Welcome To The Land Of Icy
Saweetie, whose real name is Diamonté Harper, is an upcoming female rapper who is not afraid to tell the world what she wants. Her most recent song, “My Type” is featured on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and has an upbeat and sassy remix that features Jhené Aiko and Young Miami from City Girls.
Unlike most rappers her age, Saweetie is a recent Communication graduate from the University of Southern California. She originally attended San Diego State University, but she found herself longing to be in Los Angeles. While debating if she should drop out and fully go after her musical career, she decided that if she was accepted into USC, that she would keep working until she graduated. When she finally received her acceptance letter, she took all the necessary steps to start her sophomore year at USC in the fall. While taking a class titled, “Business for Non-Majors”, Saweetie developed a close relationship with her professor, Albert Napoli. Napoli didn’t want her to settle for less than she deserved, so he encouraged her to chase after her music dreams and focus on networking with people who were in the music industry. Outside of being a bright student, Saweetie was a hustler, but her hustle was different. She created a t shirt company, “Money Makin’ Mami’s”, while working at a sports bar, retail store, and as an assistant to one of her research teachers. Most students can barely juggle their social and academic lives, but Saweetie was able to make money at her several jobs, while still working on her music career.
ICY GIRL is the song that launched Saweetie’s career. When she wrote the song in her car, her goal was for the song to be inspirational yet easy to vibe with. Soon after posting a video of her rapping “ICY GIRL” on her instagram, she signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records. Since then, she has released 2 EPs, High Maintenance (2018) and ICY (2019), with features from some of the biggest names in the music industry: City Girls, Jhené Aiko, Quavo, G-Eazy, and Kehlani. Saweetie’s bold and motivational lyrics have greatly attributed to her fame, which is why she was the seventh female rapper to make the Hot 100 charts in 2019.
Since her rise to fame, she has not forgotten about her USC roots. She has returned several times, once with the intention of meeting with the students who were a part of the Black Student Assembly. Whenever she has the chance to speak with students, she encourages them to stay in school, while still chasing after their career. Saweetie says that, “It’s not always about being iced up or stuntin’ ... Icy to me is hustling and having the mentality of getting what you said you was gon’ get”
