conflict diamonds/kanye/lupe fiasco
keithvanhorn
3,855 Posts
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.
Comments
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.
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.
But yeah, it's pretty weird, the whole thing.
Kanye's all about the contradictions...
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.
It's a John Barry song son - Shirley just did the vocals. Plus how could not clear a song like that...
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.
I think it was Q-Tip, I need to step my conscious rap game up.
whoa why?
international business class guest speaker. kanye west WILL be brought up.