Just in case Iggy Azalea's single "Work" or her "Otis" cover with Angel Haze didn't convince you she's about to blow up big, the Aussie rapper has two superstar co-signs. She talked to Fuse News' Matt Babel about her relationship with touring partner Nas and T.I., the man who signed her.
After hitting the road with the rap vet, the 23-year-old declares herself stronger. "Nas has a really tough crowd," she says. "His fans are definitely people I would call 'hip hop purists.' My sound's a little more experimental. It made me a really strong performer to have to learn how to come on stage, every night, make this audience like me and see that I was good!"
And despite what videos from A$AP Rocky, French Montana and Nicki Minaj push, "good" does not equal twerking to Nas fans. "They were like, 'We don't want to see your ass, we want to see your rap. Can you rap?' They don't care to see twerking. It helped me become a better performer," she explains.
And luckily she's been under careful watch from T.I., boss of her label Grand Hustle—home to B.o.B., Travi$ Scott and Trae the Truth—who helped bring the Australian to the U.S.
"I wasn't staying at his house, but he put me up in Atlanta and took care of me," she explains. "He still would now, if I needed it. He would for anybody on [Grand] Hustle. He just told me in the car, 'I don't sign people for money. If you think you can put a price on yourself, then anyone can have you.'" Check out the full interview above.
Love hip hop as much as we do? Don't miss Fuse's new series The Hustle on Wednesdays, at 11/10c. Use the Channel Finder to find Fuse in your area.