American rapper Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper was given the name Saweetie on July 2, 1993. Trinidad Valentin and Johnny Harper, both of African origin, gave birth to Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper in Santa Clara, California. Trinidad Valentin has Chinese and Filipino ancestry. She was raised in Sacramento, California, and earned diplomas from Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove as well as Tracy’s Merrill F. West High School. When she was just 13 years old, she began writing songs.
She began studying business and communications at San Diego State University after high school before moving to the University of Southern California to complete her degree and obtain a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in communications.
She was signed to the label in 2017 following the release of her debut single, “Icy Grl,” by the Artistry Worldwide division of Warner Records. Max Gousse was her manager at the time.
In 2012, Saweetie started uploading rap videos on her Instagram account. She rapped in one video while the song “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)” by American rapper Khia, which later became “Icy Grl,” played. The song was posted on her SoundCloud in the summer of 2017 by renowned producer and A&R executive Max Gousse, which resulted in his hiring as her manager. The YouTube video gained popularity online and, as of June 2020, had 100 million views.
Is Saweetie South African?
Saweetie has Filipino, Chinese, and African-American ancestry.
