Rapper Diamond Feature

Cover Story

every girl loves

to be the main attraction

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE! You think you know, but you have no idea

By Chey Parker

When talking about the female rap game, you can’t help but to talk about Brittnay Carpentero. You may know her as Diamond or Ms. 32 Flavors, the fire-spitting girl in the hit rap group Crime Mob. Now an independent artist making her own mark in the rap game, Diamond continues to release hot music and build her brand, letting all the haters know that she isn’t going anywhere! EGL’s Chey Parker chopped it up with Diamond and got the real 411 on why she didn’t respond to the Love & Hip Hop Atlanta drama, current endeavors and her response to all the rumors and naysayers!

January 2013 • everythinggirlslove.com

Cover Story

So you’re comfortable with your decision of not being a part of the show last season?

Yes ma’am I was. I’m a strong believer that once you make your mind up about something, you just have to go with it. If it was the wrong decision at least you learned from it. If you don’t make a decision and just sit in the middle, then you don’t stand for anything. I don’t regret my decision and everything’s good.

What initially inspired you to do music?

I have four sisters but my closest sister in age is 5 years older than me, and I always wanted to do everything she did. She was in a rap group and I was into poetry. One day she told me, ‘you know poetry isn’t too far from rappin’, and she kind of helped me with words. That was my first time being exposed to it. We played with words and melodies for about an hour and half or so. After that, I got frustrated and left it alone until about 4 years later. Three years after that, I started getting into it with Crime Mob, knocking out songs after school and on the weekends. We would just record songs and I just began to fall in love with it more and more.

With you being so young and everything happening so fast, how did it affect your life?

It was bittersweet because I had to leave my life behind. I had friends. I had a boyfriend. I still kept my boyfriend, but it wasn’t the same. I never went to my actual prom.

When Knuck if you Buck first came out it was my 9th grade year and that summer I had just auditioned to be on the drill team and I made it girl! I made the team. I was so happy! The same day I was supposed to be there, we shot the video for Knuck if You Buck and I had to make a decision.

Was I going back to school to live a regular life like everybody else? Or was I going to do this music? I had to make a choice and never look back.

Do you think it will ever be a reunion album?

I think that will happen one day. We’re still young; that’s the blessing about it. We were 14, 15 and 16. Now everybody is 24, 25, 26, so you never know what might happen in the next couple of years.

How do you feel about the current state of your career right?

I never really had a voice. Now, I can make my own decisions. When I was in the group, it was about being a number and we had to vote. It was six people so if all six agreed, that’s what we rolled with. If the group members didn’t think your verse was hard enough then you couldn’t be on the song.

Now, I make my own decisions. It’s a blessing, but at the same time it can be a curse because when you’re solo [and] you fuck up, people look at it as Diamond fucked up. It’s not 6 group members anymore. It has its times, but shit … I don’t have to split the money 6 ways no more.

What’s that one thing you think has allowed you to be as successful as you are?

Mainly keeping God first and having a wonderful family, a wonderful support system. I have wonderful parents, wonderful sisters, wonderful brothers, and now I have

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I’m a strong believer that once you make your mind up about something, you just have to go with it.

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I know you’ve answered this question a thousand times; but to clear it up, will you be joining the 2nd season of Love & Hip Hop ATL? I have answered that question a million times, but I will answer it again… I won’t.

Cover Story is about falling “ Life down and getting back up so unless I lose my voice or I’m a vegetable, I’m not going to stop.

a wonderful team and I think me being persistent. It’s only so much they can do if I’m the main key to the program. So I think just them seeing my drive; I dust myself off and I get back up and that makes them want to go harder for me. Life is about falling down and getting back up so unless I lose my voice or I’m a vegetable, I’m not going to stop. I think that’s what got me this far. 10 years strong.

What are you working on right now?

Right now, we just launched the Secret Kisses ad. I’m the new face of that, I love it! My favorite lipstick is red, which is Seductive. There’s between 36 and 38 [products] from lip balm to lipstick in different shades and colors. I don’t see how a woman can get bored! So I’m excited about partnering up with them and helping the brand. We just shot the video for “Clap for me” and were going to be dropping that in two weeks. I got a new deal as well, but we aren’t going to say who it’s with yet... I’m about to do it big boom boom bang! I’m just ready to drop this album finally girl! It’s what everybody’s been waiting on!

What was the process behind the album? What’s different between this album and your mix tapes?

Well I think for me, they’re (Mix tapes) are like street LP’s to show people how far my strength is so when my album comes out they can see it in full circle. We’re going to have the hood shit, the dancing records for the ladies, and the radio- friendly singles. But doing what we did be-

fore, I had to learn [that] you got to open up. People have to be able to relate to you. I think that has been the hardest part and the best part because after I rap and get something off my chest, it makes me feel better. It’s therapeutic. Everybody will know who Brittnay Carpentreo slash Diamond is. It will be fun, you know very fashionable, very confident. The same sassy shit y’all love me for but at the same time, you’re going to get some of that grownand-sexy this-is-where-I am-now type records.

Everybody knows about your relationship with Soulja Boy. With both of you guys being artists, what holds you two together?

Well, I’m single; but the relationship as far as me and him, we’re best friends so I think that’s what keeps us so balanced. I learned a lot from him and he learned a lot for me. It’s about seeing each other do well and do great and it’s about give and take. Our foundation is that we’re really, really good friends, he’s a good person.

A lot of artists shy away from going public with their relationships, why did you decide to put your relationship on Instagram for everyone to see?

It was already out there. If I’m with somebody and we’re on that level that’s what it is; I’m not going to hide it and not live my life. Whatever they see me doing that is what I’m doing, I’m real. If I’m with this person and I feel like taking a picture that’s what I’m gonna do.

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Is there anything that you would like to clear up? Any misconceptions of what people might think of you…

I’m not a home wrecker. I’m wifey material; and a man that has me on his arm would love to wife me up because I’m a wonderful person and I’m down for whoever I’m with and whatever comes with them. If I love you and I’m rolling with you in a relationship, whatever bad and good I take on. And the tattoo that’s going around, that’s not my ass. I wouldn’t get a Chanel [logo] tattooed on my ass and if it was me I would say it was me and be like so fucking what! I’m in a process of getting tattoos removed actually, because I feel like I have too many and where I’m trying to go I don’t need all these tattoos.

So tell me something about yourself that people wouldn’t expect?

I’m a very kind-hearted person. I would take the shirt off my back to cloth someone else. I would give them my last. I’m like a mommy. I’m younger than everybody else, but I’m always like “are you ok? Anything you need?” I’m like the caretaker and I fix problems. I just want people to be right and comfortable and kick back and enjoy themselves.

January 2013 • everythinggirlslove.com

Cover Story

a home wrecker! “ I’mI’mnot wifey material and a man that has me on his arm would love to wife me up.

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People are constantly taking shots at you and you always seem to not counterattack, what makes you not entertain the negativity?

The truth is gonna come out. You can’t hide the truth. It’s only a matter of time. It’s not for me to do, it’s for God to reveal when the opportunity presents itself and I get that green light to speak my truth. I know what happened, I know who I am and I don’t need to keep going back and forth. Why waste my time and my energy when I can put that focus on my career or taking care of my family or bettering me? That’s not going to do nothing but distract me and deter me from where I’m trying to go. So when I get to that point to where it can be told and it WILL be told, the truth is gonna set me free. I have too much to lose

If you can go back in time and change anything about your life, your career what would it be and why?

Everything that has happened to me has been a learning experience; good and bad, and it only helped me for the better. I wouldn’t change anything.

Any resolutions for 2013?

Try not to worry too much. I worried a lot about cleaning my image up. I know I’m not a bad person and when you let that burden go of not being so worried then you can really tap into things that you need to tap into, like what makes you happy. This year, I got more into the word and as long as I know who I am and God knows who I am, I don’t really care We were pleasantly surprised and very impressed with Diamond’s maturity, intelligence, drive and business sense. With such a positive outlook on life, we are more than confidant that diamond is destined for greatness.