Iggy Azalea

Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), better known by her stage name Iggy Azalea, is an Australian recording artist and model from Mullumbimby, New South Wales. She relocated to the United States at the age of 16, first staying in Miami, Florida, and then other parts of the South, including Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. She first gained recognition after the respective music videos for her controversial songs "Pussy" and "Two Times" went viral on YouTube. On 27 September 2011, Azalea released her first full-length project, a mixtape entitled Ignorant Art, saying she made it "with the intent to make people question and redefine old ideals." In 2012, she announced her signing to Mercury Records and the following year to Island Def Jam. Azalea went into professional modeling, when she became represented by Wilhelmina Models, in the spring of 2012; later that year she was announced the "New Face of Levi Jeans".

In 2012, Azalea became the first female and non-American rapper to be featured on XXL magazine's annual Top 10 Freshman cover issue. On 30 July 2012, she released Glory, her debut extended play (EP), which was executive produced by American rapper and Grand Hustle label-boss T.I.. The EP was composed of songs originally meant to appear on Azalea's long-awaited and often-delayed debut album. On 11 October 2012, she released her second mixtape TrapGold, which was produced entirely by high-profile producer Diplo, as well as 1st Down of production team FKi. The mixtape is significant for foreshadowing Azalea's new approach to music and her later work, which heavily includes electronic elements. Azalea's debut studio album The New Classic was released on 21 April 2014. Initially set to be released with Grand Hustle and Interscope Records, after label conflicts, in 2013 Azalea finally secured a deal with Mercury Records and later Island Def Jam, to release her debut album. The album was preceded by the lead single and Azalea's commercial debut single "Work", which successfully charted on several international music charts and peaked at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart. The other three singles released in promotion for the album were "Bounce", "Change Your Life" and "Fancy", with the latter two featuring guest appearances from T.I. and Charli XCX, respectively.

Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Amelia Kelly, in Sydney, Australia. Her family later relocated to Mullumbimby, New South Wales, when she was still an infant, into a house on 12 acres that her father built by hand from mud bricks. Her father was a painter and comics artist, while her mother cleaned holiday houses and hotels. Azalea says her father "made her look at [art] as a teenager", which has always influenced her life and work. Azalea began rapping at age 14. Before embarking on a solo career, Azalea formed a group with two other girls from her neighbourhood: "I was like, I could be the rapper. This could be like TLC. I'll be Left Eye." Azalea eventually decided to disband the group because the other girls weren't taking it seriously: "I take everything I do serious. I'm too competitive."

In pursuit of her desire of moving to America, Azalea dropped out of high school; instead choosing to work and save the money she earned by cleaning hotel rooms and holiday houses with her mother. She claims to have hated school, which, besides her art class, only made her miserable. She also said she had no friends and was teased for her homemade outfits. Azalea traveled to the United States in 2006, right before she turned 16. She told her parents she was going "on a holiday" with a friend, but eventually decided to stay and shortly after told them she was not coming back home: "I was drawn to America because I felt like an outsider in my own country, I was in love with hip hop, and America is the birthplace of that, so I figured the closer I was to the music, the happier I'd be. I was right." She recalled: "My mum was crying, saying, 'Just be safe.' I was thinking, 'I'm going by myself. I'm fucking crazy!" After her arrival in America, she resided in the U.S. on a visa waiver for six years, leaving the country every three months to renew it. She is currently in the country on a five-year O visa.