| Diam's | |
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Diam (on the left) prepares for a jump |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mélanie Georgiades |
| Also known as | Diam's or Diamant |
| Born | July 30, 1980 |
| Origin | Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Genres | French Hip-Hop, R&B, hip hop soul |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Hostile, EMI |
| Associated acts | Sinik |
| Website | www.diams-lesite.com |
Diam's (born Mélanie Georgiades on July 30, 1980 in Nicosia, Cyprus) is a French-language rap artist of French and Greek Cypriot origin. Her family moved to Essonne (near Paris) in 1984.
In 1998, when she was just 18, Diam's signed a development deal with BMG Music Publishing France. With the publisher's help, Diam's worked on her craft and signed with Universal Records in 1999. She appeared in a song on DJ Mehdi's 2002 album "(The Story Of) Espion".
2003's Brut de Femme was her breakthrough, reaching gold and spawning the top 10 single "DJ." In concert at the 2004 Dour Festival in Belgium, people threw objects at Diam's when she began singing. In 2005, she cemented her importance as a songwriter with "Ma Philosophie" -- a huge number one hit for Pop Idol star Amel Bent.
In 2005, she collaborated with Indonesian singer Anggun for her song "Juste Être Une Femme" (Just to be a Woman), which is featured on the French version of her current studio album Luminescence.
Dans Ma Bulle (Inside my Bubble) was released in February 2006, debuting at number one on the French album chart selling 50,000 copies in its first week. Diam's first single from Dans Ma Bulle, La Boulette (The Moron) gained immense popularity and airtime. It stayed at number one on the French music charts for 6 consecutive weeks. Her second single Jeune Demoiselle debuted at #4. Ma France à moi and Confessions nocturnes with Vitaa also proved to popular. Dans Ma Bulle went on to be the biggest-selling French album in France in 2006 and reached diamond status (1,000,000 copies sold). Diam's won the award for Best French Act at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards.
In October 2009, The young Rapper has converted to Islam and adopted a black covering and hijab, explaining to the French Press, “Medicine was not able to heal my soul, so I turned toward religion.”
Diam's is known for her political activism in both her lyrics and her public persona; she is a fierce opponent not only of extreme-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter Marine Le Pen, but also of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. In this respect she has been compared to the French rapper Keny Arkana, an anti-globalization activist.
She is also known for her close relationship to French rapper Sinik; they have referred to one another as "brother and sister" and have collaborated extensively. She also has collaborated and appeared with Admiral T, the reggae-dancehall singer.
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| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |||
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| FR | FR (DD)1 | BEL (WA) | SWI | ||
| 1999 | Premier mandat |
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| 2003 | Brut de femme[1] |
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| 2004 | Ma vie / Mon live (Live album)[2] |
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| 2006 | Dans ma bulle[3] |
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| 2009 | S.O.S.[4][5] |
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| FR | FR (DD)1 | BEL (WA) | SWI | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | "DJ" (music video directed by J.G Biggs)[6] |
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| 2003 | "Incassables"[7] |
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| 2004 | "Évasion" (Diam's feat. China)[8] |
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| 2006 | "La boulette (Génération nan nan)"[9][10] |
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| 2006 | "Jeune demoiselle"[11][12] |
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| 2007 | "Ma France à moi"[13] |
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| 2009 | "I am somebody" |
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| 2009 | "Enfants du désert"[14][15] |
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| 2010 | "Coeur de bombe"[16] |
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| 2010 | "Peter Pan" |
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| 2003 | "Un peu de respect" (Lady Laistee feat. Diam's)[17] |
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| 2003 | "Promise" (music video directed by J.G Biggs) (Kamnouze vs. Diam's feat. Jango Jack)[18] |
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| 2004 | "Relève la tête" (Kery James feat. Diam's, Passi, Matt & Kool Shen)[19] |
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| 2006 | "Les mains en l'air" (Admiral T feat. Diam's)[20] |
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| 2006 | "Non c'sera non (omri omri)" (Cheb Mami feat. Diam's & Leslie)[21] |
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1 Digital Downloads
| Year | Award-giving Body | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Victoires de la Musique | Rap/hip-hop album of the year (Brut de Femme) | Won |
| 2006 | MTV Europe Music Awards 2006 | Best French Act | Won |
| 2007 | NRJ Music Awards | Francophone Album of the Year (Dans Ma Bulle) | Won |
| 2007 | NRJ Music Awards | Francophone Female Artist of the Year | Won |
| 2007 | NRJ Music Awards | Francophone Song of the Year (La Boulette) | Won |
| 2007 | NRJ Music Awards | Music Video of the Year (Jeune Demoiselle) | Nominated |
| 2007 | L'Année Du Hip Hop | Best Song (La Boulette) | Won |
| 2007 | L'Année Du Hip Hop | Best Rap Artist | Won |
| 2007 | L'Année Du Hip Hop | Best Album (Dans Ma Bulle) | Won |
| 2010 | NRJ Music Awards | Francophone Album of the Year (S.O.S.) | Nominated |
| 2010 | NRJ Music Awards | Francophone Female Artist of the Year | Nominated |