"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. It was released on May 31, 2005, as the lead single of his second studio album, Late Registration. The track features a sample of the song "Diamonds Are Forever" by Shirley Bassey. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone". Shirley Bassey had praise for West after hearing the song for herself. The song connects the material wealth West had become accustomed to following his rise to fame with the horrors of the civil war in the West African country Sierra Leone, financed by the illegal diamond trade. After gathering information on the plight of children in West African countries, who since 1991 have been forced to mine the conflict diamonds and die in the civil wars funded by them. West recorded a remix of this song with Ludacris, which is actually the 13th track on Late Registration and this original version is a bonus track on the album.
Reception[]
The song peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number 8 on the UK Top 40. It won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song at the 48th Grammy Awards as well as a Pop Award at the 2006 BMI London Awards. The music video was met with critical acclaim. It was nominated for Best Male Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and Outstanding Music Video at the 2005 NAACP Image Awards.
Music Video[]
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 the city of Prague, the capital of Czechia. West was fascinated by the architecture found in the capital and felt its sculptures, cathedrals, and stone pavements emitted the timeless feel of "Diamonds". 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 Europeans shopping in boutiques and trying on jewelry. The music video ends with text that reads, "Please purchase conflict-free diamonds".
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Shirley Bassey]
Diamonds are forever
They won't leave in the night
I've no fear that they might
Desert me
[Hook: Shirley Bassey & Kanye West]
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
Throw your diamonds in the sky if you feel the vibe
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever, forever)
The Roc is still alive every time I rhyme
Forever ever? Forever ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever?
Ever, ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever?
[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Close your eyes and imagine, feel the magic
Vegas on acid, seen through Yves St. Laurent glasses
And I've realized that I've arrived
'Cause it take more than a magazine to kill my Vibe
"Does he write his own rhymes?" Well, sort of, I think 'em
That mean I forgot better shit than you ever thought of
"Damn, is he really that caught up?"
I ask, if you talkin' about classics, do my name get brought up?
I remember I couldn't afford a Ford Escort
Or even a four-track recorder
So it's only right that I let the top drop on a drop-top Porsche
Spoil yourself, that's important
If your stripper name "Porsche" and you get tips from many men
Then your fat friend, her nickname is "Minivan"
Excuse me, that's the Henny, man
I smoke, I drink, I'm supposed to stop, I can't, because—
[Hook: Shirley Bassey & Kanye West]
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
Throw your diamonds in the sky if you feel the vibe
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever, forever)
The Roc is still alive every time I rhyme
Forever ever? Forever ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever?
Ever, ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever?
[Verse 2: Kanye West]
I was sick about awards, couldn't nobody cure me
Only playa that got robbed but kept all his
Alicia Keys tried to talk some sense in him
Thirty minutes later seein' there's no convincin' him
What more could you ask for? The international asshole
Who complain about what he is owed?
And throw a tantrum like he is three years old
You gotta love it though: somebody still speaks from his soul
And wouldn't change by the change or the game or the fame
When he came in the game, he made his own lane
Now all I need is y'all to pronounce my name
It's Kanye, but some of my plaques, they still say "Kayne"
Got family in the D, Kin-folk from Motown
Back in the Chi, them Folks ain't from Moe Town
Life movin' too fast, I need to slow down
Girl ain't give me no ass, you need to go down
My father been said I need
So he took me to church and let the water wash over my caesar
The preacher said we need leaders
Right then, my body got still like a paraplegic
You know who you call; you got a message, then leave it
The Roc stand tall and you would never believe it
Take your diamonds and throw 'em up like you bulimic
Yeah, the beat cold, but the flow is anemic
After debris settles and the dust get swept off
Big K pick up where young Hov left off
Right when magazines wrote Kanye West off
I dropped my new shit, it sound like the best of
A&R's lookin' like, "Pssh, we messed up."
Grammy night, damn right, we got dressed up
Bottle after bottle 'til we got messed up
In the studio with Really Doe, yeah, he next up
People askin' me if I'm gon' give my chain back
That'll be the same day I give the game back
You know the next question, dog: "Yo, where Dame at?"
This track the Indian dance to bring our reign back
"What's up with you and man? Are y'all okay, man?"
They pray for the death of our dynasty like "Amen"
R-r-r-r-right here stands a man
With the power to make a diamond with his bare hands
[Hook: Shirley Bassey & Kanye West]
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
Throw your diamonds in the sky if you feel the vibe
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever, forever)
The Roc is still alive every time I rhyme
Forever ever? Forever ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever?
Ever, ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever?
[Outro: Shirley Bassey]
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever, forever)