Diamond D is a name that requires no introduction for many, yet at the same time the catalogue of his music as both rapper/producer may necessitate an entire history lesson for others. Much like D’s collaborators—from members of the Diggin’ in the Crates Crew to OC and Ras Kass—he has attained the position that some may refer to as “most underrated.” It may all go back to his essence, Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop, when he introduced himself as the “Best-Kept Secret.” Despite never crossing over into mainstream Top 40 territory and a seven-year hiatus, word of his new album The Diam Piece showed much promise since it was D’s return to total control as a producer. While the 18-song compilation is not without flaws, it returns Diamond D to a position of importance as we witness the preservation of his own crisp sound.
While the project is presented as a compilation, it very much retains the tenets of an album. Songs such as the mellow yet lyrically sharp “Where’s the Love,” show Elzhi discussing the less glamorous side of the Rap life, “Thinking I should’ve listened when they suggested I learn a trade…Instead of dealing with promoters that are janky / Coming off a flight, try to be polite but I’m cranky / ‘Cause they didn’t pick me up, hotel far from swanky.” Between Pharcyde on the hazy “Hard Days,” which is about the everyday grind, and “Pain” featuring the stand-out combination of Chino XL and A.G., a real theme of blue collar musicianship is conveyed and what emerges is a portrait of Diamond, himself. Now in his forties, it seems that life has expanded beyond stunts and blunts, including moments of faith, fractured ego and self-doubt.
D’s production on the album is centered upon varied, melodic samples and the priority of the drum beat, as exemplified by songs like “We Are The People Of The World” and “Take Em Off Da Map,” that carry the spirit of school lunchroom cyphers. However, with the current heavy sounding styles inspired either by Trap or EDM, Diamond’s production—regardless of how focused it may be— lacks a certain dynamism. Instead, he favors a head-bopping groove that lulls the albums pace into a too comfortable third gear.
The Bronx producer/emcee makes nuanced choices here, as well. He enlists fellow producer/emcees like Pete Rock, Hi-Tek and Scram Jones, and they keep a certain consistency of sound that underwrites the project. D also places most guests in positions to flourish. Pharaohe Monch shines on the creatively raunchy “Rap Life,” offering, “I win unanimously, letting rounds off / In your face, because my mic is a magnum / See me and this chick, we go back like Cro-magnon / Man, we did it in the back of your Magnum / I said put them Lifestyles back, give me the Magnums.” And, take “We Are the People…,” Kurupt and Tha Alkaholiks would make for a successful collaboration in anyone’s imagination, yet few would imagine that Kurupt’s gang banging aggressiveness and Tash and J-Ro’s party antics would be used to make an idealistic peace anthem.
Diam Piece holds together for the same reason that its creator has done throughout the years, which can be found in the guiding principle of remaining true to one’s self. On “Jose Feliciano,” the beginning snippet say’s “I’m what the people want. I’ll never sound like nobody else. I ain’t going to do that to myself. I’ll sound like myself. Even if you don’t like it, it’ll be my fault…”
At 18 songs, D does have some diamonds in the rough. “187” featuring Guilty Simpson and Ras Kass offers grit, while “It’s Magic” features a high-handed verse from Evidence, and “Pump Ya Brakes” is a moment in the compilation, featuring three ample emcees of the female gender—Rapsody, Boog Brown, and Stacey Epps.
While it is clear that Diam Piece is not without it’s flaws, it is a successful return nonetheless and hopefully a foreshadowing of more to come.
Ya know, true heads rarely go off of rating systems or other opinions. Like ya pops, grandfather. We’re brand loyal and always go with the name that we can trust. We also know that artist like Diamond D or Redman or Edo. G have their best years behind them. So we know we are gonna get another Stunt, Blunts or
So what are the flaws you hater? Go listen to Young Wack or Lil Wack
I wasnt done postin (I hit the wrong button) Anyway:
Dare iz a Darkside. Were still gonna cop it cause were die hard fans of the artist and the culture and we appreciate them giving US sumthin new to put in the deck. Like I said, trueheads are brand loyal and support and will always supports the brand they grew up on and grew to love and trust.
Why would the writer of this review compare this man’s productions to EDM or Trap music???….The LP is fire…too many bandwagon artist flooding the music landscape….thanx for staying true to yourself and the essence of hiphop…flame spitters and dope beats #Fire
this album dookie
YO MAMA EAT DOOKIE
Lost all faith in hiphopdx reviews. Says the album has flaws and mentions EDM and Trap style music….wow…going back to listening to my “head – bopping groove” music.
THEY GAVE IT A 3.5 …WHAT MORE DO U WANT? U’D HAVE TO AGREE. I DON’T CARE IF IT’S DIAMOND D OR NOT. ITS A SOLID ALBUM. GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
hate to say it but.. BORING AS FUCK> dudes whining about hip hop is painful! no drive in the beats. guys trying to feel special by convincing themselves and others that they are the realest hip hop- all the album, when some of the most popular shit out now has better beats. hate a whole album about how real rap is superior- blah blah blah. weak beats on half the LP, average guest rappers and no edge. just a old granla feeling!!!!!!!
would much rather here :
DJ PAUL: A person of interest
DJ PAUL: for i have sinned
or some cam’ron shit- Boss of all bosses vol. 1-5
I FEEL SORRY FOR YOUR EARS
old granola feeling- haha
On first listen, the two strongest cuts are the singles: “Rap Life” and “Only Way 2 Go.” Those two beats are easily some of the best rap beats in a few years. They have a ton of soul. “Hard Days” is the other decent tune, but not quite as good as the two singles. The rest…. meh. I’ll cop the 3 I mentioned. Thanks Diamond!
Terrible review. What are the flaws of the album? Where is your argument?
THE ALBUM IS DOPE I LOVE IT ALL HATERS EAT A DICK WITH A SIDE OF LIL WANYE SHIT JUICE… REVIEW THAT
IT GOES TO SHOW HOW SHIT IS SO FUCKED UP NOW EVERYBODY IS STUCK ON MEDIA AND RADIO MANUFACTUER BULLSHIT THE POWERS THAT BE HAS REALY DONE THERE JOB AT BRAINWASHING PEOPLE INTO BELIEVING THAT WACK SHIT HIP IS THE BEST
“Much like Ds collaboratorsfrom members of the Diggin in the Crates Crew to OC and Ras Kass” – You do know that OC is a member of a DITC, right?
ditc, instant support
there were about 3 or 4 cuts on this album that i didnt really like out of 19, so all in all this was a banger by Diamond D. DX could’ve given it a 4, but a 3.5 is fair.
5
this is dope. for the real heads.
Dope shit
Maaaannn DX always get reviews fucked up…to a point I end up trying out whatever they say is wack and leave out what they say is dope.
This is Diamond D best album yet by a landslide, there is nothing out that compares to this album now, fucking reviewer had the nuts to say its Wack? proley started listening to rap post 2012 fucking hater is what you are. there is no flaws in this masterpiece so that nigga can review himself eating a dick basically. I mean what the fuck, you give fucking young thug good reviews over this album…u don’t know shit, these are the people that are steering Rap in the wrong direction giving out unqualified reviews. if I owned DX id fire this weak ass nigga. All I can say is thanks to Diamond D on that album – definite cop I have been waiting on it for months already and there is nothing I don’t like on this piece…super dope. ill be bumping this for years, reminds me of stunts blunts
That’s real talk – amen
This album sucks DICK. This is fuckin DIAMOND D we’re talking about here! SO WHY THE FUCK are the beats so garbage?! Shut up, dickrider!!!
The album is ridiculous. 4.5 out of 5 for sure. Production is air tight and the features are dope too. I agree with you.
Yo you got your wack reviews wrong. Dx hip hop point of view not relevant
WHERE’S THE LOVE??? GOOD TO SEE DIAMOND BACK AT IT!!!
An flaws on this album are few and far in between. In fact, this joint bumps from front to finish. There are some sick songs on this disc. 4.5/5
I WISH DIAMOND WOULDA JUST GAVE ALL THE BEATS OFF THIS ALBUM TO DOOM AND SAID “GO IN” AND CALLED IT OCTOBER BEER FEST AND DROPPED IT TODAY EXCLUSIVELY ON OLD GOLD CASSETTES WITH A BIG ASS PINK “NICE PRICE” STICKER ON THE FRONT FOR $8.99…
AAAAAH MAYBE I SHOULDNT’A SMOKED THIS…… KANE AT THE APOLLO TOMMORROW SO FUCK IT
lmao I concur
number #11 Hands Up #14 Its Magic and #15 The Game with Victor goin bonkers would have been quite buttery my retarded fren.
Album is dope,
Funny how ppl that dont know shit bout music
Got the nerve to say the album wack,
Dude should get fired on the spot.
This is one of the best albums released in 2014. DX dude who reviewed this doesn’t have a clue.
Are you deaf??
I agree
these hipsters allways rate unkown artists materal higher than it deserves. No drake no relevence
Shut the fuck up, you fucking loser. You have nothing better to do than come on sites and troll. Fuckin pathetic human being.
Delusional
PHYSICAL COPIES instrumental album needed ASAP Diamond…ITS MAGIC!!!!!!
i came up on the true school real hip hop. biggest d.i.t.c. fan around but this album is crazy flawed. sounds uninspired. beats are too slow in a lot of cases and songs are lacking intensity and are boring. a handful of o.k. songs mostly in the second half of album like pain with A.G. – you real rap d.i.t.c. dick riders sound stupid automatically and blindly praising this album. Showbiz and a.g. released the dopest shit of 2012 with mugshot music preloaded and the album. compare that to this album and diam piece gets blown away. weak guest spots too- only one d.i.t.c. rapper!!(a.g.)- what?cant include fat joe. if you praise weak shit just cause a legend produced it your not helping him realize he needs to step his game up. so better diamond! didnt like hatred, pasions and infidelity when it dropped way back either and his other albums like huge hefner are super hit and miss.show and a.g are y favorite real rap grooup of all time but if they were to put out some weak shitt i would put them on blast. complacent followers either have no knowledge of production and cohesive albums or your on some nostalgic dream island where everything your rap hero legends put out is automatically dope. thats soe robot shit. think for your selves. super let down by this awkward heap of sub par shitt.
The “real hip hop” fanbase is littered with robots. Sad but it’s come to this. Anyone talking about this album is perfect gets the side-eye from me.
You didn’t like the “Rap Life” beat? I thought that was the best beat on the album. By quite a bit. Too bad Monch fucked it up, lol
Pathetic R U HATIN on an artist just because his crew aint fully involved nobody starving he produced on their shit n didn’t flow on their tracks so what. this is his gift back to true fans & getting to wrk with artist he always wanted to lay his beats to vocals. Album is fire hate or love it. make up ur mind either move forward or move aside n let legends plant their seeds properly for others to water n feed off.. fukin selfish n stupid don’t know lyrics n don’t know music…
album is still weak.
I gave this album 4.5 out of 5. Do yourself a favor and cop the album. The production is ill and the features are off the chain.
features are off the chain? hahaha, what? old washed up alkaholiks, the pharcyde, fat joe, black rob, evidence ?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. and only one d.i.t.c. rapper on there. freddie fox is dope, phaoroh monch is on a song with a weak beat. kurupt is dope but the song is trash. a.g. and chino xl song is decent.
BOW DOWN TO YOUR TRUE SCHOOL RAP IDOLS YOU BLIND WORSHIPPERS!!!!!!!!!
i gave this album a 3/5. dont bore yourself to death
Fucked up review DX. This thang is easily 4.5.
I don’t get it……… some of these cats helped create that DIGGING IN THE CRATESOUND
not that bubble gum comerial ish time passes everything evolves but. Idk nodizrespect
If sorounding ppl u around has 2 effect u somewhat. Ihad higher hopes these skinny Jean/ Mohawk wearing babies have not heard what hip hop sbouldyzhould like then that gives birth to ymcm so on.. I’m not saying b stuck in da 90s/early 2000s it just don’t sound like himself.
But he dose still hold place in hip hop
4/5-Very Good
My favorite beat and vibe album of all time is stunts blunts and hip hop, and diamond actually used a sample I was fucking with on this album (great minds think alike)haha, but you can tell that he couldn’t put everything he wanted in some beats due to sample clearance or prices. So my listening experience kept telling me not something is missing but I wonder what they wouldn’t let him use in this song yell