Diamonique

Diamonique throws a mean mug but the California rapper insists she's not trying to be "one of the guys."

The self-proclaimed "Queen of the West Coast" says it's a good time to be a female in Latin hip hop: "I have a pretty good chance right now to represent, I just got to keep grinding." The grind began nearly a decade ago, when the Whittier-born, San Bernardino-bred Diamonique began channeling her love of 2Pac, Lauryn Hill and R&B singer Teena Marie into rapping and singing.

Diamonique now rolls with a "who's who" of Chicano rap – Mr. Capone-E, Down, Frost, Lil Rob – but you'll be hard pressed to find breezy oldies backdrops or chipmunk vocal samples on her 2004 debut, Diamond in the Ruff. Pounding tracks like Boom Bap, "Get it On," and "Nanana" suggest Diamonique leans closer to Missy Elliott than Mz. Krazie.

After touring in Hawaii and Japan in support of her debut, Diamonique is dropping a mix-tape, The Countdown, next month. Produced by Fingazz (Down AKA Kilo, LaLa, Melissa Lujan), the album should whet the appetites of those anticipating her forthcoming sophomore album, Queen of Da West.

See: myspace.com/niquemondia