Thanks to her infectious breakout single "ICY GRL," Bay Area rapper Saweetie is one of the
most promising artists in the rap game right now.
The song went viral in 2017, propelling Saweetie to stardom and earning her praise from some
of the industry's hottest artists.
In just a matter of months after the song's release, she signed a record deal with Warner
Brothers and created her own label, Icy, which shows that she's definitely one to keep an
eye on.
But there's a lot more to the rapper than just her attention-grabbing single.
Let's dive in and explore the untold truth of Saweetie.
"Hey what's up, it's Saweetie the Icy Girl."
College grad
Given the many celebrities who've dropped out of school, it's become quite the trend
in the music industry to succeed without a degree.
Saweetie, however, earned her Bachelor's Degree in Communications and Business from the University
of Southern California in 2016.
She told Billboard,
"I originally wasn't going to go to college, though.
I missed the deadline for my dream school, USC.
[...] I chose San Diego State because they had the highest transfer rate to USC.
So I started there and after 2 years transferred to USC."
She told Interview magazine that she decided to, quote,
"...thug it out and get this degree [because] nothing was touching a USC diploma."
Staying positive
Saweetie wasn't always the "ICY GRL" we know and love today.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, she revealed that when she first wrote the
dynamic party anthem, she only had a few bucks to her name.
She added,
"I was disgusted with myself.
I went from being a hustler, working different jobs to renting rooms off Craigslist, and
I just wasn't happy."
Saweetie revealed that she wrote "ICY GRL" when she was sitting in her room, which only
contained a mattress, in an attempt to will everything she wanted into existence.
She told Billboard,
"I had a few dollars in my bank account, not going out, sitting in my room, and eating
a peanut butter jelly sandwich.
So what I had to do was stay positive, keep writing raps."
"I didn't have the resources.
So I was like I'm gonna just post my rap online, and someone's gonna see it.
And someone did."
She's a Barb
Every artist has that one musician who helped influence who they are and the style of their
music the most.
For Saweetie, that person was Nicki Minaj.
She explained to Billboard,
"When Nicki came out, she had great punchlines and was rapping about a bunch of different
stuff.
She reminded me of myself and I remember being a kid saying, 'I'm a barbie, too.'"
Saweetie revealed to Interview Magazine that it was Nicki's 2007 hit "Can't Stop Won't
Stop," that made her fall in love with her Trinidadian idol.
Independent woman
If you were hoping to see Saweetie boo'ed up anytime soon, it's probably not gonna happen.
"I haven't really been dating.
I'm really focused on myself.
And I feel like it's really early in my career, and I'd like to make sure all the attention
is on me."
Saweetie is hyper-focused on building her brand, and she has no time for the men in
the biz who have hidden agendas.
"When you're normally networking it's with men.
They claim they wanna help you and work with you.
But when it comes down to it, they wanna go on dates."
"I was trying to, like, get my music done and they had hidden intentions."
Role model
We've all heard stories of female hip hop artists being encouraged to pump up their
images to fulfill a stereotype, whether it's dressing provocatively, dancing seductively,
or penning mature lyrics.
But Saweetie has made it very clear that she's not into reducing herself to eye candy for
clout.
She explained to HipHopDX,
"I don't just show skin to show skin.
It's okay when other female rappers do it, however, that's just not my demeanor."
High maintenance
Though Saweetie might have gone through some tough times in the past, the bougie lifestyle
that she boasts about in her smash single has truly become her life on a day-to-day
basis.
="I've worn my Tory Burch sandals jet skiing."
She told Teen Vogue that her lifestyle is the reason she named her very first project
High Maintenance.
She told Billboard,
"I feel like when people see me, they can tell that I'm materialistic and I like keeping
myself up.
That's where [the title] comes from."
"I'm high maintenance baby."
However, she claims there's a deeper message behind it, and describes the close relationships
in her life as "high maintenance" as well, meaning she works hard to nurture them.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Nicki Swift icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!