Diamonds from Sierra Leone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For Diamonds found in Sierra Leone, see Mining in Sierra Leone § Diamonds.
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
DiamondsfromsierraleoneRemix.jpg
Single by Kanye West
from the album Late Registration
ReleasedMay 2005
Studio
GenreHip hop
Length3:58
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kanye West singles chronology
"The Corner"
(2005) 		"Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
(2005) 		"Go!"
(2005)
Remix cover
DiamondsfromsierraleoneRemix.jpg
Music video
"Diamonds From Sierra Leone" on YouTube

"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (originally "Diamonds") is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his second studio album, Late Registration (2005). The song was produced by West, Jon Brion, and Devo Springsteen. With the exception of Brion, the producers served as songwriters for it alongside John Barry and Don Black, who both received credit due to having wrote work that is sampled. The song was initially centered around West's group of friends, though was later re-recorded once he learnt about blood diamonds in Sierra Leone. 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.

A hip hop song, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" features a sample of "Diamonds Are Forever", performed by Shirley Bassey. Lyrically, it sees West connect his material wealth to Sierra Leone's blood diamonds and the resulting civil war. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly complimented West's lyricism. They often emphasized the rapper's focus on his status, while some critics praised the sampling of "Diamonds Are Forever". 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.

In the United States, the song peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2005. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" reached number eight in the United Kingdom, alongside attaining top 20 positions in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Norway. 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. An accompanying music video was released on June 15, 2005. West performed the song at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Glastonbury Festival in 2006 and 2015, respectively.

A Jay-Z–featuring remix of "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" was sent to US radio stations by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam on June 15, 2005. The remix samples Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever" and sees Jay-Z rapping in the second part. Lyrically, it includes references to deaths of civilians in blood diamond mines and tension around consumerism. The remix garnered mostly positive responses from critics; they commonly appreciated the subject matter and some commended Jay-Z's appearance. It was ranked amongst best-of lists by multiple publications, including Dagsavisen and Rockdelux in 2005. West and Jay-Z performed the remix at the 2005 Summer Jam.

Background and recording[]

American 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 became a fan of singer-songwriter Fiona Apple that Brion had produced for and while watching 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, he appreciated Brion's score. The pair became connected via their mutual friend Rick Rubin; West quickly phoned Brion and they instantly formed chemistry with each other. West enlisted him to work on Late Registration, marking Brion's first involvement in a hip hop project, and the decision created confused reactions across his fanbase. Brion imagined people commenting that West has "gone off his rocker" and envisioning him making "an art record with some crazy, left-field music guy", clarifying this not to be "the case whatsoever". The producer recalled West taking charge of production with his strong vision and mentioned the rapper's "quick, intuitive decisions". Filmmaker Michel Gondry worked on "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" due to being in a studio where Brion had set up a drum kit one day.[1]

The song's production was handled by West, Brion, and Devo Springsteen, all of whom co-wrote it apart from Brion.[2] John Barry and Don Black also received songwriting credits since they wrote singer Shirley Bassey's titular theme song for 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, which is sampled.[2] Bassey revealed in September 2005 that she "didn't know anything about the song before its release" and assumed West did not request permission "to have me singing on his song", recalling not knowing of it until hearing West "performing it at the Live8 concert". She also alluded to a lack of contact from "from his record company, which wasn't very nice".[3] Bassey desired "to look into" West's usage of her vocals since he was "very cheeky", asserting that "one way or another he is going to have to pay me a lot of money". According to British media law specialist Elin Pinnell, a recording deal's "certain rights to your work to various different people" who allow its media exploitation and the likelihood of West gaining permission from one of Bassey's representatives meant he was probably guilty of no wrongdoing.[3] Bassey differed in her opinion of West around two years after the comments, finding the sample impressive and feeling keen to collaborate with him.[4]

The song was originally recorded under the title of "Diamonds", being about West's "posse" and their everlasting strong bond.[5][6] West recalled that when he played the song for fellow rapper Q-Tip after they first met, the rapper told him about the blood diamonds from Sierra Leone, which were mined in a war area and sold internationally in an illegal manner for parliamentary funding.[6][7] This led to West re-recording it as "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", and reading about the issue of conflict diamonds and how their sales were continuing a violent civil war in Sierra Leone, though the track still included the original's lyrics.[6][7][8] He set out to do whatever he "could to learn more and educate people about the problem" from this point onwards, being enthusiastic to rap about it.[7] The recording was also delayed by West and Brion waiting two weeks to rent a harpsichord for the track.[9] West premiered it via Hot 97 on April 20, 2005, with fellow rapper Jay-Z telling radio personality Angie Martinez that West was not comfortable with the debut until mixing had been done about 14 times.[10] The rapper cited memories of Jay-Z's Blueprint Lounge Tour (2001) and recollections of being among the movement of his record label Roc-A-Fella as inspiration for the song, adding that he still maintained a friendship with former chief executive officer Dame Dash.[10]

Composition and lyrics[]

Musically, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a hip hop song.[11] The song contains a sped-up and looped sample of Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever", written by Barry and Black, the former of whom also arranged and conducted the recording.[2][3][12] According to West, the song reminds him of "athletes running", "somebody boxing", and "working out when it gets really hype"; he envisioned it as "the soundtrack to your life".[13] The song features a heavy groove.[14] It has a lush arrangement that is constructed around the Bassey sample,[12] including keyboards accompanied by strings and harpsichords.[2][9][15] The song contains guitars, contributed by Dave Tozer.[2] Live drums are also present, which were played by Gondry.[2] West said he expresses "the musicality" on the song by providing "40 bars", rather than putting out "something that was more radio".[13] On the song's chorus, West's tone ascends.[15]

In the lyrics of "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", West links the material wealth that fame brought him with Sierra Leone's civil war and the illegal diamond trade causing it,[7][16][17] alongside showing off his status.[18] West looks at potentially receiving his desired level of praise, asking: "If you talkin' 'bout classics, do my name get brought up?"[19] On the chorus, West offers his "forever ever ever EVER ever" loyalty to Roc-A-Fella.[15] He recalls when he lost New Artist of the Year to Gretchen Wilson at the American Music Awards of 2004 on the song, criticizing himself for throwing a tantrum over it.[5][20] West also addresses his relationship with Dash: "You know the next question, 'Yo, where's Dame at?'/ This track's the Indian dance to bring our reign back."[10]

Release and reception[]

In May 2005, the song was sent to US mainstream radio stations by West's labels Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam as the lead single from the album.[10][21] On June 21, the labels released the song on vinyl in the United States.[22] A CD for the song was later made available by Universal in the US on August 2, 2005.[23] "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" was eventually included as the twentieth track on West's second studio album Late Registration on August 30, 2005.[24]

The song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, with them frequently praising the lyrical content. Writing for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis noted it showcases West's unique role of the only "mainstream rapper" taking on politics by drawing "the links between the jewellery trade and Sierra Leone's civil war", being impressed with his attempt to discuss topics outside of his wealth and "what a laugh shooting people is, which is more than you can say for his contemporaries".[17] AllMusic's Andy Kellman picked the song as an example of West using identical lyrical strategies to his debut studio album The College Dropout (2004), citing how he goes from "boastful to rueful".[24] Kellman continued, seeing more importance in how "the conflict felt in owning blood diamonds will be lost on those who couldn't afford one with years of combined income", and also felt West to be "tremendous as a pure writer" for mentioning "uncovered topics" on the song.[24] A reviewer for Billboard detailed that heavier concerns are "aired" on the song in comparison to other tracks on the album, "further expanding West's reach".[25] The staff of the Manchester Evening News saw the song as being built by reworking Bassey's "vocal styling" from "Diamonds Are Forever" with "an electro-tinged twist", assuring that the lyrical content is "simply toasting West's stardom".[26]

Simon Reynolds from Uncut noticed that the song's "giddy ascending chorus" demonstrates West "pledg[ing] fealty" to Roc-A-Fella after the label saved him from his "parlous times", as well as commenting on the rapper's chants seemingly "showing off his new status symbols" less than "his aesthetic riches".[15] Reynolds thought the song "lives up" to West's boasting "and then some", focusing on the Bassey sample maintaining his unmatchable sampling skills and also praising the "glittering" production, which he considered to fit in with the lyrics.[15] In Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield depicted that the song weirdly "flips a James Bond theme into an ominous lament for slave labor".[27] The Observer writer Kitty Empire stated the song did not only "loop a Shirley Bassey sample", but also "built lush arrangements around it".[12] Veteran critic Robert Christgau wrote in a review for The Village Voice that "the treated John Barry" of the song "will absolutely sneak up over the long haul".[11] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club was less enthusiastic, saying it comes from "the kind of larger-than-life emotions that can only be conveyed adequately" by sampling "Diamonds Are Forever" and captures West's "manic exhilaration".[28] Rabin further saw the song as "about the world racing along way too fast" and "the kind of scary sustained high that seems like it'll never end", though felt "it echoes the less ambivalent joy" of fellow album tracks "Touch the Sky" and "We Major".[28] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly criticized the "fumble" of a song for being "all defensive boasts".[29]

Accolades[]

On Q's Readers 100 Greatest Tracks Of 2005 list, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" was voted in at number 69.[30] The track was named by Slant Magazine as the 86th best single of the 2000s decade; Cataldo directed praise towards the "Diamonds Are Forever" sample and West's skill "at transposing first-world guilt into the personal sphere".[31] In 2013, the results of a Rolling Stone readers' poll ranked it as West's ninth best song.[32] The track won the Best Rap Song award at the 2006 Grammy Awards, alongside receiving one of the Pop Awards at the 2006 BMI London Awards.[33][34] It garnered a nomination for the award of Outstanding Song at the 2006 NAACP Image Awards.[35]

Music video[]

In May 2005, it was reported that West was in Prague to shoot a music video for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", which he filmed over a three-day period.[14][13] West explained that due to his heavy interest in architecture and art, he felt attracted to the city's sculptures, cathedrals, and stone floors.[13] He elaborated that the content "gives you a timeless feel, and we're gonna shoot it in black and white" in a manner representative of "the music in 'Diamonds'".[13] West later recalled that he came up with the video's concept after learing about blood diamonds.[7] Contrasting with West having served as the director of numerous visuals around 2005, the music video was directed by Hype Williams.[14] It premiered through BET's series Access Granted on June 15, 2005, five days prior to being played for MTV's Total Request Live.[7] 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".[36] The music video was met with critical acclaim. It was nominated for the awards of Best Male Video and Outstanding Music Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards Japan and the 2005 NAACP Image Awards, respectively.[35][37]

Commercial performance[]

On the chart issue dated May 21, 2005, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 94.[38] The song reached number 83 in its third week on the Hot 100, before declining 11 places to number 94 on the issue dated June 11, 2005.[39][40] The following week, the song rebounded by 36 positions to number 58 on the chart.[41] The song fell down the Hot 100 again by five places to number 63 on the issue dated June 25, 2005, though eventually surpassed the rebound position by peaking at number 43 in its 12th week on the chart.[42][43] "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" lasted for 19 weeks on the Hot 100.[44] The song peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for the issue date of July 2, 2005.[45] It debuted at number 18 on the US Hot Rap Songs chart issue dated May 14, 2005, ultimately reaching number 11 three weeks later.[46][47] The song further peaked at number 24 on the US Rhythmic chart.[48] On November 20, 2018, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for pushing 1,000,000 certified units in the US.[49]

The track was most successful in the United Kingdom, charting at number eight on the UK Singles Chart, which it spent 16 weeks on.[50] For 2005, the track ranked at number 98 on the year-end chart.[51] On October 4, 2019, the track was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 200,000 units in the UK.[52] As of October 24, it stands as West's 39th most successful track of all time in the country.[53] The track experienced similar performance in Denmark, peaking at number nine on the Tracklisten Top 40.[54] It reached numbers 16 and 17 on the Norwegian VG-lista Singles Top 20 and Finnish Singles Chart, respectively.[55][56] The track also attained a top 20 position in Ireland, peaking at number 19 on the Irish Singles Chart.[57] It was less successful in Sweden, charting at number 30 on the Sverigetopplistan Singles Top 100.[58]

Live performances and other usage[]

Kanye West performing the song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" at the 2006 Brit Awards on February 14, 2006 in ˞˞˞˞˞˞˞˞˞˞˞˞˞Earls Court in London, England.
West performing the song at the 2006 Brit Awards

West performed the song live on the fourth episode of Wild 'n Out in 2005.[59] The song was performed by West at Abbey Road Studios on September 21, 2005, for his first live album Late Orchestration (2006).[60][61] West performed a medley of the song, "Touch the Sky", and fellow Late Registration track "Gold Digger" at the 2006 Brit Awards, marking his first performance at the ceremony.[62] While performing, he was supported by 77 dancers that were spray-painted with gold.[62] West performed "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" as the opener to his set at the 2006 Coachella Festival, where he wore a T-shirt in tribute to American trumpeter Miles Davis.[63] On July 1, 2007, West performed the song at 8:56 p.m. as the last number of his set for part 3 of Princess Diana memorial event Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium, London.[64][65] A week later, West delivered a performance of the song for the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[66] West quickly made his way to the stage at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange for T on the Fringe 2007 while the sample of "Diamonds Are Forever" on "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" played, before he performed the song. The performance saw him accompanied by a full-sized harp and a large group of tall violinists that wore golden ball gowns, and was reacted to positively by the crowd.[67][68]

At Summer Jam 2008 on June 1, West came out at 9 p.m. and started his appearance with a performance of the song.[69] He was backed by explosive lights, pyrotechnics, and a multiple-piece band, though focused heavily on the music while hunched over.[69][70] West performed a medley of hits that included the song and "Jesus Walks" (2004) at the 2009 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London, while rocking his customary aviator shades and black suit jacket.[71] He performed on an elevated section of the stage, being surrounded by four topless dancers that wore tiaras and body paint.[71] West provided a performance of the song at the 2011 Coachella Festival.[72] West performed a shortened version of it as part of a medley of over 10 songs for 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 12, 2012, while rocking a Pyrex hoodie and leather kilt.[73][74][75] He performed the song for his headlining appearance at the 2014 Bonnaroo Music Festival.[76] The tempo for West's headlining set at the 2015 Glastonbury Festival went up from earlier during his performance of the song, which began from the set's 1:05:37 mark.[77][78] The crowd cheered loudly in response to the performance, as well as yelling the lyrics back at West.[79]

Fellow rapper Lupe Fiasco raps over the song's instrumental on "Conflict Diamonds", which was released on his second mixtape Fahrenheit 1/15 Part II: Revenge of the Nerds (2006). The song's lyrics feature Lupe Fiasco discussing the illegal diamond trade in Africa, mostly referencing the West of the continent. For the song's conclusion, he raps: "Props to Kanye, I call it 'Conflict Diamonds'."[80]

Remix[]

Jay-Z at a concert in 2006.
Numerous reviewers applauded Jay-Z's feature on the remix.

On June 15, 2005, the remix of "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", featuring Jay-Z, impacted radio in the US, through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam.[14] It was later released for digital download in the country on July 5.[81] On August 30, 2005, the remix was included as the 13th track on Late Registration.[24] Like the original, it contains a sample of Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever".[2] West's rapping is succeeded by Jay-Z's verse, which he delivers during the second part of the remix.[12][82][83] Throughout the remix, the deaths of many civilians in blood diamond mines are referenced, as well as the tension between criticizing consumerism and being unable to resist it.[7][28][29] West also alludes to the irony of wealthy African-Americans having bling as a result of Africans' suffering, alongside pleading with Jacob the Jeweler to be told his diamonds were not a product of conflict.[12][83] Jay-Z mostly discusses his ongoing feud with Dash, while he also pledges allegiance to his frequent collaborator Memphis Bleek after the rapper's albums had not sold well.[83] He asserts that instead of a businessman, he is "a business, man..."[84]

The remix was mostly well-received by critics, often being praised for the subject matter. Rabin believed the "Jay-Z-blessed remix" evokes West's common theme of "the tension between criticizing consumerism and feeling powerless to resist its temptations".[28] He detailed that West is like a "preacher who has no problem" showing everyone he's among "the biggest sinners in church", seeing how "his self-deprecating, humanizing take on spirituality" shows why the rapper has "managed to smuggle Jesus onto the hip-hop charts, and ride socially conscious rap to multiple platinum plaques".[28] Browne preferred the remix to the original and noted the addition of "new rhymes about how [Sierra Leone]'s diamond mines take lives", calling it "West's retort" to The College Dropout track "Breathe in Breathe Out" that focuses on "bling".[29] Blender's Jonah Weiner named the remix among the tracks on Late Registration to download, saying West "shares his appalled discovery" of the diamond industry including "African warlords" and "the miners they mutilate".[82] Weiner also chronicled that he asks a "24-carat question" and stated Jay-Z's "chuckling guest verse" is an "odd contrast" to West's "hand-wringing".[82] Sean Fennessey of Pitchfork felt the remix provides "some admirable if dubious political grandstanding", though remembered "you gotta pay the cost to be the boss" like any "colossal undertaking".[85] Azeem Ahmad from musicOMH saw it as both "excruciatingly haunting" and a "masterful piece of work".[86] In a negative review for Prefix Mag, Matthew Gasteier complained that West sounds as if he was given "a five-minute rundown on the issue before he started writing" the remix.[87]

On Rockdelux's list of the best songs of 2005, the remix was placed at number two.[88] It was positioned at number 16 on Dagsavisen's best songs list for that year.[89] The remix was ranked at number 55 on a list of 2005's greatest songs by Blender, with the staff writing that "a 007 sample" is deployed "to bitch-slap De Beers" and Jay-Z "does what he does best" by rhyming about himself.[90] On a list by Complex of the best songs from the magazine's 2002 formation to their decade anniversary in 2012, it was placed 87th.[91] In 2015, The Guardian listed the remix as West's fourth best song.[92] Billboard crowned the remix as West and Jay-Z's best collaboration in 2011, while Capital FM named it as their second best seven years later.[93][94] At Summer Jam 2005, West brought out Jay-Z to perform the remix.[95] Within West's 2007 track "Big Brother", he admits Jay-Z outperformed him on the remix: "I swore I spazzed/Then my big brother came through and kicked my ass."[84] Memphis Bleek criticized Jay-Z's shoutout of him on it when speaking to This Is 50 in 2014, expressing a distaste for how "a stamp" was put on his career since people allegedly saw things "like [Jay] is just taking care of me and I'm just chilling and I'm not working".[96]

Track listings[]

US vinyl[22]

  1. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – Instrumental
  2. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – A cappella

Australia CD single[97]

  1. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – Album Version (Explicit)
  2. "Jesus Walks" – Remix (Explicit)
  3. "The New Workout Plan" – Remix (Album Version, Explicit)

US digital download – Remix[81]

  1. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (Remix feat. Jay-Z) [feat. JAY-Z] – 3:34

Credits and personnel[]

Information taken from Late Registration liner notes.[2]

Recording

Personnel

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Certifications for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[52] Silver 200,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[49] Platinum 1,000,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

Release dates and formats for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
Region Date Format Version Label(s) Ref.
United States May 2005 Mainstream radio Original
[21]
June 21, 2005 Vinyl [22]
July 5, 2005 Digital download Remix [81]
United Kingdom July 14, 2005 Maxi CD Original Mercury [107]
Australia August 1, 2005 CD Universal Australia [97]
United States August 2, 2005 Universal [23]

References[]

  1. ^ Perez, Rodrigo (August 12, 2005). "Kanye's Co-Pilot, Jon Brion, Talks About The Making Of Late Registration". MTV. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Late Registration (Media notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2005.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Shirl shaken not stirred as 'cheeky' rapper Kanye uses her voice on single". WalesOnline. September 22, 2005. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  4. ^ "Shirley Bassey Wants To Work With Kanye West". Starpulse. October 29, 2007. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. Retrieved October 29, 2007 – via World Entertainment News Network.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Sanneh, Kelefa (July 24, 2005). "Kanye West's Argument With Himself". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Boyd, Brian (March 16, 2007). "Taking the rap for bloody bling". The Irish Times. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Rashbaum, Alyssa (June 15, 2005). "Kanye Gets Conscious on 'Diamonds' Remix". Vibe. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  8. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (August 5, 2005). "Natural born show-off". The Guardian. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Brown, Jake (2006). Kanye West in the Studio. Colossus Books. p. 129. ISBN 9780976773566 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Reid, Shaheem (April 20, 2005). "Kanye Shows Off First Late Registration Single". MTV. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Christgau, Robert (August 30, 2005). "Growing by Degrees – Kanye West adds new subtlety, complexity, and Jon Brion to the idea of sophomoric". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Empire, Kitty (August 28, 2005). "West ends the wait". The Observer. Archived from the original on September 19, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Reid, Shaheem (2005-05-17). "Kanye West Shooting 'Diamonds' Video In 'Pray-Goo'". MTV. Archived from the original on 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2005-05-17.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Throw Your Diamonds in the Sky: Kanye West Returns with Epic New Video 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone'; Hype Williams-Directed Video Set to Air This Week as Hot New Remix Feat. Jay-Z Blasts off at Radio". New York: Business Wire. June 15, 2005. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Reynolds, Simon (July 28, 2005). "Kanye West - Late Registration". Uncut. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "For Kanye, Confidence Is King". Billboard. August 29, 2005. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b Petridis, Alexis (August 19, 2005). "Kanye West, Late Registration". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  18. ^ Pareles, Jon (August 29, 2005). "A Producer in Another Star Turn". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  19. ^ Caramanica, Jon (September 2005). "The Man Who Would Be King". Spin. 21 (9). ISSN 0886-3032. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2021 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Jones, Steve (August 29, 2005). "Kanye West's 'Registration' is right on time". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "Available for Airplay". FMQB. Archived from the original on May 2, 2005. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone". Amazon.com. ASIN B006QDF5A0. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b "West, Kanye - Diamonds From Sierra Leone Pt. 2". Amazon.com. ASIN B0009WXGGY. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Kellman, Andy. "Late Registration – Kanye West". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  25. ^ "Paul McCartney – Chaos and Creation in the Background". Billboard. 117 (36). September 3, 2005. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 10, 2021 – via Google Books.
  26. ^ "Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Mercury)". Manchester Evening News. July 4, 2005. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  27. ^ Sheffield, Rob (August 25, 2005). "Late Registration". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Rabin, Nathan (September 7, 2005). "Review: Kanye West: Late Registration". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b c Browne, David (August 29, 2005). "Late Registration". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  30. ^ "Foo Fighters". Q. No. 233. December 2005.
  31. ^ "The 100 Best Singles of the Aughts". Slant Magazine. January 25, 2010. p. 2. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  32. ^ "Readers' Poll: The Ten Best Kanye West Songs". Rolling Stone. June 26, 2013. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  33. ^ "Artist - Kanye West". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  34. ^ "2006 BMI London Awards". BMI. October 3, 2006. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b "37th Annual NAACP Image Awards Noms Announced". Emmys. January 21, 2005. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  36. ^ Barker, Ernest; Kamer, Foster; Ahmed, Insanul; Notro, Lauren; Spencer, Tannis; Simmons, Ted; Shipley, Al (2018-06-08). "Ranking All 43 of Kanye West's Music Videos". Complex. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  37. ^ Scott Lapatine (31 July 2006). "2006 MTV Video Music Award Nominations". Stereo Gum. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  38. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – May 21, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  39. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – June 4, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  40. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – June 11, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  41. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – June 18, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  42. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – June 25, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  43. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – August 6, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  44. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  45. ^ "Music: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart – July 2, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  46. ^ "Music: Top Rap Songs Chart – May 14, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  47. ^ "Music: Top Rap Songs Chart – June 4, 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  48. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kanye West Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  49. ^ Jump up to: a b "American single certifications – Kanye West – Diamonds from Sierra Leone". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  50. ^ "Kanye West | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  51. ^ Jump up to: a b "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 - 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  52. ^ Jump up to: a b "British single certifications – Kanye West – Diamonds from Sierra Leone". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 3, 2021.Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Diamonds from Sierra Leone in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  53. ^ White, Jack (October 24, 2019). "Kanye West's Official Top 40 biggest songs in the UK". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  54. ^ Jump up to: a b "Danishcharts.com – Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone". Tracklisten. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  55. ^ Jump up to: a b "Norwegiancharts.com – Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone". VG-lista. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  56. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kanye West: Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  57. ^ Jump up to: a b "Irish-charts.com – Discography Kanye West". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  58. ^ Jump up to: a b "Swedishcharts.com – Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  59. ^ Jenkins, Craig (June 9, 2015). "The Funniest Moments From Wild 'N Out". Complex. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  60. ^ "Kanye West at Abbey Road for Radio 1". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  61. ^ "Late Orchestration – Live at Abbey Road Studios by Kanye West". Apple Music (GB). Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  62. ^ Jump up to: a b Fleischer, Adam (February 25, 2015). "We're About To Get Another Taste Of Kanye West's New Album". MTV. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  63. ^ "Kanye West scores biggest crowd so far at Coachella". NME. April 30, 2006. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  64. ^ Kennedy, Maev (April 27, 2007). "Diana concert lineup spans the generations". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  65. ^ "Concert for Diana - Timeline". BBC. Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  66. ^ "Kanye West plays rousing set at US Live Earth". NME. July 8, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  67. ^ Flynn, Bob (September 17, 2011). "First Night: Kanye West, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh". The Independent. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  68. ^ Dalton, Stephen (August 20, 2007). "Kanye West". The Times. Corn Exchange. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  69. ^ Jump up to: a b Reid, Shaheem (June 2, 2008). "Kanye West Joins Lil Wayne Onstage At Hot 97 Summer Jam, But Alicia Keys, T-Pain and D-Block Steal The Show". MTV. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  70. ^ Fowler, Linda A. (June 2, 2008). "Kanye West eclipsed by other acts at Summer Jam". NJ.com. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  71. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kanye West Closes Wireless Festival With Crystal-themed Show". NME. July 6, 2009. Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  72. ^ "Download Kanye West's Coachella Mixtape". Rolling Stone India. May 11, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  73. ^ "12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief Setlist". Billboard. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  74. ^ Pederson, Erik (December 12, 2012). "The Concert for Sandy Relief: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  75. ^ "Kanye West and Alicia Keys Perform at '12.12.12: The Concert for Sandy Relief'". Rap-Up. December 12, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  76. ^ Gruger, William (June 14, 2014). "Kanye West's Bonnaroo Return: Minimal 'Yeezus' & Maximum Media Hate During Inspiring Set". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  77. ^ Goodacre, Kate (June 27, 2015). "Kanye West brings drama to Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage: 'You are watching the greatest living rock star on the planet'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  78. ^ Zo (June 27, 2015). "Watch Kanye West's Contentious Glastonbury Performance In Full". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  79. ^ "Kanye West's Glastonbury performance was surprisingly very un-Kanye-like". Oxford Mail. June 28, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  80. ^ Thompson, Paul (May 2, 2019). "The brilliant ambiguity of Lupe Fiasco's 'The Truth Is Among Us'". The Fader. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  81. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix feat. Jay-Z) [feat. Jay-Z] by Kanye West". Amazon.com. ASIN B000VZ93VG. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  82. ^ Jump up to: a b c Weiner, Jonah (September 2005). "Kanye West: Late Registration". Blender (40): 130. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  83. ^ Jump up to: a b c Crosley, Hillary; Aswad, Jem (2005-06-14). "'Diamonds' Remix: Kanye Raps About Rocks, Jay Raps About Roc". MTV. Retrieved 2005-06-14.
  84. ^ Jump up to: a b X, Dharmic (August 13, 2013). "A (Brief) History of Jay Z & Kanye West Competing". Complex. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  85. ^ Fennessey, Sean (August 25, 2005). "Kanye West: Late Registration". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  86. ^ Ahmad, Azeem. "Kanye West - Late Registration". musicOMH. Archived from the original on January 12, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  87. ^ Gasteier, Matthew (August 29, 2005). "Kanye West . Late Registration". Prefix Mag. Archived from the original on November 20, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  88. ^ "Rock De Lux Lists..." Rocklist.net. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  89. ^ "Debatt" [Debate]. Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). December 13, 2005. Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  90. ^ "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2005". Blender. January 10, 2006. Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  91. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of The Complex Decade". Complex. April 18, 2012. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  92. ^ Hatchman, Jonathan (March 25, 2015). "Kanye West: 10 of the Best". The Guardian. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  93. ^ "'Watch The Throne': Jay-Z and Kanye West's 10 Best Collaborations". Billboard. August 4, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  94. ^ "Kanye West And Jay Z's 8 Best Collaborations". Capital FM. April 6, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  95. ^ Gissen, Jesse (June 1, 2012). "The 25 Best Summer Jam Moments". Complex. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  96. ^ "Memphis Bleek Didn't Like Jay Z's Shout-Out On Kanye West 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)'". XXL. February 12, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  97. ^ Jump up to: a b "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 1st August 2005" (PDF). ARIA Charts. August 1, 2005. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2021 – via Pandora.
  98. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  99. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  100. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  101. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  102. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  103. ^ "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  104. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  105. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  106. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - 2005 Year End Charts". Billboard. 2005. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  107. ^ "Diamonds from Sierra Leone". Amazon.co.uk. ASIN B0009WXGGY. Retrieved August 8, 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""