[Interview] Rapper Diamond Talks Dating Soulja Boy, Why She Declined LHHA Reality Show + Making Amends With Lil Scrappy

This week, we sat down with 24-year-old rapper Diamond (real name Brittany Nicole Carpentero). The former Crime Mobb Atlanta native, who’s been romantically linked to rapper Soulja Boy, dished on everything–new music, why she feels ‘old’ in this male-driven industry, why she declined to do Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, what her relationship is like now with her ex-boyfriend Lil Scappy and why she loves Soulja Boy, but isn’t ready to be married. Check out the interview below.

Courtney Elaine: What are you up to right now?

Diamond: Working on my album…I’m about to drop The Young Life, which is my LP. I shot about three videos, and I drop one video tomorrow-called American woman. So I’m working on getting the visuals together. I’m going to do about 10 or 11 videos, in the mean time I’m working on my album.

CE: You were first introduced to us via Crime Mobb. How old were you when you first got started?

Diamond: I was 14.

CE: What was your biggest lesson since you’ve been in the industry for so long?

Diamond: I have a lot of lessons. But my biggest one is to make sure that you have a lawyer to look at your paperwork. We had a situation where, someone was stealing money from us and also there was a cease and desist on our project because at the time my management didn’t pay one of the writers who wrote on the album. We had no idea, we were touring, and so we had to sit out about 9 months until that actually got worked out. I think that it’s really important to make sure you have a lawyer. I know sometimes you can be eager to get the deal done, eager to get the money but it’s not worth it. So I would suggest that everybody get a lawyer.

CE: What’s your biggest challenge being a female rapper from the South?

Diamond: I think I’ve passed that challenge but I will speak for all the other female rappers. Just being a woman period, in the industry, in a man’s world, it’s really hard. For me, it’s overcoming things and showing that I can stand as an individual outside of Crime Mobb. And as a woman from the South, New York and the West coast are always known to run things in hip-hop. So I feel like I’ve actually overcame that. But it was a challenge because Southern artists aren’t really as lyrical so NY so it’s a bit challenge. But I think for me as Diamond, I don’t face that challenge.

Courtney Elaine: How does it feel to have this much longevity and be in the game this long?

Diamond: It’s a blessing. A lot of time I tell my manager, “I’m getting old now” you know when I turn 27, I got to stop and he’s like man “you still a baby”. But I guess because I’ve been doing it for so long that I feel older. Must people are just getting started. It’s a blessing.

CE: Okay I have to ask about your relationship. What’s the thing you love the most about Soulja Boy?

Diamond: That’s my best. We’re best friends. His ambition, his drive to challenge himself to take on other challenges not just musically. It’s him being a businessman and matching his brands with other things. I want to say he’s one of the first ones that initiated me to think on that level, when I started spending more time with him.

CE: So if he proposed to you tomorrow would you say yes?

Diamond: I’m not ready to get married.

CE: When do you think you’ll be ready?

Diamond: I came out of a 6-year relationship with Scrappy. I had so much responsibility, I’m kind of playing catch up now. I lost a lot of things. I’m blessed to still have so much accomplished but I could be a lot farther. I made those mistakes and I wasn’t mentally prepared but I do want to get married when it’s the right now. I’m not going to say oh when I’m 30. A lot of time when you put time limits on things, you get disappointed when it doesn’t happen or expectations. It doesn’t go the way you want it go it, it kind of messes with you. SO I don’t want to say when I’m 29, when it’s right. But at this present moment I’m not ready.

CE: How’s your friendship with Scrappy now? Are you guys friends?

D: I haven’t seen him.

CE: You would think after having a relationship with someone for so long that you could finally be friends.

Diamond: That’s the same thing I said. It is what is it. I’m not looking to be his friend; I don’t want to be his friend. At some point we need to make amends. I’m to the point now, because I know at one point he was trying to reach out, and I was still angry from a lot of things that happened in the past. I think I’m to the point now where I could…

CE: Sit down and have that conversation?

Diamond: yes. There should be no reason why we can’t be in the same room without you having a good time and me having a good time. So now that I’m 24, I see that differently. I don’t think how I was thinking when I was 18 or 19. Hot headed and crazy.

CE: We heard that you might be on a reality show. We know that you can’t confirm but you were supposed to be on it before (Love & Hip Hop). Why’d you decide not to do it?

Diamond: I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I don’t like to go into things blind. It’s weird. Because God is really dealing with me. I know that having faith, you have to step out sometimes and trust that, whatever you do, whatever decisions you make, whether it’s a bad one or not, he’ll turn around and make it into something positive. So now that I realize that. But at that point, I was a loose cannon. So anybody that would have came at my any kind of way, or if I won’t have reacted the way that I wanted to, I’m still an artist. So I didn’t want to do anything to temper my brand. Now I’m calmer, I think. I still have a temper but I think before I get mad. I think in a political way. As women we’re so emotional. But as man, they cannot get along with someone but still get this money together. So that was a combination of things and I didn’t really have the control to, have a lot of say so in my image.

CE: If you wanted to do it now, what would be your motivation?

Diamond: I think that its time for other woman that are struggling to be independent in a man’s world, no matter if it’s in music, fashion, a 9-5 corporate job, I think it’s important for them to see the challenges I face. And especially me overcoming those challenges and those I haven’t overcome. It’s important for them to see my family. Some of the family members that may be dysfunctional. If it’s in a light to where it’s truthful and innocent because that’s what it is, I know that things will have to be twisted, I’m clue with that. But I’m to the point now where I know that I have a brand and it’s certain things that have to be protected. And if they’re not protected, I’m not doing it period. But if it is protected, it is something that I might consider doing it. I keep hearing I should do it, so maybe I should think about it for a minute.

Check back tomorrow for part 2 of the interview where Diamond dishes on living in LA, her relationship with Tiny and her favorite things!

[Courtney Elaine]