conflict diamonds/kanye/lupe fiasco

keithvanhorn

Did Kanye write the original Diamonds song with Sierre Leone in mind? I think that he never even thought about it until after the fact and just tagged it onto the title right before the album came out.Recently (and I forget where) I read an interview with Lupe Fiasco where he claims that it was his idea to use Kanye's song as a way to bring attention to conflict diamdonds. Apparently, he got a hold of the beat from Kanye and did his own version which was entirely on the subject of Sierre Leone and all the related attrocities.If you look at the lyrics to the original Kanye song there is absolutely no mention of conflict diamonds or Sierre Leone. He did speak on it in the remix, but according to Lupe, that was only after he heard his version. I am not trying to criticize Kanye, but what was the point of adding Sierre Leone to the title of the first song when the lyrics are completely unrelated? And second, if he was going to speak on conflict diamonds in the remix, why ask Jay-z to do a verse that is completely irrelevant ("im a business...man", etc.). If his point was to bring awareness to the subject, he sure went about it in an inconspicuous way.

jazzercism

He admitted that he didn't know anything about conflict diamonds until after he released the original version of the song. But I thought he said that Kweli told him about it or something like that.

keithvanhorn

regardless, the idea that he put out one song talking about "getting diamonds" and another (or half of another) about all the people who were murdered and disfigured to make those diamonds seems like an extreme contradiction...at best.

he could have gotten a lot of positive attention if he ditched the first song and just included the remix (minus jay-z) on his album.

mandrew

keith, from what i've heard, your synopsis is correct, sir.
as for kanye's remix, i think it was hastily put together. kanye's original song is about shiny diamonds and the roc-a-fella diamond. hence, jay's verse works in that context. then kanye had one of his mini-epiphanies (i was shopping two days after katrina, but now i'm asking my business manager how much i can give), wrote a verse that was sensitive to all the ills that come from his lavish life - he's so conflicted, y'all - and put it on the remix. now the remix isn't really consistent in its content. but i still like it.

Mjukis

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but I think it's straight up HILARIOUS that he didn't clear the sample. Shirley Bassey sitting at home watching him perform it on some event like "That's my song!"

But yeah, it's pretty weird, the whole thing.

jazzercism

regardless, the idea that he put out one song talking about "getting diamonds" and another (or half of another) about all the people who were murdered and disfigured to make those diamonds seems like an extreme contradiction...at best.

he could have gotten a lot of positive attention if he ditched the first song and just included the remix (minus jay-z) on his album.

Kanye's all about the contradictions...

gloom

im meeting with the united states ambassador from sierra leone on monday. for serious.

Jonny_Paycheck

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but I think it's straight up HILARIOUS that he didn't clear the sample. Shirley Bassey sitting at home watching him perform it on some event like "That's my song!"

But yeah, it's pretty weird, the whole thing.

He did clear the sample, it just didn't have anything to do with Shirley Bassey. I don't believe she owns a single part of the song.

DJCire

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but I think it's straight up HILARIOUS that he didn't clear the sample. Shirley Bassey sitting at home watching him perform it on some event like "That's my song!"

But yeah, it's pretty weird, the whole thing.

It's a John Barry song son - Shirley just did the vocals. Plus how could not clear a song like that...

mumbosauce

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but I think it's straight up HILARIOUS that he didn't clear the sample. Shirley Bassey sitting at home watching him perform it on some event like "That's my song!"

But yeah, it's pretty weird, the whole thing.

He did clear the sample, it just didn't have anything to do with Shirley Bassey. I don't believe she owns a single part of the song.

exactly. what is she going to do? if his label went through the proper channels to clear the sample there really isn't anything she can do. she just performed it. unless she was there writing the lyrics with don black and never got credit thats her fault. I can see how she is pissed about it but what are you going to do?

and I have heard several names dropped about hipping Kanye to the whole sierra leone topic. i heard q-tip's named dropped as saying he was the one who hipped kanye to the atrocities. who really clued him in? inquiring minds want to know.

jazzercism

i heard q-tip's named dropped as saying he was the one who hipped kanye to the atrocities.

I think it was Q-Tip, I need to step my conscious rap game up.

Swayze

im meeting with the united states ambassador from sierra leone on monday. for serious.

whoa why?

gloom

im meeting with the united states ambassador from sierra leone on monday. for serious.

whoa why?

international business class guest speaker. kanye west WILL be brought up.

Voms72

My Girlfriend is from Kenema which is in the eastern region of Sierra Leone, where the war first hit in 91. During this time people voted with ink on different fingers for particular political parties this caused an outbreak of finger amputations so people could not vote, ironically the main perpetrator was the ONE LOVE party. I played her the song and she laughed like she does at most things SL related, even the UN peacekeepers are there for a diamond feed.