West enlisted him to work on Late Registration, marking Brion's first involvement in a hip hop project the decision created confused reactions across his fanbase. The pair became connected via their mutual friend Rick Rubin West quickly phoned Brion and they instantly formed chemistry with each other. West became a fan of singer-songwriter Fiona Apple whom Brion had produced for while watching 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, he appreciated Brion's score. Jon Brion contributed production to the song, after becoming involved with West through Rick Rubin.Īmerican record producer and composer Jon Brion had achieved fame from his distinctive production work for artists and film scores for auteurs, though was lacking experience in hip hop. West and Jay-Z performed the remix at the 2005 Summer Jam. It was ranked amongst best-of lists by multiple publications, including Dagsavisen and Rockdelux in 2005. The remix garnered mostly positive responses from critics they commonly appreciated the subject matter and some commended Jay-Z's appearance. Lyrically, it includes references to deaths of civilians in blood diamond mines and tension around consumerism. The remix also samples Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever" and sees Jay-Z rapping in the second part. West performed the song at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Glastonbury Festival in 20, respectively.Ī remix of "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", featuring Jay-Z, was sent to US radio stations by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam on June 15, 2005. It received a nomination for Outstanding Music Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. In the video, scenes of children experiencing rough diamond mining in Sierra Leone are displayed, being accompanied at points by a De Beers commercial and cuts of West wandering around Prague. An accompanying black and white music video was released on June 15, 2005. It has since been certified platinum and silver in the US and the UK by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" reached number eight in the United Kingdom, alongside attaining top 20 positions in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Norway. In the United States, the song peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2005.
The song was awarded Best Rap Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards and won one of the Pop Awards at the 2006 BMI London Awards, before being named by Slant Magazine as among the best singles of the 2000s decade. They often emphasized the rapper's focus on his status, while some critics praised the sampling of "Diamonds Are Forever". The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly complimented West's lyricism. Lyrically, it sees West connect his material wealth to Sierra Leone's blood diamonds and the resulting civil war. West premiered the song for Hot 97 on April 20, 2005, before it was sent to US mainstream radio stations the following month as the album's lead single, through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam.Ī hip hop song, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" features a sample of " Diamonds Are Forever", performed by Shirley Bassey. The song was initially centered around West's group of friends, though was later re-recorded once he learned about blood diamonds in Sierra Leone. The producers, with the exception of Brion, are credited as songwriters alongside John Barry and Don Black, who both received credit due to their composition being sampled. The song was produced by West, Jon Brion, and Devo Springsteen.
#LIKE A DIAMOND REMIX KANYE REGISTRATION#
" Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (originally " Diamonds") is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his second studio album, Late Registration (2005). Hov's original line touts their friendship is so deep that Bleek technically never has to work: " Bleek could be one hit away his whole career/As long as I'm alive, he's a millionaire/And even if I die, he's in my will somewhere/So he can just kick back and chill somewhere, oh yeah/He don't even have to write rhymes."īleek explains, "Put it like this: If I'm hollering at a DJ and I have a record I feel I need the look on, I'm like, 'Fam, I need this look.' You know what that DJ 'gon say to me? 'You good already.2005 single by Kanye West "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" As you see, I'm here," Bleek tells This Is 50. "I don't like that line 'cause that line put a stamp on my career, like I look at people looking at me like is just taking care of me and I'm just chilling and I'm not working. Hov's longtime artist and friend says that being name-checked on Kanye West's remix to "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" hurt his solo career and affected the public's perception of him. Getting shouted out by Jay Z on a song is a good thing for most rappers, but not for Memphis Bleek.
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