LYRICS STILL MATTER: DIAMOND D
BRONX, NEW YORK | DIAMOND D
INTERVIEW INDIGO PHOENYX PHOTOGRAPH TOMMY NOVA
“HIP HOP IS NOT AN OLD OR A YOUNG THING. IF I SAY I DON’T LIKE THE MUMBLE RAP SHIT, THAT’S MY OPINION. I’M NOT A HATER. I JUST FEEL LYRICS STILL MATTER. AGE ISN’T A FACTOR. IF YOUR RHYMES ARE NICE, AND I SEE YOU PUT EFFORT IN YOUR SHIT THAT WILL APPEAL TO ME.“ - DIAMOND D
BRONX, NEW YORK NATIVE, DIAMOND D IS AN EMCEE AND HIP-HOP PRODUCER, AND ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE LEGENDARY DIGGIN' IN THE CRATES CREW (D.I.T.C.). HIS DEBUT ALBUM “STUNTS, BLUNTS AND HIP HOP” IS RECOGNIZED AS AN UNDERGROUND CLASSIC BY HIP-HOP HEADS. HIS PRODUCTION CREDITS INCLUDE THE FUGEES TITLE TRACK “THE SCORE” WHICH WON HIM A GRAMMY. WE RECENTLY SPOKE WITH DIAMOND D TO DISCUSS WHAT’S NEW IN THE D.I.T.C. CAMP, HIS LATEST PROJECTS AND MORE.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS FOR MAKING BEATS?
DIAMOND D: MY CREATIVE PROCESS VARIES BUT TYPICALLY I START WITH THE MUSIC FIRST AND THEN LAY THE DRUMS.
VALIDATED: NAME SOME PLACES YOU FOUND SOME SOLID GEMS WHILE DIGGING IN THE CRATES?
DIAMOND D: DENVER, PORTLAND, AND ORLANDO.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOUR TOP FIVE FAVORITE VINYLS?
DIAMOND D: “THE STARK REALITY”, “WHAT’S GOING ON”, “LIVE AT PJ'S”, “SONGS OF INNOCENCE”, AND “JAMES BROWN SEX MACHINE LIVE IN AUGUSTA”. THESE ARE FIVE ALBUMS THAT I CAN LISTEN TO IN ITS ENTIRETY.
VALIDATED: TELL US ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING PROJECT.
DIAMOND D: MY NEXT ALBUM I’M WORKING ON IS “THE BLAKE MOSES PROJECT”, IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE IT'S SOUND IT WOULD BE R&B OVER HIP HOP INFUSED BEATS. IT'S SET TO DROP THE END OF THIS YEAR AND IT FEATURES SINGER BLAKE MOSES.
VALIDATED: HOW DID YOU CUSTOMIZE EACH TRACK FOR “DIAMOND PIECE 2”?
DIAMOND D: LIKE AN A&R I TRIED TO CRAFT EACH TRACK FOR ARTISTS THAT WAS FEATURED ON MY ALBUM TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES.
VALIDATED: IF YOU CAN MAKE THE ULTIMATE ALBUM (SPARE NO EXPENSE) WHO WOULD BE FEATURED?
DIAMOND D: BEYONCE’, RIHANNA, AND JILL SCOTT.
VALIDATED: WE SEE YOU CREATING VISUALS, PLEASE EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VISUALS FOR THIS ALBUM.
DIAMOND D: THE VISUALS HELP CARRY THE LIFESPAN OF AN ALBUM ONCE IT HAS BEEN RELEASED ESPECIALLY A BOOM BAP ALBUM SINCE MOST RADIO STATIONS ARE NOT CURRENTLY PLAYING BOOM BAP MUSIC. VISUALS ARE ESPECIALLY ESSENTIAL TO ARTIST PUTTING OUT MUSIC INDEPENDENTLY.
VALIDATED: RECENTLY JEMAINE DUPREE MADE SOME COMMENTS THAT FUELED SOME HEATED DEBATES REGARDING FEMALES WITH SEXUALLY EXPLICIT LYRICAL CONTENT IN HIP HOP. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON FEMALES IN HIP HOP AS IT STANDS CURRENTLY?
DIAMOND D: TO EACH ITS OWN. IF YOU LIKE SOMETHING A LITTLE ROWDY AND RATCHET LISTEN TO CARDI B OR IF YOU LIKE SOMETHING WITH A LITTLE SUBSTANCE LISTEN TO RAPSODY.
VALIDATED: WHAT’S NEW IN THE DITC CAMP, ANY PROJECTS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR?
DIAMOND D: THESE TWO NEW ARTISTS, DAVID BARS FROM THE BRONX AND I’M WORKING WITH AN ARTIST NAMED SNOOZE FROM HARLEM.
VALIDATED: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ASPIRING ARTISTS AND PRODUCERS?
DIAMOND D: HIRE A LAWYER TO LOOK OVER ANYTHING BEFORE YOU SIGN IT.
VALIDATED: CAN YOU NAME FIVE ALBUMS THAT INSPIRED?
DIAMOND D: YES, WELL THE VINYLS I MENTIONED ARE THOSE ALBUMS. THE ARRANGEMENTS ON THEM MUSICALLY INSPIRED ME. I HAVE SUCH A VAST KNOWLEDGE OF RECORDS. MY FIVE COULD CHANGE ANY DAY. FOR NOW, “WHAT’S GOING ON” FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. “STARK REALITY” WAS MADE FOR A CHILDREN’S TELEVISION SHOW IN THE 70’S. IT WAS 40 YEARS AHEAD OF ITS TIME. EARLY HIP HOP CLASSIC JAMES BROWN. ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE “SONGS OF INNOCENCE”, DAVID AXELROD, 1969 CAPITOL RECORDS... A CRAZY ALBUM!
VALIDATED: DO YOU THINK HIP HOP RADIO GIVES A FAIR REPRESENTATION OF THE CULTURE AS A WHOLE OR DOES IT JUST CATER TO MAINSTREAM?
DIAMOND D: THERE SHOULD BE MORE BALANCE. IT MOSTLY CATERS TO MAINSTREAM HIP HOP. MOST BOOM BAP ARTISTS LIVE ON SIRIUS XM WHICH IS WORLDWIDE. WE WOULDN’T MIND BEING ON POWER STATIONS LIKE HOT 97 OR POWER 101 OR WHATEVER THE CASE. SOME RADIO STATIONS CLASSIFY LYRICAL HIP HOP AND BOOM BAP AS CLASSIC. SO THE MUSIC IS NOT PLAYED ON THOSE OUTLETS THAT CATER TO TRAP MUSIC.
VALIDATED: DO YOU THINK PAY TO PLAY IS THE ISSUE?
DIAMOND D: DEFINITELY. IF A DJ IS GIVEN $7,000 TO PROMOTE OR PUSH A SONG THEY’RE GOING TO DO IT. THEY ARE GOING TO USE THEIR PLATFORM TO PROMOTE WHO HAS THE BUDGET. SO THAT’S WHY LYRICAL PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY WON’T GET THAT EXPOSURE. PEOPLE WHO CAN FLY TWENTY DJ’S OUT FOR A LISTENING PARTY AND PUT THEM UP IN A HOTEL FOR A FEW DAYS ARE GOING TO GET THE PLAY.
VALIDATED: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF HIP HOP AS FAR AS TECHNOLOGY, SOCIAL MEDIA, ARTISTRY AND BUSINESS SAVVY?
DIAMOND D: AS FAR AS MUSIC, IT’S EVOLVED INTO SIMPLICITY. LYRICS TAKE A BACK SEAT. YOU KNOW WE’RE FROM AN ERA WHERE IF YOU DON’T WRITE YOUR OWN RHYMES, YOU WEREN’T A REAL EMCEE. MOST PEOPLE STILL AREN’T DOING PAPERWORK LIKE THEY SHOULD. THEY’RE NOT FOCUSED ON THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS.
VALIDATED: EARLY REPRESENTATION OF THE CULTURE ON THE TELEVISION WAS SCARCE AND NOT IN THE FOREFRONT LIKE IT IS TODAY. PLEASE ELABORATE ON THAT.
DIAMOND D: HIP HOP WAS ON VIDEO MUSIC BOX AFTER SCHOOL. YOU COULD SEE ALL THE DOPE VIDEOS FOR FREE ON UHF. HIP HOP WASN’T REPRESENTED ON NETWORKS LIKE MTV. POP, ROCK AND ALL OTHER MUSIC WAS PLAYED. MICHAEL JACKSON WAS BARELY PLAYED AT ONE TIME. THIS WAS EARLY MTV OF COURSE.
VALIDATED: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A MEMORABLE MOMENT OVERSEAS ON TOUR ?
DIAMOND D: JAPAN, ALWAYS JAPAN. THE WAY THEY LOVE THE CULTURE. THEIR HOSPITALITY IS GREAT. IF YOU’RE A DIGGER LIKE ME, THE RECORD STORES OUT THERE ARE DOPE. ASK WIZ KHALIFA WHY HE LIKES AMSTERDAM. YOU’LL KNOW WHY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. I LIKE AMSTERDAM TOO FOR THE SAME ONES.
VALIDATED: YOU CAN CREATE AND PRODUCE FOR A SUPERGROUP OF RAPPERS, WHO ARE YOU SELECTING TO JOIN YA CREW?
DIAMOND D: GOOD QUESTION. I WOULD SAY ALL THE DITC AFFILIATES GRAND PUBA, SADAT X, DAVID BARS, PARTY ARTY, D BLOW AND PHAROAH MONCHE. I KNOW I’M FORGETTING SOME NAMES BUT YEAH THAT WOULD BE IT.