The Most Fun Facts About Rapper Saweetie, From Her Unique Food Cravings to How She Got Her Name

Bennett Raglin/Getty Saweetie

Although Saweetie's rap game is a crucial element that drives her wildly successful music career, it's just one of the many layers that make up this multi-talented superstar.

The 28-year-old rapper has taken the music industry by storm since the release of her debut single "Icy Girl," and her creativity, rhymes, and verses continue to bring the heat. And she's reached such superstar status that she'll be taking the stage as host of the MTV EMAs on Nov. 14. But let's take it "back to the streets" to where it all began for the Bay Area native.

At just 14 years old, Saweetie discovered her passion and dreamed of becoming a performer. It wasn't until she posted a clip of her freestyle "Icy Girl" over Khia's "My Neck, My Back" from her car on Instagram in 2016 that she became an overnight sensation.

RELATED: Saweetie Says 'We All Bleed the Same' as She Addresses Homophobia in Rap: 'We're All Equal'

Erika Goldring/Getty Saweetie

"It definitely didn't happen that quick, and I've had this dream since I was 14 years old, so that was a while ago," she told Billboard. "So the fact I was able to have all this success right now just means everything to me. It really helped me become the quote-unquote 'hot rapper' in social media."

As a victim of videos-gone-viral, the rapper acknowledges the power social media had in launching her career. It wasn't until Max Gousse, a well-known A&R executive and producer, saw her post and signed her with Warner Records that led to her becoming one of today's top female rappers.

Since then, she landed her first top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Tap In" in 2020, and has gone on to work with artists like G-Eazy, Dua Lipa, DaBaby, and Post Malone. Earlier in the year, her single "Best Friend," in collaboration with Doja Cat, went platinum six months after its release.

RELATED: Everything to Know About the MTV EMAs on Nov. 14

Just when you thought you knew everything about the ice queen and self-proclaimed "baby hair princess," think again! From how she got her name, to her favorite (and unique) food concoctions, here's every fun fact you need to know about Saweetie.

She's always been a real 'Saweetie'

Her birth name is Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, but Saweetie is her stage name – and the meaning behind it is, well, sweet! She chose it because growing up, her grandmother used to call her by that name.

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"My nickname growing up was Saweetie because that's what my grandma called me, and it's crazy that her pet name became my stage name. She called me that because I'm her sweetie," she told E! News.

She finished college before fame.

Prior to pursuing a rap career, she went to the University of Southern California (after transferring from San Diego State), and studied communications and business. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 2016. "Being educated is fly," Saweetie told her the Daily Trojan, the USC newspaper in 2019.

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The performer has always had hustle and drive, something that was recognized by her professors during her time in college. Her business professor, Albert Napoli, said of the rapper, "I see a lot of dreamers and not a lot of doers. Diamonté is definitely a doer." He added, "She's a rare breed. She is the epitome of what you need to become a success."

She used to work in a strip club.

The college graduate spoke out in an interview with The Shade Room about the misconceptions commonly associated with strip clubs and the women who work at them: "I think people have a misconception of strippers, and the reason why I say that is cause I used to work at the strip club myself." She went on to say that her time there has made her more committed to uplifting other women.

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She has unique food cravings.

Saweetie's music isn't the only content of hers that goes viral: Her videos documenting her food faves tend to blow up the internet. (Ranch-topped spaghetti, anyone?)

For much of 2020, the star gave an inside look at some of her top bites. One memorable one: o her YouTube channel, she shared an ASMR mukbang where she ate an astronomical amount of seafood; while on her Instagram Live, she ate oysters topped with lemon juice, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce – which she said were "so bomb."

And it paid off: She became one of the first celebrities to collaborate with McDonald's on a custom meal, which included her "Saweetie and sour" sauce.

Her cousin is Gabrielle Union.

Saweetie and her cousin Gabrielle have each other to lean on when it comes to navigating the entertainment industry and their super busy lives in the spotlight. Although they share these commonalities, the rapper wishes she grew up during the time Union did.

"I love when she [Union] compares this industry I'm currently in to when she broke in and the difference is just – for one, they had more privacy," Saweetie told Access. "At times I feel like I was born in a different time period because I love my privacy and I wish I could have lived back then – when people actually respected people's space."

RELATED: McDonald's Swaps BTS for Saweetie in Latest Celebrity Meal — and They Renamed a Sauce After Her

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The two frequently engage on each other's social media pages. Union is always sure to support her cousin through comments and likes on Instagram. She even explained their relation in a tweet.

Her mother was in the music industry, too.

Before welcoming daughter Saweetie when she was 17, Trinidad Valentin worked as a model and has appeared in widely-known music videos for hip-hop icons in the early 2000s. Saweetie revealed in season 2 of her YouTube series, "The Icy Life," that she was featured in Nelly's "Ride Wit Me" and DMX's "What These Bitches Want."

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Although the "My Type" rapper comes had some "ins" in the industry, she says she really wanted to make it on her own merit. "I believe in being self-made and trying to figure things out on my own," she said in an interview with Desus & Mero. "I've always been self-motivated. So, instead of asking for help, I just wanted to see if I could do it on my own."

She has acting credits.

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Saweetie isn't just a musician: She made her acting debut in season three of Freeform's hit series Grown-ish, in which she played the character Indigo. This role was in the hip-hop star's comfort zone because Indigo was a rapper, who hires Zoey Johnson (Yara Shahidi) as her stylist.

"It was brought to me. They asked me if I was interested, and I said, 'Hell yeah.' It was a no-brainer for me," she said to Complex. "So immediately I hired an acting coach ... and we prepared for the role."