“Manicures and pedicures, I’m always tip-top/ When they say I’m not hot, all these lies need to stop.” When the confidence-boosting hit “Icy Grl” dropped in 2017, I couldn’t attend a party without hearing those lines over Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” beat, shouting them alongside the other Black women in the room. You couldn’t escape the bad bitch vibes from Bay Area rapper Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, more commonly known by her stage name Saweetie. With her debut single, the then 24-year-old made her way into the mainstream hip-hop scene and hasn’t let up since.
Saweetie brings that confident energy and playful personality to everything she does, whether it’s a booty bouncing bop with another woman artist, like Doja Cat in “Best Friend,” or one of the comedic skits she posts on Instagram. She barely takes any days off when it comes to her glam, too. Just take a quick scroll through her social media, and you’ll see several examples of the star stunting in a brand-new outfit and expertly-blended wig, complete with a set of lengthy acrylics.
Indeed, nails are Saweetie’s thing. She ensures that her foot is firmly planted on our necks with each manicure she shows off, constantly giving us new beauty inspiration to bookmark. She embodies the history and legacy of innovative nail art from legends like Flo Jo all the way to the everyday Black women walking around with popping manicures. She combines her modern aesthetic with that ’90s and 2000s flair in the many nailfies she shares with fans. (Her secret: Good lighting and a sleeve that complements the nail color.) Her love for long, blinged-out talons has landed her a spot as the latest ambassador for Sinful Colors. The brand is known for its affordable and brightly-colored nail polishes and nail accessories, like its trendy press-ons line Claws. It’s clear to see why it picked the Icy Girl to help curate its new products.
We chatted with the rapper via Zoom to dig deep into her love of nail art, the funny way she discovered gel nail polish, and what fans should expect from this partnership.