Diamond D

Diamond D
Background information
Born	Bronx, New York City, [citation needed] U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Producer-MC
Instruments	Keyboard Sampler Drum machine Strings Turntable
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Chemistry/Mercury/PolyGram Records Diamond Mine Records Babygrande Records

Diamond D (born Joseph Kirkland, 1969) is a hip hop producer and MC from the Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the legendary Diggin' in the Crates Crew.^[1]

Biography

He started out as a DJ for Jazzy Jay back in the late 1980s and was at the same time perfecting his skills in beat making and turntablism, and, together with rhyme partner Master Rob, he was one half of the group Ultimate Force. The group signed with Jazzy Jay's Strong City Records, and Diamond and Rob started recording their debut album, I'm Not Playin', in 1988 and released the 12-inch single with the same title, which spawned a buzz in the underground. The album was completed in 1990, but it got caught up in label politics, such as the shutdown of Strong City distributor Uni Records, and was shelved until 2007 when it was released through Traffic Entertainment. One of the last songs recorded for the album was a Diamond D solo song in which he actually picked up the mike for the first time. The song was called "The Best-Kept Secret." As Ultimate Force dissolved, record executives got their eyes on the Bronx phenomenon, which eventually resulted in the release of Diamond's debut album, Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop (released under the moniker Diamond & the Psychotic Neurotics), in 1992. The album is considered to be one of the finest D.I.T.C. solo LPs and features early appearances from Big L and Fat Joe, the latter of whose 1993 debut album, Represent, was mainly produced by Diamond D.^[1]

From then, he went on to produce for multiple hip hop and R&B artists listed below in the discography.

In 1996, Diamond D appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD America is Dying Slowly alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as a masterpiece by The Source magazine. In 1996 He won a Grammy for his production contribution on The Fugees LP The Score

Diamond's second album, Hatred, Passions and Infidelity, was released in 1997 to mixed but mostly positive reviews. Following the release, Diamond established his name as a sought-after producer after providing impressive beats for hip hop legends such as Busta Rhymes, Fugees, KRS-One, Queen Latifah, the Pharcyde, and Brand Nubian, among others. He is regarded as one of the first hip hop producers to work with artists on both the east and west coasts. Since then, he released the independent street album Grown-Man Talk, the official mixtape compilation The Diamond Mine, and provided contributions to his D.I.T.C. cohorts' projects including the crew's self-titled 2000 debut album on Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records.^[1]

In 2007 he was nominated for a Grammy award for co-production on Natalie Cole's cover of Aretha Franklin's "Day Dreaming"

In 2008 Diamond signed with Babygrande Records. His fourth album, titled The Huge Hefner Chronicles, was released in October 2008, and unlike previous efforts, the LP showed Diamond focus more on his rhymes, as production was handled by other respected underground beat makers such as Nottz, DJ Scratch, Ill Mind, Def Jef, and Jesse West.

In 2010, he produced “Shine,” the first single from Pharoahe Monch's LP W.A.R. (We Are Renengades).

In July 2013, he confirmed that he was recording a new album called The Diam Piece. Both Sean Price and Rapsody are to be featured on the record.

Discography

Albums

As featured artist

Production

• 1989: Raheem - "I'm The King"
• 1990: Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth - Funky Technician (LP):
  "Funky Technician", "Here I Come", "Bad Mutha", "I Keep The Crowd Listening"
• 1990: Ultimate Force - "I'm Not Playing" (LP)
• 1999: Showbiz & AG - "I'm Convinced", previously unreleased
• 1991: Lord Finesse - Return of the Funky Man (LP):
  "Fuck ’Em", "Isn't He Something", "Praise The Lord", "That's How Smooth I Am", "Praise The Lord (Remix)"
• 1992: Showbiz and A.G. "Hard to Kill", "Soul Clap," from Runaway Slave
• 1992: The Ghetto Girlz - Ain't Takin' No Shit (LP):
  "Alphabetical Order", "Bitch Ass Nigger", "Marked For Death", "That's All She Wrote"
• 1992: Diamond D And The Psychotic Neurotics - "Best Kept Secret (Remix by 45 King & Diamond)"
• 1992: Brand Nubian - "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down", "Punks Jump Up... (Remix)
• 1992: Busy Bee - Thank God For Busy Bee (LP):
  "Get With Me", "Home Boyz", "I Got Thingz Sewed", "My Personality"
• 1992: The A.T.E.E.M. - Yeah (Diamond Mix)
• 1992: R.O.C. - Dedicated to My Girl (Diamond Mix)
• 1993: Illegal - "CrumbSnatcher" and "Illegal Will Roc" from The Untold Truth
• 1993: Red Hot Lover Tone - Give It Up (Remix)
• 1993: Cypress Hill - When The Ship Goes Down (Diamond Mix)<--Unreleased & Revamped says year 1996, not 93(?) (The single was released 1993, the album was compiled in 1996)
• 1993: Yaggfu Front & Diamond D - Slappin' Suckas Silly (Remix)
• 1993: Apache - "Who Freaked Who" and "Get Ya Weight Up" from Apache Ain't Shit
• 1993: Fat Joe - Represent (LP):
  "Bad Man", "Watch The Sound", "Flow Joe", "Da Fat Gangsta", "Shorty Gotta Fat Ass", "You Must Be Out of Your Mind"and "Get On Up"
• 1993: Diamond D - "I'm Outta Here (Remix)"
• 1993: Illegal - "We Getz Buzy (Remix)"
• 1993: Raazda Rukkuz - "Da Chronic Asthmatics" and "Loco Impact", 12" Single
• 1993: Leaders of the New School - "Classic Material (Remix)"
• 1993: Diamond D ft. Lord Finesse & Sadat X - "You Can't Front"
• 1993: Private Investigators - "Who Am I? (God) [Remix]"
• 1993: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Roxbury 02119 (LP):
  "Streets of the Ghetto", "Busted", "Love Comes & Goes", "I Thought Ya Knew", "Dat Ain't Right"
• 1994: Fu-Schnickens - ""Sneakin' Up On Ya", ""Aaahh Ooohhh!" from Nervous Breakdon
• 1994: A.D.O.R. - The Concrete (LP):
  "Day 2 Day", "Heart & Soul", "Keep it Real", "The Kid is Crazy", "Day 2 Day (Mecca Mix)"
• 1994: Shadz of Lingo - A View to a Kill (LP):
  "Different Stylez", "Don't Test Da Skills", "Ill And Get Clowned", "Think I Give A Fuck"
• 1994: Red Hot Lover Tone - "#1 Player" and "Bust The Manueva", from #1 Player
• 1994: Nefertiti - "Come Down Baby" and "Family Tree" from L.I.F.E.
• 1994: House of Pain "Word is Bond", "Word is Bond (Remix)" from Same As It Ever Was
• 1994: Justice System - "Dedication to Bambaata (Remix)"
• 1994: Dana Barros & Cedric Ceballos, ft. A.G. & Brand Nubian - "Ya Don't Stop"
• 1994: Outkast - "SouthernPlayalistiCadillacMuzik (Remix)"
• 1994: Scientifik - "I Got Planz" and "Yeah Daddy", from Criminal
• 1994: The Veldt - "Soul in a Jar (Guitar Mix)"
• 1994: Joi ft. Shadz of Lingo - "Freedom"
• 1994: Total Devastation - "Wonderful World of Skins (Remix)"
• 1994: Lucas - "Cityzen (Diamond D Remix)"
• 1995: The Pharcyde "Groupie Therapy," from Labcabincalifornia
• 1995: KRS-One - "Build Ya Skillz," "Squash All Beef," from KRS-One
• 1995: KRS-One - "Ah Yeah (Diamond Flava)" and "Ah Yeah (Diamond Rhode Mix)", 12" Single
• 1995: KRS-One - "What I Know", unreleased outtake from KRS-One
• 1995: Big C - "Look Alive", from D&D Project
• 1995: Big Red - "Created A Monster" and "How They Want It", 12" Single
• 1995: Various Artists - "Freedom (Theme From Panther)"
• 1995: Tha Alkaholiks "Let it Out," "Next Level," from Coast II Coast
• 1995: Fat Joe - "Bronx Tales" and "Watch Out", from Jealous One's Envy
• 1995: Urban Thermo Dynamics - "Manifest Destiny"
• 1996: Fugees "The Score," from The Score
• 1996: Xzibit "Bird's Eye View," from At the Speed of Life
• 1996: Mondo Grosso - Do You See What I See (Remix)
• 1996: Ronnie Foster - "Summer Song (Diamond D Mix)"
• 1996: Sadat X ft. Fat Joe - "Nasty Hoes", from America is Dying Slowly
• 1996: Raekwon ft. Ghostface Killah& Jodeci - "Rainy Dayz (Mr. Dalvin Remix)"; co-production, programming & mixing
• 1996: Ras Kass "Soul on Ice (Remix)", from Soul on Ice (12" single)
• 1996: Broadway A.K.A. Party Arty - "Enjoy Yourself"
• 1996: Sadat X - "Wild Cowboys", "Petty People" and "Move On" from Wild Cowboys
• 1997: Afro Jazz - "Paria v/s Estat"
• 1997: Organized Konfusion "Questions," from The Equinox
• 1997: Diamond D - "Hiatus (Remix)", "MC2", from The Hiatus 12"
• 1997: D.I.T.C. - "Day One", 12" Single
• 1998: A.D.O.R. - "The Rush", from Shoq Frequency
• 1998: Busta Rhymes "What the Fuck You Want!!" from Extinction Level Event (Final World Front)
• 1998: Brand Nubian - "Foundation", from Foundaction
• 1998: D.I.T.C. ft. Brand Nubian - "I Flip Styles"
• 1998: Queen Latifah - "I Don't Know", from Order in the Court
• 1999: A.G. - "Nowhere to Go", from The Dirty Version
• 1999: Busta Rhymes - "The Bus-a-Bus (Remix)"
• 1999: Diamond D - "When it Pours it Rains", from Soundbombing 2
• 1999: Diamond D & Sadat X - "Feel It", 12" Single
• 1999: Mos Def "Hip-Hop," from Black on Both Sides
• 1999: Pharoahe Monch "The Light," "The Truth," "The Ass," from Internal Affairs
• 1999: Scaramanga - "S.I.R.", from 7 Eyes, 7 Horns
• 1999: Too Short ft. Jay-Z - "Here We Go", from Can't Stay Away
• 2000: A.D.O.R. - "Cock'd Back", from Animal 2000
• 2000: Freddie Foxxx "Bumpy, Bring it Home," from Industry Shakedown
• 2000: D.I.T.C. "Day One," "Foundation," from D.I.T.C.
• 2000: Sadat X - "X-Man", "You Can't Deny" from State of NY vs. Derek Murphy EP
• 2000: Unbound Allstars - "Mumia 911"
• 2001: Busta Rhymes - "Wife in Law" featuring Jaheim
• 2001: Muro ft. O.C. - "Lyrical Tyrants (Diamond Mix)"
• 2002: The 45 King - "Double Dare"
• 2003: Akrobatik- "Feedback," from Balance
• 2003: ASD - "Sag Mir Wo Die Party Ist"
• 2004: Earatik Statik ft. Pacewon - "People Like Us", from Feelin Earatik
• 2004: Edo G featuring Pete Rock - "Streets is Callin", from My Own Worst Enemy
• 2004: The Omen - "It's Our World", from DJ Rhetmatic Mixtape
• 2005: A.D.O.R. - "The Realness", from Signature of Ill
• 2005: Sadat X - "The Great Diamond D", from Experience & Education
• 2005: Medina Green - "Green Boogie", from Mixtape
• 2006: Cannonball Adderley – "Bohemia in the Dark (Remix)"
• 2006: Sadat X - "The Post", from Black October
• 2007: Sean Price - "Get it Together", from Master P
• 2007: Natalie Cole - "Day Dreaming", from Leaving
• 2008: Terror Tongue - "Lyrical Threat", from Unreleased Production 1994
• 2009: Collective Efforts - "I Get Down"
• 2009: Freestyle Professors - "Think About It", from Gryme Tyme
• 2011: Pharoahe Monch - "Shine", from "W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)

References

External links

• Myspace