St. Louis-born rapper Diamond Alexis Smith, better known as Big Boss Vette, is a force to be reckoned with, here to stay and make her mark in the world. After going viral on TikTok for her breakout hit Pretty Girls Walk, Big Boss Vette’s debut EP, Resilience, is balanced on a perfect duality between summer hits for hot girls, and confidence boosters for when the path you’re on is anything but straightforward.
“At the end of 2018, I promoted my CD. I opened for NBA Youngboy and it was like my CD was going crazy,” according to Vette, who cited this moment as the defining piece that truly got her to fall in love with rap music. “I didn’t know who knew my songs, so when fans started singing with me and overpowering my songs, it made me feel like I was supposed to be there.”
The road from there wasn’t the easiest, but she got through it, hence the title Resilience. Between exhausting gigs with fourteen-hour road trips, and almost abandoning her music career, there was a vast array of emotions that threatened to take her down. With sitting down with Big Boss Vette, one can see there is an air of relief that seems to be around her from radically embracing herself and all that is within her.
“This EP is so different and I’m showcasing my versatility,” according to Vette. “Lick the Cat is different, and I’ve never put out a song like that. But no matter what music I put out, I always put a little personality and my talent in it. I’m in a different headspace when I create all my songs.”
“My favourite is Get It because it’s speaking to my body. It’s just catchy, and it’s a great record,” according to Vette.
In 2022, Vette shot to popularity with her single Pretty Girls Walk, a song that people used as a hot girl anthem, which went viral on TikTok, boasting one million uses under its official sound. “It was hard to get into the game because people were judgemental,” Vette admitted. “Now you can do something small and go viral, then rap and become a hit. Everything can be posted and putting your song behind it will get it to go viral.”
“Whatever I’m doing, I’m always going to put my music with it. It’s like sending a secret message to stream Big Boss Vette.”
Despite all this, Big Boss Vette knows that music trends are forever evolving. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but we need to fix it before it breaks. I have been making raunchy music since 2019 and got the girlies moving. I wasn’t able to be on certain platforms because of what I was rapping about. Everything is not going to like your music.”
The shooting of the EP cover was her favourite part. “We were there for a long time with so many people who believed my craft was amazing.”
Behind Big Boss Vette posing on the cover is a letter she wrote to herself in tough times. “I lost everything I owned, including myself. I was in a dark place and didn’t want to go back to go. Started selling clothes, doing hair, doing 9-5s like Amazon. It was this feeling inside of me I could not shake, and I knew I was destined for greatness despite my situation. Instead of saying ‘Why me?’ I asked, ‘What is this teaching me?’ That is where my resilience kicked in.”
Big Boss Vette has a huge sense of hometown solidarity with St. Louis, Missouri. She managed to catch the attention of legendary producer and Spiderverse music connoisseur, Metro Boomin’, which landed her a spot on the soundtrack. “It feels amazing that people in my city know my name!”
It goes beyond her city and the role female rap plays in the current music industry. “They finally let us [women] in the door, and now we own the building. To be able to live in our era is hopeful,” Vette said. “I feel like we’ve been taking over, so when people try to pin us against each other, it makes us realize we are stronger together.”
When asked what she wanted fans to take away from this EP, Big Boss Vette said, “No matter how bad life gets, once you hit rock bottom, you can’t get lower. Just know that once you snap back, you can be a bad b**ch again. Never think you’re going to be in the same place, because things can change in the blink of an eye.”
Big Boss Vette is onto some big things. She sees herself in the next year, perhaps getting her own tour, a big role in a movie or show, or even going to the moon. “Anything can happen.”
The sky isn’t the limit for Big Boss Vette, but just another level to conquer.
Moonbow Magazine 