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Diamond has been through a lot in the industry. She entered the game when she was only 15, and since has been through more drama than an episode of “Jerry Springer.” To look at her now, though you wouldn’t know it. Poised and calm, Ms. 32 Flavas is more ready than ever to display the full level of her talent to the world.
“I learned when I first started when I was 15 to make sure my paperwork was in order,” she says. “A person telling you I got your back is one thing, but looking at in black and white on a piece of paper is something different.”
That’s just one of the many life lessons she’s soaked up since marking her territory with her rambunctious debut alongside Crime Mob. Now focused on making her mark as a solo artist, Diamond’s forthcoming Warner Brothers’ album should be a glimpse into her hard-earned maturity.
“The album is crazy,” she says, mentioning her single, “Like a Stripper” with singer Keri Hilson. “[Keri] put that crack on the song. It’s about how regular chicks get money like strippers … if you’re an independent chick and you [can] get to the bread.”
In the years since she split from Crime Mob, she’s been intent on making sure that people understand who she is an artist. With her 2007 mixtape, B—- Music, hosted by Don Cannon, Big Mike and DJ Scream, she went a long way in proving her solo worth. In fact, her favorite song, “Role Model” (featuring Nicole Ray) is on the project, a track she says still represents her to this day.
“Back in 2007 I went to jail for aggravated assault and a lot of people were giving their opinion,” she remembers. “With the song I’m telling people, ‘yes, I’m a leader, but I’m not the perfect role model.’ I don’t think anyone is. I’m human. I make mistakes. I just have to accept the mistakes and keep moving on.”
With her upcoming DJ Smallz mixtape, PMS (Pardon My Swag), Diamond plans on adding another notch to her belt. She’s also set to appear in the independent film, 5 Days in the A. And independent chick to the core, she vows to take over the game on her own terms.
“My biggest fear is to allow myself to be in the same situation I was in when I first signed my contract when I was 15,” she says. “That’s why I’m always on my grind and on my paperwork.” –jacinta howard
