Posted on 12/19/2007
Skimming through Amanda Diva's career highlights is as exhausting a process as trying to describe Gang Starr's discography to a deaf person.  In the seven years since she burst into the poetry scene as a spoken word artist, the poet/singer/rapper has appeared on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam, hosted her own show on Sirius Satellite Radio, been the "face of hip hop" at MTV2 while hosting all of their programming and Sucker Free shows/segments, established herself as a veritable hip hop journalist, put out a slew of mixtapes, toured as a member of Floetry, and worked with the likes of Q-Tip, ?uestlove, Kurtis Blow, and James Poyser.

Got all of that?  Well, there's more--Diva is set to dive into her career as an artist on December 18 with Life Experience, the first in a trilogy of EPs that are the culmination of her journey thus far within the hip hop industry.  I got a chance to build with the exuberant Miss Diva. She explained what's it been like to transform from journalist to recording artist, addressed the scandal surrounding her part in the Floetry reunion, and told me to grow a pair of balls (thanks again, Amanda)...

Okayplayer: You're pretty much the hip hop renaissance woman, with all of the aspects of the industry you're involved in. Was that your plan from the jump, or was it a natural progression?

Amanda Diva: It started off just from doing the poetry thing, and from there one of the execs at Sirius saw me doing a performance at a benefit for Jesse Jackson and got me on the radio. That led to MTV2.  I had been writing for allhiphop.com when I first got out of school, and then I ran into Bonsu (Thompson, "XXL" editor), and I started for "XXL" and "Hip Hop Soul."  When people always ask me for advice on how to get into the game, I just tell them to stay present--opportunity comes all the time, it's just that most people aren't ready when it knocks.  I've just been lucky and diligent enough that when opportunities came, I was just able to step up and naturally [step into] this renaissance thing.

What's funny is that the music was never even an option for me.  I will never forget standing in BB King's with Bonsu, and he said, "I don't know why you don't want to be an artist, you've really got something," and I was like, "Fuck outta here! I'm not walking into hell!" (laughs) I was just so set on not signing up for that, and now here we are, Life Experience, December 18...(laughs)

OKP: You've put out other projects before, with your mixtapes...

AD: And those were just experiments!! (laughs) And that's what these EPs are, and that's why I put out an EP and not a full length, because I didn't think I was completely ready yet. I just felt like I'm further along than doing another mixtape, but wanted a little more time to develop myself as an artist, as a brand to the people, and that's what I thought these EPs could do.

OKP: What's the difference between these EPs?

AD: Well, Life Experience is much more life-based.  All my music comes from a personal place, but it's definitely much more personal in terms of speaking from my point of view on things rather than general assessments on topics.  I'm not speaking for everybody.  But then when we get to Love Experience (her next EP), it's going to highlight more of my vocal skills as a singer, and it's going to be a softer side of me, a more emotional look.  I think a lot of people think that I don't have vulnerability, which I find wild! (laughs) I'm a Cancer, I'm sensitive as hell! And Live Experience is going to be all live recordings, and I personally feel that that's where I shine the most, onstage.  

OKP: You were saying how people feel as though you have no vulnerability, and the first thing that I wondered was if that's because you're an ambitious and outgoing female working in an industry that tends to be male-dominated.

AD: Definitely...

OKP: Would you say that in 2007, is it easier or harder to be a female working in the industry?

AD: I think it's harder because when I got into the industry a relatively short time ago--I always consider one year to equal three years in this game--at least we had Lil' Kim, Eve, Foxy, you know, women were at least here!  Now, the common state of mind is, ‘Oh, there's no female emcees,' and because there's none, people just chalk that up to, ‘Oh, maybe there shouldn't be any.'  So then you find yourself having to answer obvious questions like, ‘So do you think female emcees have a chance?'  What? Why wouldn't they?  Since when are women emcees a different species?  You know, we just rhyme and we have breasts...I don't get that.  When I look at the game now, there's a lot more women doing their thing behind the scenes.  It is a very male-dominated game, and when you're assertive and about your business, people look at it like you're a bitch or a diva, but I don't sign on to that because if it was a dude, people would be like, ‘Oh, he's on point!'

OKP: Your lyrical content indicates that you're a very forward-thinking and, I hate to say it, ‘conscious' person.  Have you been able to interact with aforementioned emcees like Foxy or Kim, and what has that been like?

AD: When I have crossed paths with them, I wasn't an artist myself--I was interviewing them--so there's always a different interaction that takes place.  But I always cite me and Shawnna--I think folks would consider us to be different types of rappers, but she always respected what I was about and actually encouraged me to pursue music when I was really against it.  I respect what rappers like Kim and Foxy do...

OKP: I can understand that respect, but at the same time, in listening to the content of the music that you put out, can you really say that you do respect their approach in how they represent themselves with their sexuality, seeing as how it goes against your own beliefs?

AD: That whole thing is not my steez, but I can't say I don't respect what they do because that's what they do.  My issue is that there are all these factions that enable that.  People are gonna do what they do, but there's a whole other step that takes place--enablers, the same people that also reject artists that are not based in sex.  My issue is with the folks that say if it doesn't sell sex, it doesn't fit in, so we don't want it.  That's where the real problem lies, because there are so many facets of artists out there, and I don't find it coincidental that we only seem to see the ones that are rooted in sex.

OKP: Your journalistic background predates your role as an artist.  Obviously, the network you had from that side of the industry must have helped you cross over, but were there any challenges?

AD: I'd be acting like a punk to say that it hurt me more than it helped me. There's always going to be snags and people who doubt you, but the knowledge and connections I made outweighed those snags more than hindered it. People have taken to me much better than I expected.

OKP: I've got to admit, it's somewhat of a personal question.  I'm obviously a writer, but I've got my own music projects, and I find myself in positions sometimes where I feel like I have to play my position and not let the two overlap...

AD: The whole playing your position thing is crap. You gotta know what makes sense and I don't think anyone can define it.  You want to know who always says stay in your position? The people who don't have the balls to move out of theirs.  The people who want to do music but they don't know what it's going to do to their career, and they're shook ones, and they don't want to take the risk. If that's your steez, that's your steez, but don't put that on me!  Congratulate me!  Can't have no cowards out there, we trying to get power!  Woman up!  (Note: This exchange was not nearly as awkward as it reads...maybe)

OKP: Ok, duly noted!  So you got your Master's at Columbia. How did what you learned there affect you as an artist in this industry, especially when it's not as common for rappers to have such a degree of higher education.  Not to generalize, but this is a field where some of the legends in the game were high school dropouts.

AD: I always believed that I am able to speak really well to different facets of people, and hip hop breaks down a lot of barriers in that respect.  By being educated and in an academic setting it allowed me to speak to an even broader amount of people because it's like having a different language, and a different respect that comes with having that piece of paper.  I don't necessarily cosign that respect, but it's facts! (laughs)

The African American Studies program in Columbia understood the importance of hip hop to the betterment of the community.  Their program wasn't just about studying history, it was about applying the mistakes and positive moves of the past to make a better future not just for the black community, but the whole world in general.  I know it sounds really utopian, but it's true.  I actually applied a lot of what I learned, beyond just knowing facts.  At Columbia, I learned reality and practical application, and I got comfortable with myself and what I want to do, and I learned that this music thing is not to be taken for granted.

It's funny, I got an email this morning from someone telling me that I need to get a real life. They were basically saying that this music thing is a waste of time considering there are so many problems in this world.  And it's like, WOW, if you think that music doesn't have an effect on our society, you've got a real messed up view.  At Columbia, they respected that about me.  You know, when I had to miss class to go interview Outkast, I wasn't getting chastised, I was getting congratulated.

OKP: Who's the coolest artist you've gotten to build with?

AD: (pause) You know what, every time this question is asked, I seem to start my thought process over.  I never have an actual complete answer (laughs).

OKP: Ok, I don't want to put you on the spot here and make you pick a favorite, so let me ask this--what's been the most unique interview experience you've had with an artist?

AD: (immediately) Oh, Game.  He's all over the place!  In our first interview, he was basically trying to call my bluff or something, mad dog me, being all hard like, ‘You know, the word on the street is that you're a bitch!'  And I'm like, ‘Really?  Who told you that?'  So we get done with the interview and afterwards I told the people at Interscope, ‘Yo, your man is BUGGIN'!'  And then later on he sends me a 2-way asking that I call this number so that he can apologize on my show.  So then we have part two of the interview, The Reconciliation, and now every time I interview him, we know each other and we're cool.  It's a real interview, and he's comfortable enough to keep it real with me and answer my questions.

OKP: You cracked his shell, his hard exterior...

AD: His GANGSTA!  So Game is the most unique...Nas is one of my favorites.  I mean, he's one of my favorite emcees of all time, so just being able to say that I've interviewed him five times...(laughs), I never though that was something I'd be able to say.  And Kanye; I love Kanye so much.  He's just like me.  We're just sincere, passionate individuals, and it gets misconstrued sometimes.

OKP: Tell me why you are putting Life Experience out online.

AD: It's going to be available on iTunes, Rhapsody, the whole gamut. When you're independent, you have to run a marathon, not a sprint, so I felt like the smartest way would be to start out online and work my way up to getting it in stores.

OKP: Well, that's not even a strictly indie mentality anymore, if we look at examples from Radiohead and Saul Williams.  The industry is obviously going through some vast changes.  What are your thoughts about that?

AD: The model is definitely changing.  You know, life is a cycle, the earth moves around, and that's just the way it is.  This hip hop thing started in the independent realm of people selling stuff out of their trunks, and the internet has become their trunk, so it's not even something necessarily new.  It's just coming back around, and I think it's great.  These huge corporations have commoditized hip hop with artists getting the least out of it.  Fame is all well and good, but you can't feed kids on fame, you need bread!  And there are a lot of people out there who do have fame, but don't have bread, you'd be surprised.  But with independent models, it allows folks to really be in control of their own product, and I think that's important in the black community in general.  The Internet allows the music to get so many people in general; it becomes global instead of, in many cases, just regional.  I feel blessed to be doing what I'm doing at this time because there couldn't be any better of a time.

OKP: What artists have you been feeling lately?

AD: I'm always feeling Kanye, Alicia...I love the new Radiohead album.  I'm looking forward to Lupe's new joint.  I love Freeway's joint, he's rapping so hard! (launches into an impeccable Freeway impression) ‘I'm back without a Just track!' He is ready!  I went to Beanie's listening session, Philly definitely always comes hard.  There's a rock/R&B group called Franklin Bridge out of Philly, they were on one of those American Idol shows, but they are a BEAST.  I've done a couple shows with them.  Rest in peace to Pimp C, I fuck with UGK, always have, and "International Players Anthem" is one of the best records of the year.

OKP: Word.  Ok, so I'd been trying to research the answer to this but everything I've come across seems very vague, so I'm just going to go ahead and ask, what's the deal wi-

AD:  (immediately cuts me off)- Floetry! (laughs)

OKP: You caught me, yes!  I've read a lot of things; a lot of people were upset because they didn't know that the line-up had changed when you hopped on board for the Floetry Remix Tour.  A lot of people were definitely caught off guard and upset about it...

AD: As they very well should be.  I think it was a good idea that was carried out poorly.  The idea that was brought to me was that Natalie had left the group and they were looking to continue the brand, and they wanted to go on a tour and see how it worked out, and they wanted me to be the one to do it.  So I asked if we were gonna do press and make people aware of the change?  They said, yeah yeah, of course.  And I think that the concern rose that people wouldn't support because the lineup had changed.  So it becomes about money, and between promoters and management there was a desire to play it safe and basically ‘don't ask, don't tell' about the lineup change.

OKP: I think it'd be kind of obvious!  You know, there's no way to skate around that...

AD: Until people show up, but then they've already bought their tickets.  So then, who's walking into the shit storm every night?  People want someone to blame, so immediately I became vilified--Amanda Diva kicked Natalie out of the group, and who does this bitch think she is, blah blah blah blah--and it's like, ‘Hey man, I'm just coming here to sing my song and rap my raps, I ain't go nothing to do with this, and there's a whole lotta people who are making way more money off of this than me that you should be blaming.'

OKP: So is that whole Floetry chapter pretty much put on ice now?

AD: I think it's safe to say that it's cooled out.  I think it would have been a really dope thing, and the majority of the people who came that were shocked left with a good show under their belt.  I was really able to see people's opinions change from the first song to the last, and when people come up after the show and say they like you better than the old Floetry, you feel like you've done your job!  I mean, you can't get that from everybody, but when it's the majority saying that, it leads you to believe that this is a good thing and that it shouldn't be let go.  So I would have definitely kept pursuing it, because I felt like there was a demand for it, but...I'm not gonna wait for nobody, so it's on to my own experience.

OKP: Are you going to tour for the EP?

AD: I would love to, it's just gotta be the right situation, sponsorship, and all that good stuff...

OKP: Maybe you should hook up with The Roots and tour with them.  I know you have in the past...

AD: Can you put that in print?  Ahmir, are you listening, Ahmir?  Ahmir?  Not ?uest, Ahmir!

OKP: Wow, first name basis, huh?

AD: Yeah, ‘cause that is my dog!  Ahmir, what's up with Amanda Diva opening for some Roots shows?!?

OKP: Well, I will definitely find a way of working that in somehow [you're welcome, Amanda].  Any last words about the album?

AD: The music I make is meant to remind people about when hip hop made you feel good.  I come from that golden era: Tribe, PE, NWA, De La, Queen Latifah...I think a lot of us 80s babies grew up on that and we miss what the music did to us when we heard it for the first time, and that's what I want to do with my music.  I want to remind people what that music is like, so check out Life Experience on December 18 so you can feel good again!


-    Sean Kantrowitz