Rapsody has returned with a motivational new anthem titled “Dust To Diamonds,” which the Grammy-nominated lyricist will debut live at the ESPNW Summit in New York City on Wednesday (May 4).
The North Carolina rhymer dropped the track to honor women’s triumph in sports as part of ESPN’s Fifty/50 Initiative, which strives to give women athletes the coverage they deserve. In collaboration with The Walt Disney Company, the initiative aims to elevate the conversation about equality by presenting content and experiences that show how powerful women are in sports.
“This track was created to honor some of the greatest women in sports, but also acknowledge the struggles they faced to succeed,” Rapsody said of the new song in a statement.
“Dust To Diamonds” is the first new bit of music Rapsody fans have gotten from her since she dropped off her Eve album back in 2019. Eve was regarded as one of the best albums of 2019 and featured appearances from J. Cole, Queen Latifah, JID, GZA, D’Angelo and more.
In an interview with HipHopDX, Rapsody touched further on the themes of women’s empowerment explored in “Dust To Diamonds,” and cited Aaliyah as an inspiration for all the ways women can be fierce.
“Being a woman and what’s sexy comes in all different forms, and it looks different in many different ways,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with showing your body, but there’s nothing wrong with being a tomboy either. There’s sexiness in that, too. To me, the best and most creative way that I could do it was to do it through Aaliyah. So, that’s why I chose her. She was one of my inspirations.”
Listen to “Dust To Diamonds” below.