Iggy Azalea stands by her Biggie Smalls Remake.
Critics’ heads were spinning when music producer Irv Gotti previewed the track that sampled the late rapper’s 1997 posthumous release Mo Money Mo Problems, remixed with Iggy’s lyrics and vocals from singer Keyshia Cole.
But the 23-year-old Aussie star told fans on Wednesday she never intended it to be a rip-off.
"First of all, I love Biggie forever and Tupac, and that's a sampled song. So don't be mad about something that's sampled already,” she said during an episode of America’s RapFix Live on Wednesday.
Iggy also explained how the track came together. Irv initially approached her about modernising Diana Ross’ 1980 hit I’m Coming Out, which she explains provided the initial sample track.
"Irv hit me up and said, 'Hey I've got a record with Keyshia on it and it's gonna be for the soundtrack to this Cameron Diaz movie The Other Woman.
"It was just supposed to be a remake of I'm Coming Out, it wasn't supposed to be Mo Money Mo Problems, and I didn't know what I was getting into," she shared.
Iggy said critics can think what they want to. But she’s satisfied with her decision and wouldn’t take it back.
"I'm from a generation where I don't think I'm Coming Out — I think Mo Money Mo Problems," she explained. "So I thought, I need to get my Ma$e on, and I went with that vibe. Then I think when people heard it they said, 'She's doing the Biggie remake,' and I don't know if it was necessarily meant to be that. It's open to interpretation… I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but if I did I would've said yes. Because any rapper that gets asked to do that is gonna do that."
Iggy is meanwhile gearing up for her new album, The New Classic. The record is slated for US release on April 22.
