Iggy Azalea seeks respect, sex and support from twerkers in “In My Defense.”
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TOP 5
5. HOEMITE
“Hoemite” sounds very unorthodox, to me. Production-wise, it has its moments of pure explosiveness, but it also has its toned-down moments, too. Over this instrumental, Iggy gives instructions to listeners on how to be a top notch stripper, teaching us how to get that ass to clap, what a good set of tattoos could do for your presentation, and how smelling like chicken wings can only add to your overall appeal. As expected, Iggy also dismisses her foes on the song, letting them know that she’s in tune with this big booty lifestyle more than everyone else is.
Lil Yachty is featured on “Hoemite,” and in all honesty, I wasn’t surprised he was on it once I heard the beat (Yachty loves funky ass beats that sound remedial). Thankfully, he leaves his poor singing by the wayside on the song, opting to spew out his bars utilizing this very dark approach instead. Lyrically, Yachty takes on his ops similarly to Iggy — he just doesn’t talk about clapping his booty or dropping it low like she does (Thank GOD! I didn’t need an image like that in my life right now).
Iggy and Lil Yachty make a pretty solid tandem.
4. THANKS I GET/CLAP BACK
I’m not sure Iggy Azalea should be seeking homage for anything she’s done in the past, but I respect her for thinking she’s a legendary figure. On both “Thanks I Get” and “Clap Back,” the Australian rapper talks about being emulated, under-appreciated, mistaken and disrespected since exploding onto the hip-hop scene. Even though I don’t quite agree with her assertions on either song, I do feel her Pac-like approach to her verses and hooks on them, as she comes across as comfortable playing villain after being bullied after all these years.
3. JUST WANNA
Iggy Azalea’s subliminal messages towards me officially got out of hand on this song.
“Just Wanna” has Iggy dropping her clothes and sounding thirstier than an athlete that just finished playing a game with three overtimes. To be more specific, the voluptuous rapper talks about quickies, longies, sex in weird places and unspecified white stains on the song using this unapologetic rapping approach her parents can’t possibly be proud of.
If Iggy’s contributions on this song doesn’t get you to get up (I’m sure the fellas know what I mean by that), the beat will, as it features some heavy breathing and trunk-rattling bass.
Iggy gotta wash her mouth out with soap after dropping this song.
2. SPEND IT
I want to hear absolutely no complaints about “Spend It.” While majority of the songs on this album has its fair amount of flaws, this song doesn’t, as Iggy does everything from stick her chest out like the top rappers in the game to drop off a catchy ass hook on the track. Honestly, if you can’t respect this joint, you’re just hating.
1. SALLY WALKER
“Sally Walker” is Iggy Azalea’s version of Cardi B’s “Money.” On it, she shines being feistier than Chris Paul, giving us everything from hood nursery-rhymes to strip club pep-talks over this hard-hitting instrumental. Overall, what makes this song special is how consistent the “Fancy” creator is rapping-wise on it, as she shows off steady flows and drops off appealing lyrical content throughout. Frfr, the only thing missing from what I heard on this song is the use of the n-word…
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. THANKS I GET (3.5/5)
2. CLAP BACK (3.5/5)
3. SALLY WALKER (5/5)
4. HOEMITE (3.5/5)
5. STARTED (2.5/5)
6. SPEND IT (5/5)
7. FUCK IT UP (3.5/5)
8. BIG BAG (2.5/5)
9. COMMES DES GARCONS (2.5/5)
10. FREAK OF THE WEEK (2/5)
11. JUST WANNA (3/5)
12. PUSSY POP (2.5/5)
OVERALL RATING
(D+)
It seems as though Iggy Azalea invented a solid rap persona, got stale in certain people’s eyes, then went back and reinvented her rap persona. With that being said, the version of Iggy you get on this album is a bit thicker-skinned and prepared to go to the strip club at all times of the day.
“In My Defense” features tons of s**t-talking and strip-club admiring by Iggy Azalea. From the moment you press play on the album, you are greeted to a song called “Thanks I Get” in which Iggy talks about seeking respect from other female rappers in the game. From there, you get songs like “Clap Back” (Another track in which Iggy takes aim at her naysayers), “Spend It” (A track in which Iggy flosses a bit), and “Just Wanna” (A song in which Iggy insists she wants to be flipped like a mattress) that all give listeners a raw glimpse of what is supposedly going through the Australian rapper’s mind these last couple of months/weeks/days. While each song surely doesn’t lack in explosiveness, it does lack in originality and creativity, as they feature a version of the rapper that’s either jocking someone’s already established style or using a style that isn’t all that great to begin with. Now I know what you’re thinking: But everyone in hip-hop copies one another these days… That’s true, but in Iggy’s case, it’s so blatant and poorly done, she benefits nothing from doing it.
The beats and features on “In My Defense” were solid. I thought Iggy was gifted with some hard-hitting bangers that strip club enthusiasts would enjoy, while the guests on the album such as Kash Doll and Lil Yachty did a good job of matching Iggy’s rough and tumble energy with trill/hood-approved energy (That hood-approved energy helped Iggy out a lot). verses.
In my opinion, the brightest spot about “In My Defense” was Iggy Azalea’s ability to lay down a solid hook. I thought she did a great job giving us something infectious in this department throughout the album, never settling for anything less than catchy. I also thought Iggy did a great job of keeping every instrumental she was handed on a leash, never getting overpowered or bullied by it throughout (That’s a tough task considering how heavy-hitting the instrumentals on this album were).
Right now, I’m going to put all of the rumors to bed on whether or not Iggy Azalea can rap: Folks, Iggy is a good rapper. In my opinion, she has great appeal to her, can flow with the best of them whenever she needs to, and most importantly, has great confidence. Where her flaws come in is in her lack of self-assurance and subject-matters. I feel like too many times she forces things, seeking either approval or the same praise other acts like City Girls or Cardi B gets. In other words, it feels like Iggy created her own lane, but too many times she abandons it in favor of someone else’s lane (Sometimes abandoning it mid-song, too). So my problem with “In My Defense” wasn’t about the music on it necessarily, it was about how unauthentic that s**t felt. Once Iggy gets a bit more comfortable in her own skin, I can see her making that next leap to solid artist.

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
This Post Has 2 Comments
it only took her 2-3 to come up withe the whole album, she did what she had to do after releasing her EP last year and parting away from the label, this is actually good if u compare it with other artists that take years to come up with albums then it’s mediocre …
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