Iggy Azalea would be the first to admit that she’s something of an outsider in the world of rap. As a white girl from rural Australia, raised in the small New South Wales town of Mullumbimby (population: 3,000), how could she not be? It’s appropriate that she’s risen to the status of one of the most promising new MCs in an era when hip-hop has never been more open to artists from a diversity of backgrounds. It also demonstrates that Iggy isn’t just an outsider, though. Iggy has had cosigns not only from King of the South T.I. but rap royalty from Dr. Dre to Snoop Dogg; in 2012, she became the first ever woman to be named to XXL’s Freshman list. Iggy Azalea has succeeded in gaining the respect of the inner circle as well. It’s remarkable to think that, just six years ago, a 16-year-old Iggy touched down in Miami airport, ostensibly for a fortnight’s holiday, but with the intention of escaping Australia for good. She knew just one person in the entire USA. But in a sense, Iggy’s background is perfect for hip-hop. The drive and the hustle illustrated by that flight to the other side of the world; the toughness and poverty of life in the Australian countryside.Iggy has stories that have never been told in hip-hop before – and she’s planning to open up about them on her debut album proper, which she’s writing while currently holed up in – of all places – the Welsh countryside. Her musical journey to get to this point has been one of trial and error played out in public: the mixtape which first garnered her mainstream attention, Ignorant Art, was the kind of impressive, raw statement one expects from an unknown with no pressure on her. Since then, collaborations with everyone from Southern rappers to EDM artists have followed as Iggy tried to nail down her sound; the ridiculously catchy single, “Murda Bizness”, demonstrated a growing knack for songcraft – as well as a brilliant Toddlers & Tiaras-themed video, cheekily comparing the cut-throat competition of the rap game to child beauty pageants.