| "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Kanye West | ||||
| from the album Late Registration | ||||
| Released | May 31, 2005 | |||
| Format | Digital download 12" maxi single |
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| Recorded | 2004 The Record Plant Grandmaster Recording Studios (Hollywood, California) |
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| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:58 | |||
| Label | Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam | |||
| Writer(s) | Kanye West, Devon Harris, John Barry, Don Black | |||
| Producer | Kanye West, Jon Brion, Devo Springsteen | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Kanye West singles chronology | ||||
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"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a Grammy-winning song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on July 4, 2005 as the lead single of his second studio album, Late Registration.[1] The song contains a sample of the theme song for the 1971 James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever as performed by Shirley Bassey. Bassey was reported to be very impressed with Kanye's performance and stated that she wished to work with him in the future.[2] The song peaked at number forty-three on the Billboard Hot 100, was moderately successful on the iTunes music service, and peaked in the eight spot on the UK Top 40. It won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song at the 48th Grammy Awards.
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After gathering research on the plight of children in West African nations who since 1991 having been forced to mine conflict diamonds and die in civil wars financed by them, West recorded a remix to "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" which featured an additional closing verse by Jay-Z and new verses that detail the situation in Sierra Leone. He initiates the remix by proclaiming, "Good Morning! This ain't Vietnam Still, people lose hands, legs, arms for real/Little was known of Sierra Leone, and how it connect to the diamonds we own..."[3] The remix was included as the eleventh track within the album, whereas the original version was included as a bonus track. It was originally entitled, "Diamonds Are Forever" but because Jay had a song on The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse called "Diamond Is Forever," Kanye had it changed. An unofficial remix entitled "Conflict Diamonds," which went into even further detail regarding the situation in Sierra Leone, was recorded by Kanye's friend and fellow Chicagoan rapper Lupe Fiasco. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" remains a crowd favorite and is one of West's most performed songs. It boasts a chorus that calls for listeners to "Throw ya diamonds in the sky," referring to the Roc-A-Fella hand sign, which is in the shape of a diamond.
The music video for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" was directed by Hype Williams and shot entirely in black-and-white. It was filmed on location in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. West was fascinated by the architecture found in the capital and felt its sculptures, cathedrals, and stone pavements emitted the timeless feel of "Diamonds." [4] The video illustrates the topics West would later touch on within the remix of the song, as it features visuals of young African children toiling away in mines under the careful watch of their wardens. The images are juxtaposed with scenes of wealthy Westerners shopping in boutiques and trying on jewelry. The music video ends with text that reads, "Please purchase conflict-free diamonds."
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Digital download
US Promo Single
UK Promo Single
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UK Maxi Single
UK CD Single
German CD Single
European Maxi-Single
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Information taken from Late Registration liner.[1]
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart[5] | 52 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 18[6] |
| Danish Singles Chart | 9[6] |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 9[6] |
| European Hot 100 | 32[7] |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 17[6] |
| German Singles Chart | 67[6] |
| Irish Singles Chart | 19[6] |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 16[6] |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 30[6] |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 52[6] |
| UK Singles Chart | 8[6] |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 43[8] |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 21[9] |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks | 11[10] |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 40[11] |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 24[12] |
| Region | Format | Date |
|---|---|---|
| North America | Digital download, 12" | May 31, 2005 |
| United Kingdom | Digital download, CD, 12" | July 4, 2005 |
| Germany | CD | July 25, 2005 |