Amanda Diva

Wed., July 29, 9 p.m., $8, with Hezekiah, Muja Messiah and 8thW1, Silk City, 435 Spring Garden St., 215-592-8838, silkcityphilly.com.

by Holly Otterbein

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Published: Jul 21, 2009

hip-hop

Amanda Diva is an overachiever, but you wouldn't know it from listening to her new, laid-back album Spandex, Rhymes & Soul. That doesn't mean the student of Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and spoken-word poetry doesn't craft a good beat; in fact, they're nearly flawless. It's just that, as a former child star (on Nickelodeon's My Brother and Me), a painter, an MTV2 VJ, VH1 regular and online comedy show producer, you'd think her lyrics would be a bit more cocky — or stressed, at least. Instead, they're cool as a cucumber, socially insightful and funny. So you best not call her a diva.

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