Platinum hip-hop artist Saweetie has been a trailblazer since her breakthrough song “ICY GRL” dropped three years ago
Saweetie, born Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, is Filipina Chinese and African American. She has honored her diverse heritage by supporting Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate, amplifying issues that are unique to and shared by both communities through her influence.
From living paycheck to paycheck to smashing records on multiple streaming platforms, one thing has remained steadfast for the Bay Area native: her authenticity and commitment to her values. “I will never do anything to disrespect myself … no matter how desperate I get,” she told Teen Vogue in June.
Saweetie’s statement is partly resonant of her Asian upbringing. She describes her Filipino Chinese mother, Trinidad Valentin, as a “tiger mom” who, for one, forced her to rewrite her homework if her penmanship seemed sloppy. “She wanted straight A’s. Her disciplining me at a young age got me into the habit of achieving high goals,” Saweetie told Teen Vogue.
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Aside from discipline, Saweetie credits her mother for her love of food. “My mom likes everything. I kind of get my taste buds from her,” she told Thrillist.
Saweetie’s love for remixing food has become the latest feature for McDonald’s celebrity meals. Starting August 9, #TheSaweetieMeal, which features a Big Mac, a 4-piece chicken McNuggets, medium fries, a medium Sprite, and BBQ and the classic sauce specially renamed the “Saweetie ‘N Sour” sauce, can be ordered through the McDonald’s App, at participating McDonald’s or through McDelivery. McDonald’s will also be sharing more “Saweetie” surprises for Icy Gang over the coming weeks!
While some may not realize the fact that Saweetie is a mixed-race Asian, she believes her music will reflect more about herself.
“The fact that people still don’t know I’m half Asian is mind-blowing to me,” she told L’Officiel USA. “I think the more I share the more people will get to know me through my music.”
Aside from her music, Saweetie is gaining recognition as an advocate for Asian American issues. In May, she spoke against the rise in anti-Asian violence in time for the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. She has also performed with other AAPI artists for “See Us Unite,” a cultural campaign designed to accelerate impact and expand support for the AAPI community through solidarity and education.
“I think the more we talk about it, the more events we have, and the more we strive to raise awareness, we can slowly start to undo those strings of hate,” Saweetie told TMZ.
Feature Image via McDonald’s
This post was created by NextShark with McDonald’s.
