Diamond D Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records

The Diggin' in the Crates Crew producer talks about working with Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, and many more.

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Complex Original

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Diggin’ in the Crates Crew founding father Diamond D is the epitome of what it means to be a rapper/producer. Not only will he “take a beat and flip it, with so much flavor niggas wanna sip it,” but he’ll also “smoke an MC like a Newport.” The South Bronx bomber, who’s responsible for crafting all the dope beats and witty raps for his quintessential debut solo album, Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop, has worked alongside legends from coast to coast.

He was one of the first producers from New York to rock with artists out West, and has laid down tracks and/or lyrics for songs with A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Tha Alkaholiks, The Fugees, The Pharcyde, Brand Nubian, and Mos Def.

In addition, Dee Squizzy helped launch the careers of fellow D.I.T.C. members Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, and Showbiz and A.G., by lacing them with gritty, sample-heavy production, and has remixed singles for Outkast and Leaders Of The New School.

Yes, here at Complex, we feel Diamond D isn’t out of line calling himself “the best producer on the mic,” which is why we got him to break down the history behind his classic records. Find out who almost fell out of a boat on the Hudson River during a video shoot, which rapper came to his house with a bottle of hot sauce in his pocket, and why one of the artists he sampled named a song after him. These are the real stories so fuck what you heard.

As told to Daniel Isenberg (@stanipcus)

Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth "Funky Technician" (1990)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Funky Technician

Label: Wild Pitch/EMI

Diamond D: “Me and Lord Finesse grew up in the same projects and went to the same grade school together. That’s how we met. As I got older, I found out he was into music. When you’re in the projects, basketball players know basketball players, MCs know MCs, and DJs know DJs. In Forest Projects, there were a lot of DJs. I can’t forget my influences DJ Hutch and DJ Supreme. They held down Forest Projects for a long time. When I was a little dude, they would let me come outside and get on the turntables. That was a big deal.

“When [my song with my first rap group Ultimate Force], ‘I’m Not Playin’’ came out in ‘88, we were the first ones from our projects to make a record that got a little bit of airplay. There was a group before us that put out some music, but ours was the first one that got any airplay. Lord Finesse started making his own noise, battling MCs all over the Bronx.


 

I’m glad to be known as the first one to even touch that record on some hip-hop shit, and then Das EFX did it after me. Back then, it was like, ‘Yo, niggas bitin’ your shit.’ But the song was hot. You can’t hate on anything that’s hot.

 

“His punchlines were crazy, and he wasn’t scared to battle anybody. He went to the New Music Seminar and did his thing there, and that led to his deal at Wild Pitch Records. When he got signed to Wild Pitch, he came to me and was like, ‘Yo D, I want you to help out on the album.’ It was me, DJ Premier, and Showbiz [that did production on his first album].

“I learned about the Black Caesar soundtrack [where I found the James Brown ‘Blind Man Can See It’ sample] from my Uncle Kevin’s brother Gary. He had mad records, and was an influence on me just being into music period. I played it for Finesse, and he was like, ‘This is it right here.’

“I’m glad to be known as the first one to even touch that record on some hip-hop shit, and then Das EFX did it after me. Back then, it was like, ‘Yo, niggas bitin’ your shit.’ But the song was hot. You can’t hate on anything that’s hot. As a producer, when that happens you feel a certain type of way, but at the end of the day everyone knows who touched that first.

“It’s the same thing that happened with the ‘I’m Not Playin’’ beat. Chubb Rock had a song with that beat. I remember me and Master Rob [from Ultimate Force] watching Soul Train, and we were like, ‘Oh shit. He on there with our joint.’ Shit was crazy. But Albert King owns that song [from the ‘I’m Just Playin’ sample], we don’t own it. So it is what it is.”

 

A Tribe Called Quest f/ Sadat X, Lord Jamar, and Diamond D "Show Business" (1991)

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Producer: A Tribe Called Quest

Album: The Low End Theory

Label: Jive

Diamond D: “Skef Anslem [who also worked with A Tribe Called Quest] was an engineer at Jazzy Jay’s studio on Allerton Avenue in the Bronx. That was home base. Jazzy Jay’s the one who put me on. I call Jay the teacher. I would just go up there and be up under him. He had all the breakbeats and original shit, and I was a beat head. So just to watch him put together beats here and there, it made me want to get my money up and get a sampler.

“So I met Tip at first up there. We sat and talked about beats, and just connected. I told him I liked his music, and he said he was feeling my shit. We were both in Zulu Nation too, so it was that whole umbrella.”


 

This was around that time where Grand Puba and Lord Jamar started having their [friction], and I think Puba didn’t show up for the session. Tip said, ‘Yo D, if you got something, you can jump on here.’

 

“Somehow I wound up at Battery Studios that day. I didn’t come down there to work on the song, I just came through to hear them working on the new album. This was around that time where Grand Puba and Lord Jamar started having their [friction], and I think Puba didn’t show up for the session. Tip said, ‘Yo D, if you got something, you can jump on here.’ And I wrote it right there on the spot, and I kept my verse within the concept that Tip had on the hook.

“Shout out to Stu Fine [from Wild Pitch Records]. I had a little gripe with Stu, but looking back on it, I should have been on top of my paperwork. Now that I’m older and wiser, I see that. But I definitely threw a rock at him [when I said, ‘You don’t want to make a pitch that’s wild’ at the end of my verse].

“It was definitely a good look. I already had my deal [before The Low End Theory came out]. But being on that album helped people know who I was.”

Showbiz and A.G. "Soul Clap" (1992)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Soul Clap (EP)

Label: Payday

Diamond D: “I met Showbiz around the block. He was a DJ just like myself. We used to hang out together, go to each other’s houses and DJ all day, go to sleep, wake up, and do the same shit the next day. That’s how me and Show became close. But Show went to school with Finesse too, so everybody knew each other. That’s why we all helped each other. It was like second nature.

“For years, me and Show would say, ‘Damn, maybe one day we can make records.’ We would sit around and talk about Marley Marl and Prince Paul’s production. I remember when ‘The Humpty Dance’ came out, Showbiz loved that record. We were making beats, but at the same time studying other people’s stuff and learning from [them], so we could be relevant, if not better.


 

When I made ‘Soul Clap,’ there’s a backwards horn in there, and it’s the same horn they used from ‘The Grunt’ by the JB’s. I sampled the same record they used and reversed the horn the same way they did on Terminator X’s ‘To The Edge Of Panic.’ That was me paying homage to them.

 

“I put ‘Soul Clap’ together at K-Rock Studios in the Bronx, not far from 170th Street and Clay Avenue. We recorded it, A.G. laid his vocals down, and I believe Show added another layer of drums. And again, a lot of people bit off me with the bass line. They know who they are.

“Shout out to Hank Shocklee and The Bomb Squad production team. The first three Public Enemy albums, come on man. They were at the pinnacle. I mean, in the midst of all this rhyming going around me, I’m still a beat head at heart.

“When I made ‘Soul Clap,’ there’s a backwards horn in there, and it’s the same horn they used from ‘The Grunt’ by the J.B.’s. I sampled the same record they used and reversed the horn the same way they did on Terminator X’s ‘To The Edge Of Panic.’ That was me paying homage to them. That backwards shit was so ill, I just threw it under the bass line.”

Diamond D “Best Kept Secret” (1992)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop

Label: Chemistry/Mercury/Polygram

Diamond D: “I started off as a DJ and producer for the group Ultimate Force. Me and Master Rob, and not the same Master Rob from Fantastic Five, just to clear the air on that note. ‘Best Kept Secret’ was recorded near the end of the Ultimate Force album. I had some extra studio time up at Jazzy Jay’s studio, and I was just fuckin’ around and I knocked it out. Being around Lord Finesse and Grand Puba a lot back then, becoming an MC just kind of rubbed off on me. I was already writing to myself, but I never pursued it up until this point.


 

I’m a Knicks fan, and the director [of the video] said he had a way to get in contact with Anthony Mason. And I told him if he could make it happen, that would be a beautiful thing. Low and behold, Anthony Mason shows up.

 

“Grand Puba used that sample before me on MC Lyte’s album, on the song ‘I Am the Lyte.’ It wasn’t a single, so I said, ‘Ok, I’m gonna flip it.’ You know, beef it up a little more. It was supposed to be a bonus track on the Ultimate Force album. But the Ultimate Force album never really came out. We had an offer from Capitol Records. And for one reason or another, it just didn’t work out.

“I guess from me just bouncing around and being with other people, I eventually wound up producing a dude from my neighborhood named Joe Control. He had what you would call a ‘demo deal’ back then. If the label believed in you enough, they’d give you some money to go into the studio. I rhymed on one of his tracks, and they asked him to bring me down there, and I thought they wanted to talk to me because I was doing his beats and they wanted to talk about my fee.

“Then, when I get down there, the A & R pulls me aside, and he asked me if I had any more songs that I was rhyming on. I said, ‘Yeah, I got one more.’ And that was ‘Best Kept Secret.’ When I brought that in, that led to the deal with Chemistry Records and the first album.

“I’m a Knicks fan, and the director [of the video] said he had a way to get in contact with Anthony Mason. I told him if he could make it happen, that would be a beautiful thing. Low and behold, Anthony Mason shows up. That was love right there.”

Diamond D f/ Sadat X & Lord Jamar "A Day In The Life" (1992)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop

Label: Chemistry/Mercury/Polygram

Diamond D: “My Uncle Kevin had the album [that I found the sample on]. He was a Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson fan. I went through all my family member’s records. But I found that record at his house, and I was like, ‘Okay, this might be some shit right here.’ I was one of the first producers putting samples on speed 45. People who have the original of that, they know what I’m talking about.


 

I was one of the first producers putting samples on speed 45. People who have the original of that, they know what I’m talking about.

 

”[I formed a relationship with Brand Nubian] up at Jazzy Jay’s studio. I was recording there, and [Grand Puba of Brand Nubian] was recording there, because Puba was on Strong City Records with a group called Masters of Ceremony. When Puba got the deal with Brand Nubian at Elektra, they recorded the majority of One for All at Jay’s studio. I was recording my album around the same time. I recorded Fat Joe’s album there, Lord Finesse’s second album there, and the majority of the Showbiz and A.G. album. Jazzy Jay’s studio was the focal point for everybody.

“So yeah, we recorded ‘A Day in the Life’ at Jazzy Jay’s. I came up with the hook, just to stay in tune with what Brand Nubian was doing on their album. Then we all wrote our verses on the spot right there. It was just spontaneous. Sometimes the best songs come out that way.”

Diamond D "Sally Got A One-Track Mind" (1992)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop

Label: Chemistry/Mercury/Polygram

Diamond D: “That was just me giving a wake-up call to all the young sisters out there. That’s all. I wasn’t trying to preach to anybody or anything like that. It was an album cut that became a single. Back then, a lot of people were doing concept songs, it wasn’t just rhyming about what you had. People were more into story rhymes. Some MCs still do it.


 

The story had some depth to it, and that’s why I’m still able to go on tour and rock songs like that. People just felt it.

 

“I was already a Tower of Power fan. There were a couple of breakbeats that they made, so I was familiar with the group. I found the sample and flipped it on 45, and the bass line sounded so crazy. I was like, ‘Oh man, this is it right here.’ It took me about thirty minutes to make that beat.

“I had the beat first, and then from driving around in my car [listening to it], that’s the concept that jumped into my head. We filmed the video in my projects, shout out to Forest Projects. That’s one of the first videos we filmed there.

“The label suggested [we make it a single]. They were like, ‘We want to roll with this, and put our money behind this.’ I’m like, ‘Alright, cool.’ I wasn’t trying to go against the grain. The story had some depth to it, and that’s why I’m still able to go on tour and rock songs like that. People just felt it.”

Diamond D "Fuck What U Heard" (1992)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop

Label: Chemistry/Mercury/Polygram

Diamond D: “I was working out of Calliope Studios at the time. Most of my album was recorded at Jazzy Jay’s studio, but I did a couple songs there. Lakim Shabazz gave me the record with the bass line sample. Lakim is a beat head, but most people wouldn’t know it. They know him from ‘Black is Back’ and from being an MC.


 

I remember Fat Joe almost fell out of the little boat we took out to get to the big boat. There was a little slip-up in the transition. Everyone there from Mercury Records was praying he didn’t get hurt.

 

“It took me a couple days to find the right drums to match with with the bass line, and then I added some horns. Back then, I would just sit around with records and try to find horns that would match, because the horns had to be in the same key [as the bass line]. There really was a science to that shit.

“When you’re layering samples, they all have to be in key. You might have to go through a lot of records to find that thing that sounds good, and doesn’t sound forced. I played in a band class, but I’m not gonna sit here and front like I knew keys and chord changes. But I have a good ear, and I can hear when something is in key. I might not be able to tell you what key it’s in, but I know when something is in the right key.

“That video was made on a boat on the Hudson River. It was an old boat, and it had that military, submarine look to it. There was a lot of metal. You saw Sadat X swinging the hammer. Fat Joe was swinging the hammer with the goggles on. Big L was there. I remember Fat Joe almost fell out of the little boat we took out to get to the big boat. There was a little slip-up in the transition. Everyone there from Mercury Records was praying he didn’t get hurt. But nobody got hurt.”

Brand Nubian "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down" (1993)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: In God We Trust

Label: Elektra Records

Diamond D: “There are three versions of that. The album version, the video version which became the single, and the remix version. Obviously, the video version [is my favorite], which was the last version done. I had about two hours left of studio time, and I just made that real quick. I think Sadat and [Lord Jamar] said when they went up to Def Jam [because they were on Rush Management] and played it, that’s the one that Lyor Cohen was jumping around all crazy over.


 

There are three versions of that. The album version, the video version which became the single, and the remix version. Obviously, the video version [is my favorite], which was the last version done.

 

“The video version, even though it was the simplest, was the best one. That version was actually done in the remix session, in Chung King Studios. They laid vocals down at another time. That song definitely helped my production career.

“I’m on the train in the video, but you can’t really see me. I’m like in the fuckin’ background. Every time I watch that video, I’m like, ‘Yo, niggas killin’ me.’ The funny shit is they called me like, ‘Yo D, we want you to be on the train with us.’ The director or Elektra Records or someone was able to shut down two train stations for an hour or so. So I drive down there, and we film, and then when the video came out, I was like, ‘Where the fuck am I at?’”

Fat Joe da Gangsta "Flow Joe" (1993)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Represent

Label: Relativity

Diamond D: “Fat Joe [and I lived in] the Forest Projects in the South Bronx. He was just somebody who lived in the neighborhood. We knew each other since we were kids. He got into rhyming in the early 90’s. He was always into hip-hop [before that], but he wasn’t outside at all the jams on the mic or anything like that. Dudes knew who Joe was. He was running around in the streets, doing his thing on the side or whatever. But I don’t think everybody knew he was rhyming.


 

Me and Joe went around to at least four or five different labels before he got signed. They all passed on him. I don’t know why. But Chris Lighty said he was gonna fuck with it, and he gave us a budget, and I recorded Joe’s whole first album.

 

“I was involved [in Fat Joe’s career] from the very beginning. Joe stopped me in the street, because he knew I was in the industry from Ultimate Force and from me producing for Lord Finesse. So he came up to me and said he wanted to pay for some studio time, and he had some ideas he wanted to throw down. So we hooked up, and the first couple of demos we did, they all became radio inserts, and Red Alert would play them. That caught the attention of Chris Lighty, who had a production deal at Relativity. It was Violator/Relativity. The Beatnuts were actually over there prior to Joe going over there.

“Me and Joe went around to at least four or five different labels before he got signed. They all passed on him. I don’t know why. But Chris Lighty said he was gonna fuck with it, and he gave us a budget, and I recorded Joe’s whole first album.

“The ‘Flow Joe’ beat was crazy. The drums were bangin’. I moved to the north side of the Bronx over on Paulding Avenue, and I remember that was one of the first beats I made [while I was living up there], on the S-950.

“That was the one that Joe believed in. We all believed in it. That [song] pretty much set off his career. We shot the video in Long Island City, Queens over there on the docks.”

Fat Joe da Gangsta f/ Grand Puba and Diamond D "Watch The Sound" (1993)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Represent

Label: Relativity


 

I remember Tommy Hilfiger or his brother Andy came over to the video shoot in person in a big body 600, the top of the line Benz back then, and opened up the trunk [which was filled with clothes] and said, ‘Back up, this is all for Puba.’

 

Diamond D: “I wasn’t really [a big reggae head], but that was one of the joints I did like, the Sister Nancy joint. That was one of the beats that I think I just had, and I was playing him a couple, and it was one that he picked. Again, everyone was in and out of Jazzy Jay’s studio, so that’s where Puba and Joe go back to.

“I know Joe laid his verse first. I don’t remember if Puba did his then too, or if he came back and dropped it off. All the sessions back then were like that, you know, [everybody] smoking. Joe doesn’t smoke, but he tolerated it in his sessions. But you can tell that session had a party vibe to it.

“We shot the video in the South Bronx over by Alexander Avenue. I remember Tommy Hilfiger or his brother Andy came over to the video shoot in person in a big body 600, the top of the line Benz back then, and opened up the trunk [which was filled with clothes] and said, ‘Back up, this is all for Puba.’ He drove to the South Bronx just to bring him some clothes. It was hilarious.”

Fat Joe da Gangsta f/ Kool G. Rap and Apache "You Must Be Out Of Your Fuckin’ Mind" (1993)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Represent

Label: Relativity


 

The vocal sample on the hook is from the movie Straight Out Of Brooklyn. [To sample movies, I would just use] the line out on the back of the VHS.

 

Diamond D: “That was recorded at Jazzy Jay’s studio. G. Rap and Apache, they both came through. I remember that session that night was incredible. Just the fact that Joe was able to get them both to come through and do that. At the time, Apache had that big record ‘Gangsta Bitch.’ And Joe was already a Kool G. Rap fan. It all came together. I already knew Apache from the Flavor Unit, but me being affiliated with Fat Joe’s project also [led to me producing for Apache in the future].

“The vocal sample on the hook is from the movie Straight Out Of Brooklyn. [To sample movies, I would just use] the line out on the back of the VHS. The beat sounded real sinister, and I was feeling that movie a lot back then, and I remembered that part, and said, ‘This could be some shit right here.’

“Kool G. Rap was a professional. Came there, laid his verse down in one or two takes, hung out for a little while, then bounced. Only one or two takes, Apache too.”

Diamond D f/ Lord Finesse and Sadat X "You Can't Front (...It Is Real)" (1993)

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Producer: Buckwild

Album: “What U Heard”(Single)

Label: Chemistry/Mercury/Polygram

Diamond D: “That was on the B-Side to the [‘What U Heard’] single. It was produced by Buckwild, who was Lord Finesse’s man. I think we were riding around in my car and he played it for me, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I fuck with this, let’s do it.’ That was Buckwild’s first beat that he ever did for somebody that really came out.”

Leaders Of The New School "Classic Material (Remix)" (1993)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: “Classic Material” (Single)

Label: Elektra

Diamond D: “I met Busta from being around Q-Tip, and also from being on Violator Management because Chris Lighty was managing Busta at that time too. Chris Lighty was a mutual friend. Plus, I was cool with Dante Ross, who was over at Elektra.


 

To me, that’s the worst mix of any remix I did. I remember I got into a confrontation with the engineer about something. We had words, and I thought that was it. Then he sabotaged that shit [after I left the session]. He turned the hi-hat up real loud. The shit sounds horrible.

 

“To me, that’s the worst mix of any remix I did. I remember I got into a confrontation with the engineer about something. We had words, and I thought that was it. Then he sabotaged that shit [after I left the session]. He turned the hi-hat up real loud. The shit sounds horrible. I take responsibility too, because I should have stayed there to make sure it was mixed to my specifications. Another man should never mix another man’s song.

“The remix that eventually came out, it may sound normal to people, but that hi-hat is way too loud. It’s a real bright mix. I wish I remembered this engineer’s name too. He used to work at Chung King, little skinny white guy with glasses that used to wear t-shirts all the time. If I ever see dude in the street I swear I’ll choke the shit out of him to this day.”

Scientifik f/ Diamond D "I Got Planz" (1994)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Criminal

Label: Definite.


 

Scientifik died in a car accident. [There are a lot of stories floating around], but the way it got back to me was that him and his girlfriend were arguing in the car, and there was an accident.

 

Diamond D: “Scientifik was signed to the same label I was on, Chemistry Records. That was Edo. G & Da Bulldogs’ boy. I met him through Edo. G, and he wound up getting a deal over there. Then he reached out to me and asked would I help him with the project, and that’s what we created. I had already been working with Edo. G before that on ‘Love Comes and Goes,’ which had a video, and another song, too.

“They were from Boston, but they all came down to the South Bronx [to record]. Sometimes they came together, sometimes separately. I got the vocal sample and the sample in the music for ‘I Got Planz’ [from the same record].

“Scientifik died in a car accident. [There are a lot of stories floating around], but the way it got back to me was that him and his girlfriend were arguing in the car, and there was an accident. He was young.”

House of Pain "Word Is Bond (Remix)" (1994)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album:”Legend/Word Is Bond” (Single)

Label: Tommy Boy


 

I would never jump out there and tell someone I’m rhyming on [their song]. Whatever I rhymed on, I was asked to spit on.

 

Diamond D: “I had a little rapport with Tommy Boy Records from me doing work with Apache and some other little stuff. House of Pain reached out to me, and Everlast and DJ Lethal came to my house in the Bronx. They hung out for a little while, and I played some stuff, and they picked the joint that they picked, and did it for the album. Then when it was time to do the remix, we all did new vocals, and I changed the beat up too. I would never jump out there and tell someone I’m rhyming on [their song]. Whatever I rhymed on, I was asked to spit on.

“They were more relaxed than people thought they were. Actually, a couple of times, I would just go out there to California and hang out with Lethal, and go see [Everlast], so it wasn’t just music. Everybody got along. You gotta remember, in the early 90’s, I was one of the first people to start producing for artists on both coasts. I like Cali. Every time I went out there, I had a lot of fun. Still do.”

Dana Barros, Cedric Ceballos, Grand Puba, Sadat X, A.G., and Diamond D "Ya Don't Stop" (1994)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret

Label: Epic


 

During the session though, Sadat and A.G. said Cedric Ceballos tried to say some old slick shit about somebody’s rhyme or some shit. And they said all they did was look at each other and bust out laughing. Like, ‘This dude can’t be serious.’

 

Diamond D: “Epic Records reached out to me, and told me the list [of artists and basketball players] they were trying to put together. It was a nice-sized budget, so it wasn’t hard to get everyone onboard. Somehow for that song again it wound up being everybody in the family. A.G. and Puba already knew some basketball players, and Sadat used to play ball. It’s crazy how it worked out.

“I remember Dana Barros. I liked his verse. During the session though, Sadat and A.G. said Cedric Ceballos tried to say some old slick shit about somebody’s rhyme or some shit. And they said all they did was look at each other and bust out laughing. Like, ‘This dude can’t be serious.’

“No question, I was a big basketball fan. I go to games, but not as much as I used to. Knicks games and boxing. Mainly those two [sports]. The Knicks were a step up from last year, but it’s a learning curve. We’ll see what happens next year.”

Outkast "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (Diamond D Remix)" (1994)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” (Single)

Label: LaFace/Arista


 

I do know that the remix I did kind of helped break them in the New York market. Big Boi at one point was like, ‘Big Diamond’s remix helped us get a little footing up in New York.’

 

Diamond D: “Somebody at LaFace reached out to [my management company] Violator Management, and Chris Lighty told me about it. I had the acapellas, and I think I just went in [the studio] and demo’d it. I submitted the demo. Then when they said they liked it, I went back in the studio and beefed it up a little more. Shout out to Outkast. Everytime I see them it’s all love. Whether I see Big Boi or Dre, they still acknowledge me, so it’s all love.

“There was a mixed reaction [in New York to Outkast when they first came out], like any new artist. But I do know that the remix I did kind of helped break them in the New York market. Big Boi at one point was like, ‘Big Diamond’s remix helped us get a little footing up in New York.’

The single itself was big already, but I guess at that time they wanted a more urban sound. They wanted some old gritty shit. But I can’t take any credit for the success of that single.”

Tha Alkaholiks f/ Diamond D "The Next Level" (1995)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Coast II Coast

Label: Loud

Diamond D: “I met The Liks through an A&R at Loud Records. I don’t know if it was Matty C or my other man, but they reached out to me. They flew out to New York, and came up to the Bronx to hang out with me. I played them a couple of joints. The basic foundation of ‘Next Level’ was already made. Then we flew out to L.A. and recorded it.


 

They liked to party, but when it was time to work, it was time to work. It wasn’t like they were running around [getting drunk] with no discipline.

 

“I wrote my verse right there on the spot, just so I could capture that moment and it could be fresh. We shot the video in downtown San Francisco at first, and then we rode out towards the Pacific to some National Park or something and shot some of the scenes out there too.

“They liked to party, but when it was time to work, it was time to work. It wasn’t like they were running around [getting drunk] with no discipline.

Me and The Liks stayed in touch all these years too. I’m supposed to be working on their new album. I did one joint with them already, and I think Kurupt is on it. I’m just waiting to hear the rough mix of it.”

Showbiz and A.G. f/ Diamond D "You Want It" (1995)

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Producer: Showbiz

Album: Goodfellas

Label: Payday/FFRR


 

When I said, ‘I got the honeys running all night like the 21 Bus,’ I [was referring to] the bus that used to run from the South Bronx all the way up to the North Bronx. I lived along that route.

 

Diamond D: “I was in the studio, and they asked me to spit on it, and I got on it. That was basically it. Party Arty was on the hook, shout out to him. That was A.G.’s right hand man. It was just family, whether it was a Showbiz and A.G. session, Lord Finesse session, Diamond D session, Fat Joe session, O.C. session, whoever it was. Everybody was welcome.

“When I said, ‘I got the honeys running all night like the 21 Bus,’ I [was referring to] the bus that used to run from the South Bronx all the way up to the North Bronx. I lived along that route. It was a little Bronx metaphor I used. If you’re not from the Bronx, you didn’t know what the fuck I was talking about.”

KRS-One ft Busta Rhymes "Build Ya Skillz" (1995)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: KRS-One

Label: Jive


 

At the beginning, Busta’s on the record talking. I don’t remember if he was just in the session or what. I do know that song led to us working together down the road [on his solo projects] just from Busta telling me that he was really feeling that beat.

 

Diamond D: “BX baby, BX! Kris reached out to me for that. We came up loving KRS-One. ‘South Bronx’ and all those iconic songs. Working with him was an honor. And he paid me what I wanted too. I would have done it for half. But you know no man is going to talk himself out of no guap.

“That’s one of those gems that not too many people even know about right there. The beat was made already, and when he heard it, he was like, ‘This is the one right here.’ I think I might’ve left and came back, and the shit was done.

“At the beginning, Busta’s on the record talking. I don’t remember if he was just in the session or what. I do know that song led to us working together down the road [on his solo projects] just from Busta telling me that he was really feeling that beat.”

Fat Joe f/ KRS-One "Bronx Tale" (1995)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Jealous One’s Envy

Label: Relativity/Terror Squad

Diamond D: “I gave Joe some beats to pick out of, and that was one of the joints he was feeling around that time. We went to the studio and laid it down. I was there for Joe’s verses, but I don’t think I was there for Kris’ verses. I think the [vocal samples] in the hook were Fat Joe’s idea.


 

Prince Be from P.M. Dawn, he used to be in there collecting records. A lot of people used to get upset because certain dealers would hold records for him. They wouldn’t let anybody see them until he looked at them first.

 

“That sample was from one of the records that I picked up at one of the infamous record conventions downtown that all the producers used to go to. I would see everybody down there. Mr. Walt, Evil Dee, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Buckwild, Q-Tip, Large Professor, J Dilla, Salaam Remi, everybody. Everyone who was trying to push the music forward, trying to find ‘hard to find’ samples or samples no one else had.

“Prince Be from P.M. Dawn used to be in there collecting records. A lot of people used to get upset because certain dealers would hold records for him. They wouldn’t let anybody see them until he looked at them first. Everyone was like, ‘What part of the game is this?’ But that was a special time for us beat diggers.”

The Pharcyde "Groupie Therapy" (1995)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: LabCabinCalifornia

Label: Delicious Vinyl


 

Slim Kid Tre had a small bottle of hot sauce in his pocket. I’ll never forget that shit. I was like, ‘Yo, what the fuck is going on?’ I guess he was eating something with it earlier that day.

 

Diamond D: “I had nothing to do with the song lyrically. All I did was send them some beats, and that was one of them. I came to the studio [in New York] and laid it. They went back to L.A. and did their vocals, then called me in to mix it. They structured it lyrically, and put the scratches and the Monie Love sample in the chorus. All I had to do was mix it.

“I liked Pharcyde a lot. I thought those dudes were really talented. They came to my house in the Bronx, all of them. Slim Kid Tre had a small bottle of hot sauce in his pocket. I’ll never forget that shit. I was like, ‘Yo, what the fuck is going on?’ I guess he was eating something with it earlier that day. I’ve never seen someone walking around with a small bottle of hot sauce prior to that point, nor afterward. But that’s my dude.”

The Fugees f/ Diamond D "The Score" (1996)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: The Score

Label: Ruffhouse/Columbia

Diamond D: “Basically Wyclef reached out to me, and I gave him some beats, and that was one of the ones on there. I went out to New Jersey, and that was recorded in his grandmother’s basement. Him, Pras, and Lauryn were all downstairs. I laid the beat down, hung out for a little while, and then the next time I heard it when I came back, it was recorded. And that’s when, at the end of the song, I got on there and spit my couple of bars. They asked me to spit eight bars. I felt like Pras, how he always has eight bars on their songs. Other than that, it was all love.


 

I love that Cymande album. I made those dudes half-a-millionaires from sampling that record. It was [one of my biggest songs financially] up until the paperwork got sorted out, and Cymande got their cut, rightfully so. When it was recorded, Wyclef didn’t clear the sample. So they came after us.

 

“They were humble, and just came off of their first album which was considered a flop. But they had that big single ‘Mona Lisa,’ so that kind of saved them, and they were able to finagle that into a second situation. On a bright note, it just goes to show that if your first joint doesn’t really do what it’s expected to do, if you stay focused, and keep your eyes on the prize, shit can happen for anybody.

“I love that Cymande album. I made those dudes half-a-millionaires from sampling that record. It was [one of my biggest songs financially] up until the paperwork got sorted out, and Cymande got their cut, rightfully so. When it was recorded, Wyclef didn’t clear the sample. So they came after us, and it was a big mess, but everything is sorted out now. I don’t even really like talking about it. Working with them was a cool experience, and I’ll just leave it at that.

“I definitely meant it [when I said, ‘I’m the best producer on the mic’]. There’s a few out there. I like Dilla, Black Milk, Pete Rock, Havoc, Alchemist, or of course Lord Finesse. I could go on and on. But, I mean, what MC doesn’t feel they’re number one anyway? I never heard anyone get on the mic and say, ‘I’m number two, I’m number two!’”

Sadat X "Wild Cowboys" (1996)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Wild Cowboys

Label: Loud


 

Brand Nubian is like extended D.I.T.C.

 

Diamond D: “That was a beat I had set aside for myself. I played X some beats, and he really liked it, [so I gave it to him]. We recorded that somewhere in Manhattan, I don’t remember where exactly. That’s a xylophone on that beat [which is an instrument I’ve sampled a decent amount in the past]. I don’t know, if the shit sounds good to me, I’m gonna make it work.

“We were already doing songs together, like 'You Can’t Front (...It Is Real)' and 'A Day in the Life,' so it wasn’t a stretch to work together. He was already fucking with me. Brand Nubian is like extended D.I.T.C.”

Xzibit f/ Catastrophe, J-Ro, & Hurricane G "Bird’s Eye View" (1996)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: At the Speed of Life

Label: Loud/RCA


 

I was hanging out at Ice-T’s house with Xzibit, smoking a blunt on the balcony just chillin’ overlooking Los Angeles. I was there when Ice-T was building the retractable roof to his pool. He had a big 6’3’’ samurai at his door.

 

Diamond D: “I met Xzibit through Tha Alkaholiks. I just finished producing ‘The Next Level’ and ‘Let It Out’ for them, and that led to me meeting and working with Xzibit. It was the Likwit Crew. That was one of the beats he picked, and we went in the studio and did it. E-Swift [from Tha Alkaholiks] mixed it. At the time Hurricane G was working with E-Swift, doing a couple tracks, so she came through and jumped on the record.

“I remember I was hanging out at Ice-T’s house with Xzibit, smoking a blunt on the balcony just chillin’ overlooking Los Angeles. I was there when Ice-T was building the retractable roof to his pool. He had a big 6’3’’ samurai at his door. I remember all that shit. I knew Ice-T from the early ‘90s, when Lord Finesse was a part of the Rhyme Syndicate that Ice-T had. He was instrumental in Finesse getting his second deal, over at Giant Records. Lord Finesse is in the video with Ice-T for ‘We’re All In The Same Gang.’”

Ras Kass "Soul On Ice (Remix)" (1996)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: “Soul On Ice Remix/Marinatin’” (Single)

Label: Priority/EMI

Diamond D:“I made that beat at my house in the basement. That record right there specifically made David Axelrod reach out to me personally and tell me that up until that point that was the best way he had ever heard anyone sample his music.


 

That record right there specifically made David Axelrod reach out to me personally and tell me that up until that point that was the best way he had ever heard anyone sample his music.

 

He named one of his songs after me [and Dr. Dre]. It’s a song called ‘Dr. and the Diamond,’ which came out on an album he released in 2001.

“I fucked with David Axelrod. I gave him a lot of publishing checks just from sampling a lot of his music. When he told me personally that he heard the ‘Soul On Ice (Remix),’ he wished he would have thought to use the guitar riff in the same time frame that I used it, I thought that was kind of ill. I was feeling myself when I got that call from David.

“Ras Kass was familiar with my work, and he told his A&R to reach out to me. That was one of the beats I played for him, and we went in the studio and knocked it out. I hate to make it sound like it was so simple, but it kind of was. We were in New York. I already had the beat and chorus sequenced, and after he laid his hook down, I added the James Brown ‘soul!’ around his vocals. It just came together.”

Organized Konfusion "Questions" (1997)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: The Equinox

Label: Priority/EMI

Diamond D: “I think that came together through Buckwild. He had worked with them prior to that. They were already familiar with my music by that point. That beat was already made, and I put five beats on a CD for them, and that was the one they wanted. That’s one of my favorite joints. I like the feel of it. I was a fan of Organized. Those sessions led me to work with Monch when he went solo.”

Diamond D "The Hiatus" (1997)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Hatred, Passions and Infidelity

Label: Mercury/Polygram

Diamond D:“I had that beat laying around, and it started to grow on me. A lot of people thought it was the same sample that J Dilla used for [De La Soul’s] ‘Stakes Is High,’ but if you listen closely you can clearly see that it is two different samples.


 

A lot of people thought it was the same sample that J Dilla used for [De La Soul’s] ‘Stakes Is High,’ but if you listen closely you can clearly see that it is two different samples.

 

Two different records, two different groups, but they kind of feel the same. Biting off somebody else ain’t my style.

“It was four or so years between albums, so that was my statement. That’s why I picked that single to come back with. In between albums, I was mostly doing outside production. It felt like I was on hiatus [as a rapper], so that was my return. [And that related to the concept of the video where] I was driving through New York on the top of the bus, letting everybody know I was back. We drove all the way downtown, rode up through Harlem and the Bronx, and had a lot of fun that day.”

Diamond D f/ Busta Rhymes "This One" (1997)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Hatred, Passions and Infidelity

Label: Mercury/Polygram


 

I wanted ‘This One’ to be a single. But around that time, Busta was about to drop his single. And Sylvia Rhone [from Elektra] and the powers that be at Mercury couldn’t work it out.

 

Diamond D: “On the intro to my second album, Busta does a shout out. And it was long, so I basically just faded it out. Towards the end, there was some extra talking that he was doing, and that’s where I took the vocal sample that he’s doing on the hook. I put it in there, played it for him, and then he came in and did the overdubs personally.

“I wanted ‘This One’ to be a single. But around that time, Busta was about to drop his single, and Sylvia Rhone [from Elektra] and the powers that be at Mercury couldn’t work it out. But I definitely felt it had potential.”

Diamond D f/ Big L, Fat Joe, A.G., & Lord Finesse "Five Fingas of Death" (1997)

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Producer: Kid Capri

Album: Hatred, Passions and Infidelity

Label: Mercury/Polygram

Diamond D: “Big L came into the D.I.T.C. picture through Lord Finesse. They met at a record store near 125th Street in Harlem. L was a big fan of Lord Finesse, and Finesse said when he heard him spit he knew he had to fuck with him. That’s how he came into the fold.


 

It was more or less a bunch of dudes who grew up together broke, and now we have some money and we’re successful and we’re all living out our dreams. That was one of the first times we all came together to do a record.

 

“I wanted to do one song that had everyone on it on my album. Everyone was there for the session. Big L came and laid his verse down first, which is why he sets the song off. But he bounced a little early. L was a lot of fun, cracking jokes. He started off hungry, and around this time, he knew he was hot, so he was rhyming with that much more [determination]. He did his thing, probably in like one take, too.

“It was more or less a bunch of dudes who grew up together broke, and now we have some money and we’re successful and we’re all living out our dreams. That was one of the first times we all came together to do a record.”

“Me and Kid Capri go back to the days of Lord Finesse's first LP. And we are both beat diggers. A lot of people aren’t aware of that fact, but Kid has beats. [Laughs.] He produced that, and he also gave me the record for the joint I sampled on ‘Gather Round,’ which was also on my second album.”

Brand Nubian “Foundation” (1998)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Foundation

Label: Arista/BMG


 

I did two tracks for Foundation. On one of them, I sampled some sounds from an old Clint Eastwood movie about a ski resort, and we couldn’t clear it.

 

Diamond D: “I was on their list of producers to work with from my previous work with Brand Nubian and also Sadat X’s solo album. I did two tracks for Foundation. On one of them, I sampled some sounds from an old Clint Eastwood movie about a ski resort, and we couldn’t clear it. It was hot. But the other one, ‘Foundation,’ we were able to clear that, so we ended up using that [for the album’s title track].

“There was a good [vibe in the studio]. Lots of positive energy, everybody feeding off each other. Everyone was genuinely happy to be together working, especially with a new situation on Arista Records. They had a decent budget to work with, and a lot to prove. After the album dropped, they started doing shows again as a unit. That was a good thing that came out of [the project].”

Queen Latifah f/ Sisqo “I Don’t Know” (1998)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Order in the Court

Label: Motown


 

I regret that I didn’t mix it myself. The song is hot, but I always felt that if I mixed it, it would have been much hotter.

 

Diamond D: “I was already cool with Latifah from working with Apache. Me and 45 King are good friends, and he kind of started the Flavor Unit, and also did Latifah’s first album. He put her on. So I submitted her some music. We were in a studio in midtown on 59th Street, some little down low spot. MC Lyte was in the session, just hanging out. We had the trees, the wine. The vibe was nice.

“I went down there, tracked it out. Around this time, she was doing that TV show Living Single, but she was still and will always be a hip-hop head. She laid the vocals down, but she didn’t really have too much time to develop the song in New York. So she went out to L.A., and I think I went out there one time and tweaked the song a little bit, but I regret that I didn’t mix it myself. The song is hot, but I always felt that if I mixed it, it would have been much hotter.

“I forgot Sisqo was on that track! [Laughs.] But he was hot, she was hot, and hot people fuck with each other.”

Too $hort f/ Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri “Here We Go (J.D. Remix)” (1999)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Can’t Stay Away

Label: Jive

Diamond D: “Too Short reached out to me through G Music, who had a rim shop with Erick Sermon on Peachtree in Atlanta. G Music hit me up, and Short flew me down to Atlanta. I played him some joints, and he picked that, and we tracked it out in a studio in his house. Shorty B was there, who was one of Too Short’s earlier producers. It was a cool vibe, just hanging out, getting smoked out, playing pool, talking shit. I had a lot of fun with Short. He’s a good dude.


 

Jermaine Dupri didn’t have anything to do with the production of the song or the remix. On the original version, he wasn’t on the hook. So when he got on the hook, they called it the remix.

 

“Who don’t know Too Short? He reached out to Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri. Jay was on fire even back then in ‘98, ‘99. Jay had a big album at the time, and Jermaine has always been a consistent hot producer, so I was kind of amped up [to have them both on the song]. And to have Too Short on the track too, that’s big. I wasn’t there when they recorded it. Next time I heard it, it was damn near done.

“Jermaine Dupri didn’t have anything to do with the production of the song or the remix. On the original version, he wasn’t on the hook. So when he got on the hook, they called it the remix. I met Jay-Z twice. Once at some studio in Manhattan, either Soundtrack or Battery I think, and once coming into D&D Studios. But I don’t have a relationship with him.”

Mos Def "Hip Hop" (1999)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Black on Both Sides

Label: Rawkus/Priority

Diamond D: “When I met Mos Def, he was in a group UTD with his brother and his sister. I did a joint for them called ‘Manifest Destiny.’ That was hooked up through DJ Premier’s manager at the time. This was in ‘94. That was one of Mos’ first introductions. Then a few years later, we hooked back up.


 

When I met Mos Def, he was in a group UTD with his brother and his sister. I did a joint for them called ‘Manifest Destiny.

 

“The beat was on a CD I submitted to him. I think it had like five beats on it, and that was the one he chose. We went in, and he laid it down. I had a nice time with Mos. We recorded that at Sony Studios in midtown Manhattan. I remember when I came back two or three weeks later, he had added a bass line on top of it, sprinkled some keyboards on it, and fattened it up more. I want to give him his credit on that aspect. He made it sound much bigger.

“I remember being there for the ‘Umi Says’ session. He was playing the drums and singing at the same time. Mos is ill. He killed it lyrically on that ‘Hip Hop’ track. And that was a big album, no doubt. I saw some money behind that. I’m still getting some mechanical checks.”

Pharoahe Monch f/ Common and Talib Kweli "The Truth" (1999)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Internal Affairs

Label: Rawkus/Priority/EMI

Diamond D: “I think I played eight or nine joints for Pharoahe and he wound up picking three of them. I came in the studio, laid the track down, and he called me a month or so later, and all the vocals were down. I wish I could have been there to see them all lay that shit down, but by the time I got called in to mix it, [the vocals were finished]. That’s one of my favorite tracks that I’ve done for other people.”

Busta Rhymes “Bus-A-Bus (Remix)” (1999)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Violator: The Album

Label: Violator/Def Jam


 

I played him like fifteen beats, and he turned them all down. That beat was the last one.

 

Diamond D: “Around this time, Busta had a studio in downtown Manhattan by Wall Street. It was a down low spot right under the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge, but it was nice. I played him like fifteen beats, and he turned them all down. That beat was the last one. He was like, ‘This is the shit right here. This is the one.’ Nigga cut me a check immediately, like within a week. When you get paid within a week, that’s fast in the hip-hop industry.

“He went in and vocaled it. I came back and mixed it, and boom, that shit made the Violator album. That one of my hottest remixes to me. Because it was Busta, but also the way I was able to chop that sample up. I remember at the Source Awards, he came out and performed that remix version.”

D.I.T.C. "Day One" (2000)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Worldwide

Label: Tommy Boy


 

The last time Big L came to my house, he had a magic marker, and he did a quick ‘Big L 139th Street’ graffiti throw-up on my wall. A week and a half later, he was murdered. So I cut it off the wall and framed it.

 

Diamond D: “That was a beat I had, and Show liked it. Then I played it for everybody, and everybody liked it. It was something we all agreed on. I don’t think everybody was there at once. It was built together in pieces. I do know I laid my verse first [which is why I rap first on the song]. Next time I heard it, it was basically done.

“The last time Big L came to my house, he had a magic marker, and he did a quick ‘Big L 139th Street’ graffiti throw-up on my wall. A week and a half later, he was murdered. So I cut it off the wall and framed it.

Common signed it, and Hank Shocklee’s signature is on it too. That’s real special to me.

“It was [devastating when he was murdered], not knowing why, and things of that nature. Like when any family member passes, there’s a lot of pain. I really don’t talk about it. But dude was one of the brightest stars. It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t able to see his record go gold.”

Sadat X f/ Diamond D "X-Man" (2000)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: The State of New York vs. Derek Murphy

Label: Relativity


 

When he was alive, James Brown would work with you [if you wanted to sample him] as long as he got his percentage.

 

Diamond D: “Dante Ross had a distribution deal with Loud Records. I remember Noah [who A&R’d the record and is also the Complex EIC], but I don’t remember if he worked with Loud or Dante. It was simple though. I played the beat for Sadat, he liked it, and we recorded it.

“When he was alive, James Brown would work with you [if you wanted to sample him] as long as he got his percentage. I never met him though. As a kid, I saw him perform at Madison Square Garden in New York. I liked his music, and my Mom took me there.”

Freddie Foxxx f/ Billy Danze “Bumpy Bring It Home” (2000)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Industry Shakedown

Label: Landspeed

Diamond D:“That’s an old D&D connection. I produced a lot of songs at D&D Studios, and that’s where M.O.P. was recording. Foxxx was always there with Premier, and I would always see both of them, and I would say I was going to fuck with them in the future.


 

Me and Premier been cool since Lord Finesse’s first album. He did half, I did half, and Showbiz did a track or two.

 

“So when the time was right, Foxxx reached out to me and I blessed him with that. That was recorded in D&D. When I tracked it, Foxxx sprinkled it with his verses, but I wasn’t there when Danze did the hook.

“Me and Premier been cool since Lord Finesse’s first album. He did half, I did half, and Showbiz did a track or two.

D&D was like a second home to a lot of people, for real. There was an album called The D&D Project, and I did work on that too. D&D was like family.

“Foxxx got a new joint out right now. I just saw one of his posts on Twitter. He’s still doing his thing. I don’t have any crazy Freddie Foxxx stories, but there are a few floating around. [Laughs.] Foxxx is a real dude. There’s a lot of niggas like Foxxx. Niggas is cool and all, but everyone got a limit. But me and Foxxx, we’ve always been cool. There’s always been mad love.”

Sadat X f/ Heltah Skeltah "The Great Diamond D" (2005)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Experience & Education

Label: Female Fun


 

I was humbled by [Sadat X naming the song after me], just like when David Axelrod named a song after me.

 

Diamond D: “Shout out to my man Sadat X, that’s my dude for life. I don’t know what made him call it that. For a while, it didn’t have a title. Him and Sean P were in the studio hanging out, and by the time I heard the song, it was what it was. I think I was there actually when Sean P laid his verse. Rock wasn’t there that day, he jumped on it later on.

“I was humbled by [Sadat X naming the song after me], just like when David Axelrod named a song after me. At that time, Sadat was teaching in Westchester County and still recording too.”

Sean Price f/ Diamond D "Get It Together" (2007)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: Master P (Mixtape)

Label: Duck Down

Diamond D: “Big Sean P, that’s my dude. Somehow Sean or Dru Ha heard the beat from this dude I was working with. Dru was like, ‘Sean wants to fuck with that beat.’ So I was like, ‘Cool, let’s do it together.’ We weren’t in the studio together, so I laid my verse down first so he could get a feel of how I was riding the track. Then he did his, sent it back, we mixed it, and put it out on his mixtape.


 

Some would say that beat was a stretch [from what they are used to hearing from me], but if you know my career you know I always fucked with James Brown.

 

“Some would say that beat was a stretch [from what they are used to hearing from me], but if you know my career you know I always fucked with James Brown.

It’s still sampling and some James Brown shit chopped up at the foundation. Just the way the production is programmed gave it a different swing. That’s James Brown saying ‘get it together’ too.

“I was in Germany on tour with D.I.T.C. and I ran into Sean Price at the Splash Festival. We had a lot of fun over there, just buggin’ out. We were going to perform the song, but I didn’t have the instrumental.”

Pharoahe Monch f/ Mela Machinko "Shine" (2011)

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Producer: Diamond D

Album: W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)

Label: W.A.R./Duck Down

Diamond D: “Pharoahe had that beat for like two months. Then he called me out the blue like, ‘Yo, this is the one right here! We’re gonna do this one.’ I’m like, ‘Alright, cool.’ He needed it immediately, and I was out of state, so I sent him the session. Next time I heard it, it was the way the world heard it. I heard it before it was mixed, but everything was laid by then. I wasn’t there for any of the vocals or singing. Everybody gets slept on, that ain’t nothing new. But he definitely gets slept on. He’s an MC’s MC.”

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