Interview with Amanda Diva
Amanda Diva has accomplished what many take a lifetime to accomplish in her young life. Poetess, rapper, painter, artist, designer, former MTV2 host, former band member replacement to Floetry. Hailing from The Wood (Inglewood, CA), Amanda is the mixtape spitter, female bonified MC, social commentator and designer of a really cool bag line.
To name a few of her accomplishments:
Poet on NFL Network segments (’07-’08 Regular Season & during 2007 NFL Draft)
· MTV2 host of “Sucker Free Hip-Hop-
· radio host of Sirius Satellite’s “Breakfast at Diva’s-
· E! News Correspondent/Producer
· VH1′s Best Week Ever – commentator
· two-time performer on Russell Simmons’ “Def Poetry Jam-
· singer (was a member of Grammy-nominated R&B group Floetry)
· journalist (XXL, Allhiphop.com)
· author (Young Skin, Wise Mind, Old Soul -“ Author House, 2003)
· rapper (she’s released 3 mixtapes and her latest EP, Life Experience)
· scholar (she has a Master’s from Columbia in African-American Studies)
With a comedic element and poet’s heart, she has carved herself a cult following of believers. She’s a one-stop shop and who better to illustrate her prowess than the industry vets themselves?
“Amanda approaches hip-hop with a fierceness to protect it, nourish it, and mother it like it’s her own beautiful child. She’s wise beyond her years and I feel safe knowing the culture I adore, she adores and that she’s a souljah for truth.-
–NAS
“Hip hop will never die due to young diehards like Amanda Diva, who breathes new life into hip-hop every hour of everyday.-
–MC Lyte
“I think there’s a big void in Hip-Hop music in terms of folks being direct and speaking with passion. We see exercises in acquisition and artists wanting to be #1, but it’s rare to find people who really care about the music and stop at nothing to express themselves. Most artists need the support of this one and that one, but Amanda Diva is a great example of a real artist who will express herself at any cost. All Amanda Diva needs is a mic and a reason and that’s encouraging and inspiring for me as a fellow artist and for the hip hop community as a whole.-
–Q-Tip
“Amanda Diva is the shit. She’s got that whole Lauryn Hill feel going on that the streets have been missing for a long time. We need that back and she’s bringing it back.-
-“ DJ ENVY, Hot 97 (NY) On-Air Personality
“Amanda Diva is positively a rising force in music. Her sound is soulful and pleasurable! Her subject matter is real and thought-provoking which is definitely needed in today’s music world!
–DJ Drama, the Aphilliates
“Amanda is one of the most diverse and unique artists out. Whether rapping, singing or proliferating the spoken word, she is a stand out
artist, one destined for stardom. I’m happy to be associated with her.-
– DJ Mick Boogie
Cocoa Cure Magazine sat down with Miss Diva herself to talk about everything from her take to female MCs to the wildest thing a celeb has said to her…
Cocoa Cure: Renaissance Woman, do you feel most at home behind a pen and a paper, a paintbrush or a mic?
Amanda: Hmmm, I would say a mic. With a pen and paper my thoughts flow faster than my pen so I always end up getting annoyed. With a paintbrush I’m very comfortable, but still have a lot to learn. But with a mic I always feel like I’ve got full control and know what the next move should be.
Cocoa Cure: What’s one word that describes your style as an MC?
Amanda Diva: Honest
Cocoa Cure: For those not fortunate enough to know who you are yet, how would you describe your music?
Amanda Diva: Soulful, insightful, feel good, head nod music.
Cocoa Cure: You have some of the greatest support from hip hop and industry legends. How did you get first get noticed?
Amanda Diva: Well I started on Def Poetry Jam and doing radio and TV at Sirius Satellite Radio and MTV2 as a host so I had a rapport with a lot of artists from then. When I started doing music at first I was scared to let them hear, but when they did they were always very supportive. Questlove, Qtip, and Lloyd Banks were all very encouraging.
Cocoa Cure: Jay-Z says he keeps all of his lyrics in his head. Drake captures them down in his Blackberry. What is your medium?
Amanda: I’m a Blackberry writer too! Lol. When the words strike ya it’s always right there in your palm.
Cocoa Cure: As a Culture Critic, how do you feel about urban music today and current female MCs resurrecting female presence in hip hop?
Amanda: I think music from the urban sector is at the tipping point of discovery and growth. We’re hearing artists push the envelope of genre and style and that’s a great sign. Though there is a stagnance (I just made that word up! lol) in the commercial media in regards to new music, artistry continues to thrive and the mainstream will eventually go with the new flow. A female presence in hip hop will resurrect when folks with money and credibility stop being so damn scared to put their name and $$$ behind women!
Cocoa Cure: What was the wildest thing you can remember a celebrity saying during one of your interviews?
Amanda: Game told me “word on the street is you’re a bitch”. But wouldn’t say the source. Then called back the next day to apologize on the air. Smh
Cocoa Cure: Tell us about your hand-painted bag line and where we can purchase them?
Amanda: I have a hand-painted bag line of different images on canvas bags. I hope one day to expand, but as of right now I paint each bag myself and sell them on my site DivaWorksofArt.com
Cocoa Cure: At Cocoa Cure Magazine, we go by the mantra, “Fly, Fierce, Feminine.- What does that mean to you as a woman and an artist?
Amanda: It means sticking to your guns and remaining classy. It means grace under fire and firing when necessary!
Cocoa Cure: Anything else you want to say to the female rapping in the shower to herself or sketching a fashion line in her notebook on the train?
Amanda Diva: Define yourself before you let the world define you. Stick to that and you’ll never go wrong!
For more information, please visit:
Myspace.com/AmandaDiva
DivaSpeakTV.blogspot.com
www.Youtube.com/ImAmandaDiva
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The Game is a nut, lmao!
I like her flow. Wonder why she’s not on the radio?
I’m familiar with her. Glad to see she’s still busy. I like her bags.
Her interview was refreshing and her perspective was inspiring for multifaceted women who enjoy the process and not just commercial success.
This is such a deep blog! What can I say, youve hit the nail right on the head! You even added some videos to make it seem so much more real. Youve got a great way of communicating with the reader, a great way of making me feel like what you have to say is just as important to me as it is to you. Keep it up!