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I notice in the intro on your website
you mentioned that you didn't realize how important hip-hop
was to you until you came to New York. Where did you live
before you came to New York?
Amanda Diva-I
was born in LA and I lived there until I was 8. Then I
moved to Orlando. I lived in Orlando until I finished
high school and I went to New York in 99 for college.
At the time, things are different now, at the time when
I was growing up and people I was around hip-hop was just
music. It wasn't a culture. We didn't have people break
dancing on linoleum and DJ's or people who would play
music at parties. It was really a whole different dynamic
and when I came to NY, it was me. This is me. It wasn't
a stretch, oh I'm looking for myself, myself was right
there.
I do a lot of writing and don't watch much TV so forgive
me. Are you still doing the hosting on MTV2?
Amanda Diva-No,
they don't even have videos on MTV 2 any more at this
point.
How did you go about getting that position?
Amanda Diva-It all
started because I'm a poet. I perform all over the city
and I was doing a show and Quddus who is on TRL was at
the show and I told him "You are on MTV I need to be on
MTV so we need to stay in touch." We stayed in touch over
2 years and he was like, "Yo they are casting on MTV 2
I'm going to see if I can get you an interview." And 2
days later he got me the interview and 2 weeks later I
got the job.
What are you working on now?
Amanda Diva-Right
now I'm working on a new mix tape. I'm still work at Sirius
Satellite Radio. I just became a member of the affiliate
in Atlanta. There is a crew of DJ's and I'm the only female.
I just released my first poetry book. Otherwise there's
stuff I cant really speak on.
Stuff in the works
Amanda Diva-I'm never
just chillin'.
What can you tell us about your poetry
book young skin Wise Mind
OLD SOUL?
Amanda Diva- It was
always something that I wanted to do. It's like there
are a lot of people who say spoken word poets aren't real
poets because their words aren't published. I'm a big
believer in not giving people room to shit on you by handling
your business. That's why I tell kids to go to school
and finish because nobody can tell you jack. So it really
was important for me to solidify my position as a poet.
I felt like I needed to get my words published. I went
about doing it and it was a long ass process too.
Do you do a lot of book signings?
Amanda Diva-No!
I cant do it. Dove
and my boy they tell me to do book signings blah blah.
I don't think I'm at that point yet. I know me, I'm a
Cancer if I go to a book signing and no one comes I'm
going to be tight. I'm not setting myself up for that
right now.
The VH1 Hip Hop Honors were held recently. Did you get
to attend the show?
Amanda Diva- I went
to the rehearsals I wasn't able to go to the show because
I had another meeting. I saw Big Daddy Kane do
his thing and Common and it was really good. I
interviewed Salt N Pepa.
The word Diva has so many meanings. Is there a meaning
behind the name Amanda Diva?
Amanda Diva- Diva
really means the woman who runs the scene. In ballet they
have the prima ballerina and the HNC--- the Head Nigga
in Charge, Diva is the HNC of the theater and the opera.
I grew up in theater, I went to a performing arts high
school. I was part of a crew called the Diva's and I used
to prop them everywhere so people just started calling
me a diva. My senior year I was voted most talented and
I was president of the theater, I earned it. That was
my name. Then in the industry you have people who are
diva's on stage and when they get off stage they are on
some crazy shit. So it ends up putting a negative connotation
on the word and it isn't about negativity at all.
What would you like people to know about you?
Amanda Diva-That what
you see is what you get. I don't throw no punches. I'm
not a fake, a phony, I'm just like what you see is what
you get and I'm a real honest person so if I say it I
mean it.
Visit Amanda On-Line at
http://www.amandadiva.com!
 Amanda
Diva interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com
2005
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be
My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned
Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She is
the founder of Thabiz.com
and Imissthe80s.com
and writes for the Rap,
Teen, and 1980s
section at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a
writer and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising
inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights,
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entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com
or e-mail her at webmaster@thabiz.com.
Interview may not be reprinted, copied or distributed. You
may link to this interview.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com
October 2005. |
