Rapper Iggy Azalea announces she is QUITTING music 'for a few years' after being accused of blackfishing in her latest music video

Iggy Azalea is taking a step back from music to focus on 'other creative projects'.

The 31-year-old rapper, best known for her 2014 hit Fancy, announced on Thursday that her third studio album, End of an Era, will be her last for at least 'a few years'.

Azalea tweeted: 'End of an Era is so special to me because after I drop my album next month I am going to take a few years to focus on other creative projects and things I'm feeling passionate and inspired by, beyond music.'

'I'm excited for you guys to see different sides to me in the future. Shifting my energy and focus to what I'm most excited about is what is right for me and I hope you'll continue to support whatever creative projects I'm out here doing!' she added.

'I really love this album and I just want my fans to enjoy this with me. I hope I see so many of you on tour!'

Azalea later tweeted in response to a fan: 'Yes! I have the coolest project dropping the week after my album and I can’t wait til you guys see it!'

While it's unclear what other creative projects Azalea is working on, she has experience as a judge on TV shows like The X Factor so may go down that path. 

Azalea hails from Mullumbimby, New South Wales, and moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a music career.

Despite her Australian background, she adopts a Southern drawl in her music.

She was initially mentored by rapper T.I., who released her mixtape Ignorant Art in 2011, and went on to achieve mainstream success with her 2014 single Fancy.

Sadly she hasn't been able to replicate this success, and her subsequent singles, albums and EPs have flopped in the charts. 

The hip-hop artist was recently accused of darkening her skin to appear black or mixed-race - a practice known as blackfishing - in the music video for her song I Am the Stripclub. 

However, she denied trying to alter her appearance in this way, calling the claims 'ridiculous' and saying she's used the 'same shade' of makeup for the last three years.

Outside of her music, she is known for her feud with similarly named rapper Azealia Banks, who in 2014 called her 'Igloo Australia' and accused her of not caring about 'black issues' despite capitalising off black culture.