By the age of 15, Diam's had made a name for herself on the burgeoning rap scene in the Paris suburbs, rapping with various posses such as Instances Glauques in Bagneux. Despite the fact that the scene was dominated by male rappers and machismo reigned largely unchecked, Diam's managed to carve out a place for herself as a talented young 'rappeuse.'

Meanwhile, Diam's had made the acquaintance of another prominent figure on the local rap scene: rap composer and producer Black Mozart. It was thanks to Black Mozart that Diam's was finally able to launch a professional career (even as she struggled to make ends meet, earning a paltry income from various odd jobs). Working in close collaboration with Black Mozart, Diam's went into the studio to record her début opus, "Premier mandat." The album, released on the independent label Reel Up in 1999, featured a host of guest stars including Americans DV aka Khrist and Heather B and French talent Mr R., Driver and Vibe. Despite the prestigious guest credits, "Premier mandat" failed to take off with the record-buying public and proved to be a big commercial flop.

Undeterred by this setback, Diam's soldiered on with her career. She continued to make her mark on the French rap scene, which was slowly beginning to open its doors to other female artists. Meanwhile Diam's, the ex-tomboy, matured into womanhood, feminising her image while maintaining her street cred and winning respect from her peers. She took another major step forward in her career, too, teaming up with a manager by the name of Choukri.

In 2000, Diam's went on to record a cover of "Saïd et Mohamed," a song by her childhood idol Francis Cabrel. The track was featured on the compilation "HipHopée." Diam's also went into the studio with another leading French 'rappeuse,' Lady Laistee and recorded the acclaimed duet "Un peu de respect." Another major collaboration of this period was when Diam's teamed up with Kanmouze and Jongo Jack on the song "Promise."

Meanwhile, Diam's reputation was spreading thanks to various appearances on other people's albums and performances on local radio stations where she took part in improvised rap sessions which were broadcast live. In 2001, Diam's featured on the "Original Bombattack" compilation (named after a show on the station Générations 88.2). Her contribution, "Suzy," made an impressive impact on the rap scene and shifted her up a notch in her career.

By 2002, Diam's had emerged from the rap underground on to the mainstream and this new status was confirmed when she was offered a recording contract with a major label, EMI, in April of that year. Diam's went straight into the studio to record a two-track vinyl (featuring "Pogo" and "1980"), but the release of her forthcoming second album was cancelled owing to internal wrangling at EMI. Diam's second opus, "Brut de femme", was finally released on the Hostile label on 27 May 2003. Diam's follow-up album was more openly autobiographical than the first, the feisty young 'rappeuse' tackling themes close to her heart such as marital violence, absent fathers and women's status in the suburbs. The album proved to be a hit with the record-buying public, selling 250,000 copies. But it was the single "DJ" which really catapulted Diam's to the top of the charts. The single went on to become the major summer hit of 2003 and sales quickly topped the 700,000 mark. Diam's teenage fanbase expanded even further when she appeared on the soundtrack of the cult French film "Taxi 3" later that year.

On 20 October 2003, Diam's performed her first show at a major Parisian music venue, L'Elysée Montmartre. A few weeks later, on 20 January 2004, the feisty young 'rappeuse' went on to perform at another famous music spot, Le Bataclan. Meanwhile, Diam's was winning increasing critical recognition for her work. On 28 February 2004, France's favourite female rapper walked off with a coveted "Victoire de la musique" award for Best Rap/Hip hop Album of the Year. Diam's burgeoning solo success did not mean she abandoned her collaboration on fellow rap stars' projects. In April 2004, she guested on Kery James's album, "Savoir et vivre ensemble." She also appeared on an album by Layone and "Algérie solidarité" (a fund-raising compilation for victims of the Algerian earthquakes in 2003). On 13 May, Diam's made a personal visit to Algeria to perform a concert in Algiers. Following her album success and her "Victoires de la Musique" award, Diam's found herself in growing demand on the festival circuit. She brought the house down when she performed at the "Rencontres Méditerranéennes" in Béziers in May 2004 and got an equally enthusiastic reception from the audience when she appeared at the Ebony Festival in Dakar in June. Continuing her whistlestop schedule, Diam's went on to appear at the "Francofolies" in la Rochelle and the Paléo festival in Nyon (Switzerland) in July. On 3 November 2004, a special 'soirée' was organised for the launch of Diam's first live DVD.

In February 2005, Diam's appeared on a compilation entitled "Illicite projet", starring alongside the 'crème de la crème' of the French rap movement (including 113, Ministère Amer and Disiz la Peste).  After this, she shut herself away for a while and began work on material for her third album. In December, Diam's was back in the music news thanks to DJ Dimé who released a retrospective, "Les 10 ans d'une Diam's", featuring remixes of the female rapper's hits as well as lesser-known songs and rarities.

With her third album not yet in record stores, Diam's hit the live circuit again in January 2006, for a mini "pre-tour", playing eight dates in France. Her album "Dans ma bulle" was finally released on 6 February and shot straight to the top of the French charts. Mining the same rich vein of inspiration as her second album, "Dans ma bulle" cemented Diam's reputation as a major star. Just as she had on "Brut de femme", Diam's revealed her true identity on her new album, celebrating her roots as a girl from the high-rise suburbs on the song "Ma France à moi." She also raised topical issues such as suicide on the track "TS." Diam's third album also contained a few more upbeat tracks such as "Jeune demoiselle", on which the 'rappeuse' tackled lighter material such as boyfriend problems. The first single release from the album was a song entitled "La boulette."

The album proved to be a phenomenal success almost from the moment it hit record stores. Within a week of its release, "Dans ma bulle" had positioned itself firmly at the no.1 spot in the best-selling albums chart in France with sales topping 50,000. By the end of February, "Dans ma bulle" was the best-selling album out of 200 in France. Apparently not satisfied with having her songs broadcast non-stop on the French  airwaves, Diam's launched a television career, too. On 14 May she began hosting her own Sunday night show, "Télé Diam's", on the cable channel MCM. Mélanie worked as both presenter and editor on the show, giving her own take on the weekly music news.

A few days after her TV debut, Diam’s performed at the Olympia, in Paris, on 26 May, filling every seat in the house. On 22 June, the second single release from her album, "Jeune Demoiselle", confirmed her chart-topping success. In the midst of an extensive tour, which included dates across France, Switzerland and Belgium, Diam's was contacted by Motown. The legendary American label offered her a job as artistic director of its French division, asking her to scout out the hottest up-and-coming French talents of the moment.

Diam’s accepted the job, but still found time to assure a hectic schedule at that summer’s festivals, where audiences sang along to the chorus of her hit "La Boulette" with great gusto. Needless to say, the young ‘rappeuse’ brought the house down at Solidays (Paris), the Francofolies (La Rochelle), the Festival des Vieilles Charrues (Carhaix) and the Paléofestival (Nyon, Switzerland).

July 2006