Track By Track: Diamond D Breaks Down The Diam Piece Album

Diamond D is releasing his latest project, The Diam Piece, on 30 September so I caught up with him to find out the stories behind each track and get a little bit of insight into the process of constructing a production project with so many guests.

Diamond D: It’s more or less a production LP, about two and a half years it took. A lot of tracks I didn’t even use. I had about 27 tracks but I only used 18. Some of the artists I was in the studio with, and others – because of their touring schedule and my touring schedule – I just sent them music and they sent me the session back. If the track that I give them has a sample in it that’s giving it direction then they’ll follow that. If there is no sample or concept at the beginning I just let the MC’s paint their own pictures and try to figure out how can make it connect. I use a lot more live instrumentation now. I still chop and manipulate samples, but my sound just sounds bigger now. Just using better equipment so the sample frequencies are better.

1. Rap Life feat. Pharoahe Monch

I gave him free reign to do whatever he wanted to do. The hook that he laid, it was cool but I didn’t feel that it fit song. He was rhyming about rap life – or his interpretation of it – so I put the hook on it and he loved it. I was just following his lead.

2. Where’s The Love feat. Talib Kweli, Elzhi and Skyzoo

When I sent them the track, the “Where’s the love?” sample was in there already, so I just told the MC’s to build the track around that. Talib laid his first, Skyzoo laid his second and Elzhi laid his third. It was done in separate studios but I made sure everyone heard everyone’s verse so the song would have continuity.

3. It’s Nothing feat. Fat Joe, Chi Ali and Freddie Foxxx

Joe went first, Freddie Foxxx went second and then Chi-Ali went third, even though Chi-Ali is the second MC on the track. Since Fat Joe laid his verse first, he had a hook saying, “It’s nothing! I’ve got crack! It’s nothing!” So I just manipulated that to “It’s nothing.” By the time Freddie Foxxx got it, he had a pattern to follow. Then when I played Joe’s verse and Freddie Foxxx’s verse to Chi-Ali, then he knew what to pattern himself after. It’s the producer’s job just to make sure that the song sounds cohesive. You don’t want three MC’s on a track – one is rhyming about apples, one is rhyming about cherries, one is rhyming about oranges.

4. Only Way 2 Go feat. Pete Rock

I had the “Only way to go” sample in there so Pete wrote around that and I did the same thing. That was one of the easier tracks, cos the instrumental already had the direction in it and me and Pete recorded it in the studio together.

5. Hard Days feat. The Pharcyde

I gave them free reign and I love what they did. The picture that they painted on that track? It fits perfect. I like how they incorporated the hook to be in syncopation with the horns. I had no input, all I had to do was just focus on the music.

6. I Ain’t The One To Fuc Wit ft. Scram Jones

I sent it to Scram, he laid his verse and added the scratches so when he sent it back it was already in song format and had a concept I could fuck with. I always knew that Scram could rhyme, he’s a nice MC, but I didn’t know he was nice like that on the scratches too. When I heard what he sent me I was blown away. And his verse is crazy too!

7. Pump Ya Brakes feat. Rapsody, Boog Brown and Stacy Epps

Rapsody is 9th Wonder’s artist. Stacy Epps,she’s done some work with Madlib, and Boog Brown – she’s another female artist out of Atlanta. She’s got a strong underground following. Rapsody laid her parts first and come up with the hook. I loved it, I sent it to Boog Brown and Stacy Epps and said, “Listen to Rapsody’s part” so they knew what to structure their verses around. That’s one of my favorite songs on the album.

8. Take Em Off Da Map feat. Black Rob

My man B.R The General. He painted his picture on there, he had the hook. Again, I liked it so we just kept it.

9. We Are The People Of The World feat. Kurupt, Tha Alkaholiks

I gave them the concept. When I got it back I was I blown away – just the way they structured their verses on it. I like the way Kurupt starts the song off, too. Ras Kass was in the studio when we were working on that together too, out of Las Vegas.

10. Jose Feliciano

I ain’t even know if I was gonna use it, cos it’s just a verse. I called it Jose Feliciano because he’s from The Bronx, like myself. He’s blind but he still went on to win Grammy’s and put out all this great music. For me, he stands as someone – you come from nothing and make something out of yourself regardless of your surroundings or your shortcomings. It’s just a metaphor for all the bullshit I had to overcome to get on my feet and to make my name.

11. Handz Up fea t. Hi-Tek

When I took him the track, the scratches weren’t on there yet. He rhymed about himself and how he came up in the game – hustling and going out of state to make beats – so when I got it back I went into the studio with my man DJ Big Phil from outta Pittsburgh. I told him, “Bring some records and we’ll see what we want.” We sat there for about an hour and he picked out some nice joints to scratch – the M.O.P joint. I had a female come in the studio and just add some background parts just to hype it up a little more. Shouts out to DJ Big Phil.

12. Pain feat. A.G., Chino XL

I always wanted to work with Chino XL, I think he’s real talented on the microphone. That’s one of the most spiritual tracks on the album, talking about different struggles everybody goes through. AG laid his part first and then Chino laid his.

13. Vanity feat. Nottz

Me, Nottz and J. Dilla recorded a song [“We Gangstas” from 2005’s The Diamond Mine album] so we have a history. I respect Nottz as a producer and as an MC so I just reached out to him on that platform. We didn’t record it together. He laid his parts down, I worked on the hook and then I laid my verse.

14. It’s Magic feat. Alchemist and Evidence as Stepbrothers

Me and Al go back a while, and Evidence? I’ve always fucked with him too. On the new Dilated Peoples album, I produced a track called “Let Your Thoughts Fly Away.” That’s all family right there. They’re still doing the Step Brothers thing, even though they’ve got separate careers.

15. The Game feat. Grand Daddy I.U.

We all love Grand Daddy I.U from when he came out back in the day. I reached out to him and he definitely didn’t disappoint me. We’re friends on Twitter and shit like that. I sent him the track and about a week later he got it back to me.

16. Let The Music Talk feat. Kev Brown

Me and Kev go back to the Up Above Records. I put out some music out some music over there, and when Kev came out he put some stuff out there too. It was a Japanese label, that’s where I first met Kev. We just stayed in touch with each other on some producer/MC shit. We both do our thing like that, so it just happened.

17. Ace Of Diamonds ft. Masta Ace

We always wanted to work together and I was able to make it happen. That was one of the first tracks that was recorded for the project.

18. 187 feat. Guilty Simpson, Ras Kass

I first heard about Guilty through his work with J.Dilla back in the days, and I’ve always liked him, so I reached out to Guilty first. I went out to Detroit and we recorded that in the studio together, then I sent it to Ras on the west coast and he laid his part down.

19. Superman – Produced By DJ Scratch

That’s the only outside production, that’s a bonus track. The song is actually three years old, it was supposed to be for DJ Scratch’s album, but he blessed me with it so I put it on my project. I perform it as part of my shows, so my fans are familiar with it already.

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