let us count the ways: Sharks, crocodiles, jellyfish, SNAKES. And they’re everywhere. Well, not in the cities or your fancy car, but if you’re in Australian you’re immediately 10 times more badass just being in the same area as these wild animals and that’s the truth according to comedian Alex Williamson.
Don’t worry about it, they’re f*cking out there mate.
“We’re all a bunch of drunk bogans,” is how an article in Melbourne’s Herald Sun starts today and with good reason. At the Melbourne Cup racegoers were deemed “hedonistic” because they apparently drank gallons of booze and caused havoc, according to The Daily Mail.
Well, we weren’t there, but if this video sheds light on anything it looks like a couple people had a rollicking good time! At the races, this woman was caught on camera hitting anyone that walked near her including a young girl right next to the camera person. The video is now making the rounds online so we’re guessing she’s regretting that extra flute of champagne.
Watch it here
No, this is not an alien. This bald little creature is a baby echidna puggle that was found on a walking trail by Australia’s Taronga Zoo. It was orphaned at 30 days old, probably after falling from mom’s pouch.
Now, a wildlife hospital supervisor named Annabelle is taking care of the little guy by keeping him in a small esky and feeding it milk every couple days. The video was loaded on the zoo’s YouTube channel Taronga Sydney and will probably give you a cute heart attack.
Watch it here
To singers, Adele must be what Tom Wolfe is to writers or Andy Warhol was to artists. Put simply, Adele is f*cking awesome and it’s hard to top her. So it’s understandable why Kelly Clarkson was hesitant to cover “Someone Like You” during her tour. She didn’t have to worry because she pretty much killed it.
During every concert stop on her “Stronger” tour, Kelly Clarkson covers a fan request. In Brisbane, Australia, she took on the red-headed singer’s sob-worthy single. ”I’ve actually been avoiding this song,” she told the audience. “It’s been literally every fan request. And I’ve been avoiding it because Adele might be one of the best singers of all time. …So hopefully I do it justice and don’t suck.”
In the past, Clarkson has covered Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and Florence’s “Shake It Out.” Though it’s not our fave out of all her covers so far, we’re still pretty impressed — especially when it picks up in the second half.
Watch it here:
I’m totally obsessed with One Direction too but I draw the line at wearing the band’s logo on my feet. These One Direction UGG boots are part of a new collection of 1D surf wear. The clothing line will also include flip-flops and shorts.
If your fangirl behaviour supersedes most others and you HAVE to have these boots for winter, they’re available at Between the Flags, a retailer in Australia. If you do buy them maybe you want to keep them on a shelf — a lot of fans might find them too precious to ruin!
Would you wear them?
You should really be careful what you say, or else karma will come right up to you and kick you in the nuts (literally). During the London Games Australian sports commenter Sam Newman called taekwondo the most ridiculous thing he’d ever seen — not in a good way. He caused an uproar and though he was originally going to retract what he said, he didn’t end up doing it.
That’s where Aussie Olympians Safwan Khalil and Carmen Marton come in. They appeared on The Footy Show and made Newman reconsider his words… and eventually apologize.
When The Project host Carrie Bickmore accidentally mistook the word “Qantas” as “Cuntas” her co-host Charlie Pickering handled it like a pro. We elect him as new demi-god of the Internet, Australian division.
Although koala bears look all cute and fluffy, I’ve heard in the past they can be quite vicious if they’re disturbed by humans. So I was pretty surprised to see this video of a brave koala swimming right up to two canoes full of people. The paddlers pull him on board and he chills with them for a couple minutes, completely oblivious that he’s exhibiting unusual social behaviour.
The canoeists are part of the Burleigh Point Outrigger Canoe Club and they were paddling across Tallebudgera Creek on Australia’s Gold Coast. While it might seem like a friendly gesture on the koala’s part, animal experts told the BBC he was probably looking for a way to escape the creek’s tidal banks after being trapped and decided the canoe was the best escape.
Watch it here:
Name: The Fergies
Song: “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift
Why we’re obsessed: This acoustic version of T-Swift’s new single by The Fergies is catchy with a sweet tone at the bridge. Kahlia’s soft and high-pitched vocals add a certain flare to the hit and her brother Daniel lets her voice shining by playing a simple melody on the guitar. It’s a slightly more mellow attempt at calling out an ex.
The Fergies’ cover is one of the more unique covers I’ve seen. So far, it’s received over 37,000 views in just one week.
Background: The Fergies are a pop band composed of five siblings with the last name Ferguson from Brisbane, Australia. They’ve been uploading covers and originals to their YouTube page since 2010. While their videos and songs don’t always include every sibling, they seem to be really popular in their native country.
Watch their cover here:
There you go again X-Factor, making me look like a crazy person sitting in an office full of guys, trying to block the tears welling up in my eyes. Contestant Bella Ferraro auditioned for Australia’s The X-Factor with an emotional performance of “Skinny Love” by Birdy, originally by Bon Iver.
Bella left high school to pursue music. She nervously auditioned for the judges on her eighteenth birthday.
There are several reasons why her performance is so touching. First, she doesn’t realize how damn talented she is. Hands shaking at times, Ferraro seemed genuinely shocked when the audience applauded her within five seconds of starting. Her supportive mom looked on from the audience, tearfully proud. All the judges, including hard-to-please Mel B, gave the contestant a deserved standing ovation.
Yesterday the UK edition of The X-Factor made me angry when I saw Pink cover artist Zoe Alexander storm off the stage upon receiving constructive criticism. But you’ve reclaimed my love, X-Factor, with Bella Ferraro.
Watch it here:
