Saweetie Almost Quit Rapping: "I Started Going On Job Interviews For Hospitals"

BY Erika Marie 14.9K Views
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Saweetie
Her family stood by her, no matter what she chose to do.

Before she became the "My Type" hitmaker, Saweetie was just Diamonté Harper from the Bay Area. She drifted down to Southern California when she attended college, landing at USC where she studied communications and business. However, upon graduating, Saweetie decided that she wanted to leap into the music industry and make rapping a career and not just a hobby.

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She talked about the move on FUSE TV's series Made From Scratch. In an episode that's set to air next Tuesday, Saweetie, her aunt, and her grandmother got together in the kitchen to cook up gumbo and cornbread—a tradition that the women have carried on for years. In a clip of their forthcoming episode, the ladies chatted about Saweetie almost giving up on her dreams.

"I don't know what I would be doing without someone like my grandma in my corner," the rapper said. "I'm not conscious about being classy. I'm not conscious about being smart. I think I was just bred that way." 

Her aunt chimes in that Saweetie shared with her family that she had rap star aspirations, but her career wasn't launching as quickly as they thought. "She calls me, she's like, 'Auntie, I wanna find a job.'" Saweetie adds, "I started going on job interviews for hospitals and I was lying on my application." Her grandma said she knew that Saweetie was only doing it to "make us happy."

"They would offer me these positions, and right before I would agree to be hired, or whatever it was, my heart just didn't feel right," the rapper said. She told herself "Imma go hard for a year, and if it don't work out, Imma go back to the Bay and I'll just live with my family and figure it out." Her grandmother concluded that the moral of the story is to "follow your dreams." Watch the clip of Saweetie cooking up some soul food with her family below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.