Today, DJ Mustard is the producer in the highest demand. He dominates the airwaves with his signature, raw minimalism and with a dash of “Mustard on that beat, ho’.” You may be an older Hip Hop head or a youngin’ with enough real love for the culture if you peeped a parallel formula between the Los Angeles-based DJ/producer and Diamond’s career paths. DJ Mustard’s eventual takeover was a blueprint that Diamond had begun laying the groundwork for in 1990, the same year that Mustard was born. You can also cite their similar approach to production per Diamond’s lyrics on his 1992 masterpiece debut album Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop: “My sound is raw, don’t need a million samples
.”In an exclusive interview with HipHopDX, the South Bronx-bred beatsmith/emcee discusses the following: his latest album The Diam Piece; coming up as a DJ in park jams during Hip Hop’s formative years; his days under the tutelage of legendary Universal Zulu Nation DJ Jazzy Jay; the formation of the Diggin’ In The Crates crew with his Forest Houses projects neighbors Fat Joe, Lord Finesse, and Showbiz, as well as Big L , AG, O.C. and Buckwild; his predictions for the Hip Hop industry in 2015, and his take on the discourse surrounding white artists in Hip Hop.
Diamond D Talks “Organic” Hip Hop’s Place In 2015, J. Cole’s “Fire Squad” Lyrics
DX: What do you think is at stake for Hip Hop in 2015?
Diamond D: I think it may be a better year where there might be more balance
. Some of the best albums to drop last year sort of mirrored that. The PRhyme album, the Run The Jewels album, my album, you know. I see a shift maybe in the balance
. I just hope that it makes it to the radio stations. It doesn’t have to be older acts though because it could be somebody young. It’s just more in the music and the approaches to put it together. Like Action Bronson, he’s a new artist, but if you listen to his music, what’s it sound like?DX: Sort of like the sound of Fat Joe’s “Jealous One’s Envy” album.
Diamond D: Right, and he’s not an old school artist. That’s why I said artists like him for the fact that he’s making that kind of music. My point is I see a shift somewhat going back to that, not totally, but something for the people will be more accepting. It’s never going to be a full takeover because music evolves. No matter what genre. And Hip Hop is a music of the youth, first and foremost. It could possibly be a resurgence.
DX: Who do you give props to for helping that paradigm shift or more BALANCE
of newer artists for today’s industry?Diamond D: Yeah, I just mentioned Action Bronson. I like Joey Bada$$, he mixes it up. It’s not just what you would call “organic Hip Hop.” J. Cole, too.
DX: What did you think about J. Cole had a point in what he said in “Fire Squad” about white artists “snatching the sound” of Hip Hop?
Diamond D: Well, he’s right about Rock n’ Roll, Jazz music, and the Blues. Unlike all of those, Hip Hop was born out of poverty, young people who couldn’t go to the disco in downtown. It’s struggle music, even though it was party music like “Hip Hop, ya don’t stop” and “put your hands in the air,” it always came from the street. All your early Hip Hop stars all came from the street. It doesn’t matter how many white people do it, or do it well, I don’t think there will ever be a point where white people take it over. It’s just a mindset. Hip Hop is a culture, too. So I don’t see that happening. I’ve also been following a little bit about that Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks that they’re going through. And it kind of coincides with what we’re talking about.
HipHopDX: When you began your career with Ultimate Force in the late eighties/early nineties, it was a great time for New York Hip Hop.
Diamond D: That’s right. That’s like ‘88, ‘89. We were on Strong City Records. Of course, that was my mentor Jazzy Jay’s record label. At that time, the stars of Strong City were MASTERS OF
Ceremony, Grand Puba’s (first) group. They had a song called “Sexy” that was real big.DX: D&D recording studios just closed it’s doors for good recently. It has been been a fabled recording studio for R&B acts of the eighties, then more legendary Hip Hop producers and emcees who booked sessions there since the early nineties. Did you help spearhead that movement in there after you started recording in there with Lord Finesse on his first album?
Diamond D: I would say that Premier was there first. We all worked out of there one time or another. One of my fondest memories was recording the D&D All Stars album. I was able to get my artists Big C on there too, just from my relationship with Doug (Grama) and Dave (Lotwin). They were doing picture deals and doing photos to market the project. On this particular day, they wanted to talk to all the producers. They was a couple emcees who said it was about “light,” because they thought the producers were getting more light. I thought that was the funniest shyt in the world. But I’m an emcee so I can relate too (laughs). But we had started the D.I.T.C crew by recording at D&D. There’s a lot of good memories with that.
DX: What was the turning point in establishing the D.I.T.C. posse?
Diamond D: I would say like ‘91 or ‘92. When I was in Ultimate Force, it wasn’t Diggin’ In The Crates, yet. From where we all grew up from, I was the first one to get a deal. After Ultimate Force came Lord Finesse into it. He lived across the street from me. After Finesse came Showbiz and AG. Showbiz lived across the street from me, too. Then Fat Joe came, same projects. It was more like a domino effect.
DX: Fat Joe was a dope graffiti writer back then, too.
Diamond D: Yup, we both were. He used to write the word “Crack,” and I used to write “Z Rock.” (laughs)