Iggy Azalea Calls Out Lorde In Billboard Magazine

Iggy Azalea can't seem to make up her mind about Lorde. The Aussie rapper appears on this week's cover of Billboard and takes issue with her Kiwi colleague's recent performance with Nirvana at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

"Nothing against her, but I think when you're doing a tribute to someone that's dead, generally it should be the person's peer," Azalea told the magazine. "Lorde is not Kurt Cobain's peer. No matter if she killed the performance or not, I just don't think it's appropriate."

Azalea's shade comes somewhat out of left field, especially since Lorde defended the rapper earlier this year, when Complex ran a scathing review of her album, The New Classic, following a rather favorable profile. Azalea responded on Twitter with the caption "#GoGirl" and we thought we were witnessing the genesis of a new pair of celebrity besties. But, that budding friendship might have to be put on hold after Azalea's latest comments.

Why the rapper took issue with Lorde's cover of Nirvana's "All Apologies" is a bit mystifying. Musicians have been paying their respects to artists they admire through covers for as long as we can remember. And, it's the moments when they leave their comfort zones to do something unexpected with the songs that are the most thrilling. When the 17-year-old singer joined Kim Gordon, Joan Jett, and St. Vincent that night in Brooklyn, it was both unexpected, and yes, thrilling. (Not to mention the fact that Lorde was handpicked to sing the song by Cobain's bandmates, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic. And, St. Vincent herself, Annie Clark, was 12 when Cobain died, which means she's not exactly his contemporary either.)

Maybe Azalea is just embracing her rapper bravado. Beefing with contemporaries is, after all, standard-issue rock star/hip-hop stuff.

Lorde however, seems like an odd target. (Billboard)