A Diva is the Female Version of a Hustler

Diva (dē'və) n., pl. -vas or -ve (-vā).

1: an operatic Prima Donna.

2: a usually glamorous and successful female performer or celebrity, ex. a fashion diva; especially : a popular female singer , ex. pop divas.

[et. from Italian diva "goddess," from Latin diva (same meaning); feminine of dīvus, god] (Merriam-Webster Student Dictionary).

Contemporary artists like Beyoncé [Knowles...or Carter], Mariah [Carey], and Mary J. [Blige] have all paved the way for girls all around the world. These haute couture hotties are known for more than just their designer duds. They weren't always sittin' on top of the world.

Take Mariah Carey, for instance. She certainly wasn't born with a silver spoon. In her hit single "Make It Happen," off her sophomore album, Emotions, Mariah recalls a moment "not more than three short years ago" when she was "abandoned and alone without a penny" to her name. Sometimes she couldn't even eat. In the song, she encourages her listeners to believe in themselves with accompanied prayer, using personal struggle to get the point across. Today, she serves as an inspiration to us all, living proof that tough times don't last for long.

Frank Micelotta Photoshoot

June 12, 1990

Then there's Mary J. Blige, also known as M.J.B. the M.V.P. And she is the most valuable player, indeed. Mary J. is more than the just the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul (as if that weren't enough). She's a STORYTELLER. Many hip-hop artists glorify the conditions of inner-city living. She rose above it--the drugs, the poverty, domestic abuse. What didn't kill her only made her stronger (and who isn't glad for that). Never blinded by her success or jaded by her turbulent past, Mary J. Blige has always been and continues to be true to herself.

Last, but not least, we have Bee--not yours truly, but the [Queen] Bee, Beyoncé (duh). She has every reason to feel like she's that (oops!), now doesn't she? Beyoncé has reached a level of success that most of us can only dream of at the young age of 27. She's not even 30 yet for crying out loud! And already she has countless Grammy's and over 75 million albums sold under her belt! That's not even the half of it...I could go on, but I'd need a separate blog for that! Even so, all that glitters is not gold...Beyoncé has paid the price for her fame. On the brightside, every cloud has a silver lining--through it all, Beyoncé has still managed to come out on top!

Beyoncé at ABC Studio (2006)

So what do my three favorite ladies have in common?

Aside from the fact that the trio joined voices in 'Just Stand Up!', a fight for cancer....

Click on following link to see footage of this phenomenal collaboration

http://video.aol.com/video/just-stand-up-feat-mariah-carey-beyonce-mary-j-blige-rihanna-miley-cyrus-and-more/2301272

THEY'VE ALL POCKETED THE TERM 'DIVA'! "She ain't no diva!"

OH!! ...but they are...

Find out what makes a 'diva' a diva in the continuation, "A Diva is a Female Version of a Hustler, Part II."