Diamonds, Diamonds & Diamonds

This Monday I will be starting a Hip Hop Workshop with 10^th graders at Ben Carson high school in Detroit. We will be focusing our first session on the song, “Diamonds From Sierra Leone Remix” by Kanye West and Jay-Z. This is an adapted version of the original, “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” on Kanye’s sophomore album Late Registration. As a bonus track, the remix features Kanye’s career mentor, partner and closest friend Jay-Z, and serves as a testament to the continued success of their joint label, Roc-a-fella records. The song’s instrumental appears a third time on a mixtape by fellow Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco, who adds his own perspective to the theme of Diamonds. All three versions are equally impressive (the joint Kanye/Jay-Z one may reign supreme), but are drastically different in tone and message.

Kanye’s original version revolves solely around his feud with Vibe, a magazine that rated his first album worse than Kanye felt was deserved. He uses the theme of Diamonds to relate to the famous hand sign of Roc-a-fella records, and uses this track practically as an autobiography. This song epitomizes why Kanye West is always the subject of much debate; his unrestrained ego is evident in every single line, but the diction is so well crafted, the flow so well delivered and the word play so intricate that it is impossible not to be a fan of this song. Yes, he’s a self-centered ass, but maybe it’s warranted.

On the remix, however, Kanye takes a much more laudable approach to the premise of the sample. He uses the first verse to explain his inner conflict between perpetuating a loved and enjoyable passion for buying expensive jewelry, and his knowledge that these jewels may conflict diamonds. These conflict, or blood diamonds, are being mined in many West African countries (including Sierra Leone) by men, women and children in war zones. Kanye’s insecurity about this issue candidly shines through his lyrics; it is an extremely critical and horrendous problem, and Kanye is struck with the knowledge he may be funding it. Interestingly, Jay-Z’s verse could not be more different. He adopts the same themes prevalent in Kanye’s original version, rapping about the continued vitality of his record label and his own career. This verse is famous for the lines, “I’m not a businessman/I’m a business, man!/Let me handle my business, damn.” With utter confidence, brilliance and swag, Jay-Z establishes himself as the forerunner of Hip Hop.

Finally, Lupe Fiasco chimes in on this beat, and continues Kanye’s insight into the subject of blood diamonds. He dedicates the entire track to the history and contemporary relevance to the diamond trade, and like Kanye, struggles with his role in the system. He too feels conflicted by the pressure of his culture and profession to flaunt expensive jewelry, even though he is cognizant of the ramifications of the trade. All three accounts merit a listen; while they vary in content they are similar in flow, lyricism and skill.