About
IAMDDB, born Diana Adelaide Rocha De Brito, is an Angolan British singer, rapper, songwriter, producer, and performer whose self-described Urban Jazz blends jazz, hip-hop, trap, R&B, soul, and global musical influences.
Biography
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Diana Adelaide Rocha De Brito moved with her family to Manchester as a young child and grew up strongly connected to the city. Raised in a musical household, she began writing songs at an early age and developed her artistic practice through singing, songwriting, performance, and production. In 2015, she spent several months in Angola performing jazz with her father’s band, an experience that helped shape her decision to pursue music professionally.
She adopted the name IAMDDB, derived from I Am Diana De Brito, and began releasing music independently in the mid-2010s. Early projects including Waeveybby, Vol. 1, Vibe, Volume 2, Hoodrich, Vol. 3, and Flightmode, Vol. 4 established her distinctive Urban Jazz sound. Her track "Shade" became a breakthrough release, bringing international attention to her work and leading to performances and tours alongside artists including Lauryn Hill, Bryson Tiller, and Jhené Aiko.
IAMDDB has continued to work across music, visual culture, fashion, and independent creative production. Her debut studio album, LOVE is WAR, Vol. 6, was released in 2024 and expanded her fusion of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, soul, trap, and other influences. Her work emphasizes independence, self-expression, feminine power, and cultural identity while drawing from her experiences between Manchester, Angola, Portugal, and the wider African diaspora.
BQW Impact
IAMDDB is significant to the BQW archive as a Black queer woman whose music centers self-expression, freedom, feminine power, and cultural identity while drawing from African, European, British, and diasporic influences. Her public identity as a queer artist and her documented relationships and affections involving women provide direct context for the queer dimensions of her artistic work.
Her genre-defying Urban Jazz approach also demonstrates the creative possibilities available to contemporary Black queer women in music. By combining jazz, hip-hop, trap, R&B, soul, and global influences while maintaining substantial creative independence, IAMDDB has developed a distinctive voice within Manchester’s music culture and the wider international Black music landscape.
Selected work
Vibe, Volume 2 (2017)
Project that further established IAMDDB’s fusion of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and soul.
Hoodrich, Vol. 3 (2017)
Breakthrough project featuring "Shade," which brought her international attention.
Flightmode, Vol. 4 (2018)
Follow-up project that expanded her international profile and developed her Urban Jazz approach.
Swervvvvv.5 (2019)
Project that continued her evolution of jazz, soul, R&B, and hip-hop influences.
LOVE is WAR, Volume 6 (2024)
Debut studio album presenting her evolving blend of soulful hip-hop, jazz, R&B, trap, and other influences.
Recognitions
BBC Music Sound of 2018, No. 3
Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards, Breakthrough Act, 2018
NME 100, Essential New Artists, 2018
Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe, Entertainment, 2019
DICE Live Award, Emerging Act nominee, 2018
Sources
Current official hub for music, projects, creative work, and booking information.
Artist discography and streaming catalogue covering her releases.
First-person interview covering her childhood, Manchester upbringing, Angola experience, and transition into professional music.
Profile discussing her Manchester roots, musical influences, and development of her Urban Jazz sound.
Profile documenting her inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list and her early international career.
Profile details
- Fields: Music
- Roles: Singing, Songwriting, Producing, Performance
- Pronouns: She/Her
- Gender Identity: Woman
- LGBTQ Identity: Queer
- Nationality: British
- Ethnicity: Angolan, Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Saudi Arabian
- Topics: Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul