Young Sid

Sid Diamond

Young Sid in Dunedin, Otago in 2008
Background information
Birth name Sidney Diamond
Also known as Young Sid
Born 7 July 1986
Auckland, New Zealand
Origin Auckland, New Zealand
Genres New Zealand hip hop, Rap
Years active 2005–present
Labels Move The Crowd Records
Associated acts Smashproof, David Dallas, Ethical, Brad Marquis, Nesian Mystik
Website http://www.movethecrowd.co.nz/

Sidney "Sid" Diamond (born 7 July 1986), also known by his stage name Young Sid, is a New Zealand rapper and member of hip-hop group Smashproof. His 2007 debut album, The Truth, was named the Urban Album of the Year at the 2008 Māori Music Awards.[1]

Biography

Young Sid was born in Otara, South Auckland, New Zealand and later moved to Manukau City, Auckland. He is of Cook Island and Maori descent, and was raised in the Manukau suburb of Otara. Sid used his aunt's address to attend Papatoetoe High School.[2] He was first attracted to American hip hop after listening to his older brother's copy of the 1988 N.W.A single "Gangsta Gangsta."[3] Sid recorded his first song when he was eleven, and was part of a short-lived hip-hop group called The Murder Squad.[3][4]

Career

Sid, along with fellow rappers Tyree and Deach, formed hip-hop trio Smashproof in 2005, and they signed a contract with Move The Crowd Records (a subsidiary of Universal) during Sid's first semester of university; he dropped out shortly thereafter in order to pursue his music career full-time. Sid explained in an interview with the Sunday Star Times that the name "Smashproof" was a play on the word "bulletproof."[4] He briefly came under controversy in February 2008 when he appeared in a music video featuring a South Auckland street gang, of which his brother is a member.[5]

His solo debut, The Truth, was released on Move The Crowd in 2007, and featured a guest appearance by Chamillionaire. He spent three weeks in New York recording the tracks,[6] many of which were produced in Croatia, France, and Auckland.[2] The album would then go on to debut at No. 27 in its lone week on the RIANZ top-40 album charts on 10 September.[7]

His first album with Smashproof, titled The Weekend, was released in March 2009, and featured their No. 1 hit song, "Brother," which broke a 23-year-old record for the longest consecutive run at number one by a New Zealand-based act on the country's singles chart.[8] Sid was the opening act for Ice Cube's Straight Outta Compton Tour concert in Manukau City on 22 August 2007.[9]

Discography

Albums

Date Title Label Charted Certification
September 2007 The Truth Move The Crowd/Universal No. 27 (NZ) RIANZ
May 2010 What Doesn't Kill Me Move The Crowd/Universal No. 11 (NZ) RIANZ

Singles

Title Featured Performers Album Producers Year
"Hood Like Me" The Truth Shuko 2007
"Hood Like Me (Remix)" Fizek, Louie Knuxx, Ethical, Flowz, K54 The Truth Shuko 2007
"Too Much Pain" Brad Marquis The Truth Lyr1kz 2007
"Undisputed" The Truth Noble 2007
"MTC its OVA" Ethical, Deach The Truth Cochise, Juse 2007
"My Letter" Brad Marquis The Truth Lyr1kz 2007
"MADE" What Doesn't Kill Me Twice As Nice 2009
"Never Waste a Day" Kayo What Doesn't Kill Me Twice As Nice 2010
"Stuck In a Box" Stan Walker What Doesn't Kill Me Emile 2010
"You" Deach What Doesn't Kill Me Twice As Nice 2010

Mixtape Appearances

Title Featured Artists DJ Year
Speed Of Sound Vol 1' MTC DJ Nino Brown 2005
Speed Of Sound Vol 2' MTC DJ Manchoo 2006
Speed Of Sound Vol 3' MTC DJ SMV 2007
Major Flavours Vol 2 (Australia)' Urban Artists from NZ, Aus, USA DJ Sirvere 2008
Speed Of Sound Vol 4 (Domestic Disturbance)' Young Sid DJ Danny-ill 2009
Get Ready Mixtape' Sir T Hosted By Young Sid DJ SMV 2010
Speed Of Sound Vol 5' MTC DJ Manchoo 2010

Other guest appearances

Title Performers Album Producers Year
"Oh No" Tyree (feat. Deach) Global Casino Juse 2005
"Ride Till I Die" Juse (feat. Smashproof and Kaeson) Global Casino Juse 2005
"Who Better Than This (Remix)" PNC (feat. Scribe, David Dallas, Louie Knuxx, Koma, and Mareko) P, N Whoa (Single) 41 2006
"Turn it Up" DJ Sirvere (feat. Smashproof and MZRE) Major Flavours N/A 2006
"Put Ya Colours On" Fizek (feat. Face Killa, Gravity, Punchline, and 187) Skull Fingers Up (The Sample) (EP) N/A 2008
"3rd Class Living" Ethical (feat. M1) Ages Turn N/A 2008
"Problem Child" Ethical (feat. Cyphanetic) Ages Turn N/A 2008
"Talk of the Town" (remix) Ethical (feat. Tyson Tyler, Kardinal Offishall, and Grandmaster Roc Raida) Coming of Age (EP) Emile 2008
"Chop 'Em Down" Ethical Coming of Age (EP) Twice As Nice 2008
"You Already Know" Nesian Mystik Elevator Musiq DMON 2008
"Brother" Smashproof with Gin Wigmore The Weekend F.B.I 2009
"It's Friday" Smashproof The Weekend Styles Fuego 2009
"Ordinary Life" Smashproof The Weekend Twice As Nice 2009
"Monstars Ink (Remix)" Tyson Tyler (feat. Monsta Ganjah and Flowz) Reality Cheque Yorel 2009
"First Time" David Dallas (feat. Jordache and Niko) Something Awesome P-Money & 41 2009
"Really Don't Care (Remix)" Derty Sesh (feat. Ethical) Sic Love Derty Sesh 2009
"Deachy is Back (SP Remix)" Deach (feat. Tyree) Vision Twice as Nice 2010
"Move The Crowd" MTC Speed of Sound Vol.5 Styalz Fuego 2010
"Ready For Whatever" SIR T Walk With Me Twice As Nice 2010

Awards and nominations

2007 Nesian Vibes Awards

2008 New Zealand Music Awards

2008 Māori Music Awards

2009 New Zealand Music Awards

2010 Māori Music Awards

2010 New Zealand Music Awards

References

  1. "Young Sid wins @ Waiata Māori Awards". Pacific Superheroes. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Smithies, Grant (10 September 2007). "Young Auckland rapper speaks the truth". Stuff NZ.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Young Sid biography – Allmusic
  4. 4.0 4.1 Rapper Young Sid – Sunday Star Times, 21 February 2008
  5. "Killer Beez diss stings Dawn Raid". Sunday Star Times. 17 February 2008.
  6. "Move the Crowd: Young Sid". Move the Crowd Records.
  7. RIANZ Albums Chart, 10/9/07
  8. Smashproof – The Weekend – Move the Crowd Blog, 1 January 2009
  9. Straight Outta Compton Tour, 22 August 2007 on YouTube
  10. "2008 Vodafone NZ Music Award Finalists". Muzic.net.nz. 3 September 2008. Retrieved 5 Jan 2009.

External links