Iggy Azalea is an Australian rapper, songwriter, and model, whose rapid rise to fame in the early 2010s was shocking, if not scandalous. As Amethyst Amelia Kelly, she was born in Sydney Australia, and moved to the United States at 16, with the dream of becoming a hip-hop artist. Her story from obscurity as an immigrant to become a chart-topping global artist speaks to her drive and her ability to appropriate and exploit Internet culture for her own purpose.
Here is a detailed breakdown of her career and personal life in a table format.
Category
Information
Full Real Name
Amethyst Amelia Kelly
Stage Name
Iggy Azalea (A portmanteau of her dog’s name, Iggy, and the street she grew up on, Azalea Street)
Place of Birth
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Birth
June 7, 1990
Nationality
Australian
Occupation
Rapper, Songwriter, Model
Years Active
2011–present
Musical Genre
Hip-Hop, Pop Rap, Trap
Record Labels
Empire (current), Def Jam Recordings, Virgin EMI, Grand Hustle, Mercury
Major Associations
T.I. (mentor), Charli XCX, Rita Ora, Ariana Grande, Quavo
Survive the Summer (EP, 2018), In My Defense (2019), Wicked Lips (EP, 2019), The End of an Era (2021)
Notable Achievements
First non-American female rapper to be nominated for a Best Rap Album Grammy. “Fancy” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 consecutive weeks. First artist since The Beatles to hit #1 and #2 simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 with their first two hits (“Fancy” and “Problem” by Ariana Grande).
