Photos By: Virgil Solis (Except second image with Roots)
Amanda Diva has seen it all. From her early beginnings on MTV2 before the overhaul to blogs, to sharing the stage with the Legendary Roots Crew, to showcasing her wonderful paintings, Miss Amanda Diva is well-versed in the field of Hip Hop. Almost too well-versed. From being a TV personality on VH1 and MTV2, as well as being a musician herself, Diva perhaps was too deep in the game, and had to step back. “Having quality isn’t going to get you where you need to be, so that’s really frustrating when you feel like you have a lot more of that, than a machine or money. It makes you feel like, ‘well what am I really doing then, because I’m basically kind of glorifying a hobby at this point,” Amanda states, remembering a time when she had to stop making music, until a recent trip to Europe. “That’s why when I was in Europe, I felt good about making music again, because I felt like, here we are in a society over there where they really do respect talent, and real quality artistry, in a way that we don’t over here.”
Now, after seeing a positive response for Madame Monochromoe, A new-found DJ gig, and the return of Diva Speak TV, Amanda is poised to reinstate her vision in the music industry in as many creative fashions as possible. Keep reading to hear Amanda’s thoughts on the Karmaloop TV Deal, Kreayshawn’s signing, and most importantly, her motives and ideas for the near future.
RubyHornet: After a disengagement with music, you released Madame Monochrome in late April. Can you describe your thought process behind releasing that project?
Amanda Diva: I had been planning to release this project Technicolor Lover, which was what I decided, and have still decided, will be the last album I will ever make out of my own pocket. But I went to Europe and ended up doing some shows out there, and I had a really really good response and it made me say, ‘well, don’t just throw it out there, at least give it a proper set-up.’ By doing Madame Monochrome it felt like I was giving it a fair set up, and I wasn’t just like fouling out. And, people really like it and I got to say it has been great to see people who could have gotten it for free were paying like $20 and $50 for it. That support for an independent artist, someone who really does it for the love, is probably the greatest show of appreciation.
RubyHornet: What was the final straw or was there one? That made you say, ‘this is enough’ and walk away from music?
Amanda Diva: I mean there were like 9,000 straws. This f**kin game is so whack now, you just feel like now, it’s just not enough. Having quality isn’t going to get you where you need to be, so that’s really frustrating when you feel like you have a lot more of that than a machine or money. It makes you feel like, ‘well what am I really doing then, because I’m basically kind of glorifying a hobby at this point.’ For me, I have a lot of other facets of artistry and streams of income and it just became almost impossible to do music one, but two it’s like I was resenting my own music. Cause its like, I’m giving so much to this and I’m getting no return or love. It’s crazy. Every other art-form I do you can see your movement much more clear. You can see in art, and in TV.
Ruby Hornet: How is it clearer? Can you give an example?
Amanda Diva: Well one, when you do an exhibit, people come! People buy pieces and you’re also not having to create as much and give it away. See that’s the things that”s different. When you’re doing music these days, you’re having to create so much to give away, and for a lot of people who aren’t artists, they don’t understand that every time you create something that’s a piece of you and you’re just giving it, giving it, giving it. And when you’re not given a return for it, it starts to f**k with you. So at a certain point I was like, ‘this is not feeling good anymore. What’s the point of doing it? If you’re not going to get money from it, or joy from it, really what’s the point?’
RubyHornet: Can you speak on your more solid relationships in the industry? With the Okayplayer Family & The Roots?
Amanda Diva: I met Ahmir and the whole Roots Crew when I was hosting MTV2 back in ’04, and we just, I don’t know, we just clicked and I remained a very close friend of the The Roots since then. Ahmir is responsible for giving me my first break as an artist, like as a recording artist. I asked him about performing and he was like, ‘oh you can perform for Black Lilly,’ and that was back in 2007 and he played drums for me. So by putting him in the web with me singing, and him behind me that gave me credibility. Then they did like a whole series in ’09 where they were doing jam sessions at the Highline Ballroom every week. It was an honor for me to feel so included, and like real recognize real. I’m going to be the same person every time. I may be in a bad mood, whatever whatever, but I’m the same Amanda, and The Roots have been the same with me. Over the years they’ve gotten bigger and bigger but there’s that same respect, for this amount of time we’ve just got that bond.
RubyHornet: You were a TV personality for MTV & VH1, so being a personality and an artist there is a conflict of interest. How have you dealt with that?
Amanda Diva: I mean, I think I’m better at being a personality than being an artist when it comes to the balancing affect because I’m just opinionated in general. As an artist, you’re not really supposed to have opinions of other artists in general or whatever, and you know I do. For example, I don’t have anything negative to say about this person, but if I ever had something negative to say about Estelle, I wouldn’t say it, because I have respect for Estelle and that’s my homie outside of all of this. When it comes down to it though, it’s like you are who you are. It all sort of comes naturally, I guess.. I don’t really know how to explain, it but I’ll say this, at one point in time I did feel like I was stepping on my own toes, by being an artists and a personality. But at this point, “Amanda you’re an artists and a personality.”
RubyHornet: Is there anything you’ve experienced as a personality that helped you as an artist?
Amanda Diva: Yes, definitely. As a personality, you know how to be on when you need to be on. A lot of times I’ve interviewed artists who didn’t feel like being “on” today, or whatever. This is the business you chose and sometimes you have to be on when you don’t want to be. My mom’s got to go to work when she doesn’t want to go to work. From being a personality, we look at our job more as a job than artists do. Because being a personality means being on. Also haha, I can do a hell of a drop!
RubyHornet: Karmaloop recently announced they will be starting a cable station, with Pharrell as the Creative Director. This looks like it can be a game changer in the industry, but being an expert in the TV & music world, what are your feelings on this news?
Amanda Diva: Well I did a show for Karmaloop in 2007, and just as a team, I will say Greg Selkoe is a real stand-up guy and they are really about doing good quality stuff over there. So it would make sense that they would keep that trend, but what ends up happening is money talks. So the good thing is, when you have Selkoe and Pharrell, both of whom I know and I can vouch for as individuals who really love quality s**t, the question becomes marrying that high sensibility of dopeness, with the low sensibility of respect for dopeness that’s been going on franticly in the money making sources of entertainment these days. So its going to be a doozie to find a compromise in that middle ground for the masses, and we’ll have to see how that plays out. But I think if anyone has the ability to do that it would be them.
RubyHornet: I feel with artists like Big K.R.I.T, Freddie Gibbs, & Kendrick Lamar we are seeing more people become fans, and they are appealing to a wider audience now. It’s almost like a do or die situation to see if we can get the masses involved in the movement. Do you feel these artists, or any other new artists, have the ability to appeal with the company’s support?
Amanda Diva: See the problem is you have them, but then you see Kreayshawn get a million dollar deal with Sony. So you’re just like, ‘Damn? Really?’ Like these cats have put out so much material and it is so awesome, but here we have this situation. And someone was definitely like ‘oh you’re being a hater,’ and I’m like, ‘get out of here, this sh**t is trash.’ And people want to say you’re hating, but it’s not even about her. It’s about the folks who enable it. It really says a lot about our society’s respect for entertainment and artistry, and how ridiculous it has become. That’s why when I was in Europe I felt good about making music again, because I felt like, here we are in a society over there where they really do respect talent, and real quality artistry in a way that we don’t over here. Cause you know what she got signed for? She got signed for her swag. She didn’t get signed for her skills. And then we sit here and talk about it and we’re called haters, but it’s important though that the folks who do support Gibbs, K.R.I.T, and myself and Kendrick Lamar, support us just as hard as the folks who support the other mess.
RubyHornet: You announced Diva Speak TV will be back! Great news, why have are you bringing it back now?
Amanda Diva: A couple things. I’ve really been working on increasing my visibility comedy-wise, and I’m working on this show with Nick Cannon right now and I want to keep my chops up. So it was like ‘where can I do that?’ but it’s like ‘you had somewhere to do that.’ That’s one. And two, people have been asking me about that over and over again… (On cue, the producer of Diva Speak TV is on the other line).
So I was just on twitter and I said ‘hey, y’all want me to bring back Diva Speak TV? Find me a videographer and editor who can do it for free.’ And I had a number of responses! I was like ‘get out of here!’ Twitter wins again. So now I have a team, and I’ve decided that we need to do it in front of an audience. So even if it’s in a conference room, we are doing Diva Speak TV in front of an audience, build it up and get it crackin. I’m a fan of bringing things back, and if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and if it’s awesome throw some rims on it, and it will make it better.
RubyHornet: To build off of that, you have always sort of been in your on route. You never really had management or a label backing you as a musician and you are a painter, comedian, actress all really by yourself. Do you sort of feel there is an importance in a team?
Amanda Diva: Don’t get me wrong, there is always an importance in a team, don’t get me wrong. But you have to have the right team. I’ve had people come through over the years, but if your f**kin up my s**t then you ain’t really on the team. And man, it’s a lot to keep up with. I don’t blame folks for not having the stamina. But I expect efficiency, and if you’re not, then you’re going to hear my mouth. A lot of people don’t want to be held accountable for their inefficiency. Especially in the music industry, where unaccountability and inefficiency is the most stylish s**t out. But at this point I have a very clear trajectory of what I need to do. Really defining myself as a Renaissance women, not as someone who is fragmented, cause a lot of people might not have seen the whole picture over the years. At this point though, there are a number of people who are helping with that vision, and so far so good. I’m so excited about everything going on. I made a deal with myself that I am going to go ridiculously hard for six months, and you will see the results you want, that is what I said to myself and what I’m going to do.
RubyHornet: What are your plans now for the summer, I see you have some DJ dates lined up, will you be touring at all?
Amanda Diva: Na, I mean, with the music I don’t even know. I just do it, throw it out there and see what happens. As for the painting, I’m starting to hold private art parties in my home like once a month throughout the summer, where I turn my crib into a gallery. So I’ll be showing my work along with others that I really rock with. And I’m working on this other project called Painting in the Park where me and other artists basically set up shop in the park, and kids come and we’ll have materials for them to get busy. That is something that I think is going to be really dope. I have a promo for this song I did called Trendsettas where I did that and you see the kids that are memorized by me standing there painting. That really inspired me to be like,’ there needs to be more of this.’
As far as the DJing, I’ve really been lucky to be embraced so quickly, because folks look at my credibility and history and say ‘yeah this makes sense.’ Whereas a lot of folks are picking up Serato and people are looking at them like ‘who the hell are you to be randomly djing?’ So I did secure a weekly at a lounge called Apartment 78, and that’s like a personal triumph, like ‘Yay I have a weekly!’ It will be nice to be in one place every week where people can come and hear what I do. I really don’t like playing that new new stuff, I’ve always been an old soul where I like playing classic records. The djing, it’s just so fun. It’s a way for me to feel connected still, when I’ve felt a lot less connected. So gigging, doing a lot of different stuff, trying to add to my credentials as a taste-maker.
