Australian-born rapper Iggy Azalea broke out in a big way in 2014, but she was on the cusp of stardom long before she made chart history and owned the radio waves. Born Amethyst Amelia Kelly in 1990, she was 16 when she dropped out of school and left home to pursue a hip-hop career in the United States. Iggy grew her public profile with a series of mixtapes and videos, which led to many appearances including a stint opening shows for Beyonce. Her first official album, 2014’s ‘The New Classic,’ hit big with its No. 1 single, ‘Fancy’ featuring Charli XCX. With her appearance on Ariana Grande’s ‘Problem’ helping it reach No. 2 behind 'Fancy,' Azalea became the only artist since the Beatles to debut in the first two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously.
Selected discography: ‘Glory’ EP (2012), ‘Change Your Life’ EP (2013), ‘The New Classic’ (2014)
Related artists: Charli XCX, Ariana Grande, T.I.
Further reading: Iggy Azalea Covers Billboard, Iggy Azalea Talks Rap Divas + Modeling, Iggy Azalea: A Peek Inside My Purse