I lived in Washington D.C. for three years after graduating from the University of Maryland. It’s a great city, filled with lots of culture and beauty. It’s also very grimey. Don’t get it twisted. I had the chance to enjoy all aspects of it. Sure, I lived only a few blocks from Georgetown, but I spent my fair share of time in all areas of the “DMV” (DC, Maryland, Virginia). Though fairly small, there is a blooming hip hop scene down there, and I was fortunate enough to be friendly with some of the dudes who are now popping on a national (and even international) level.
Led by producer/rapper Oddisee (above right, who I know from my DMV days), Diamond District is comprised of three m.c.’s (XO and YU also), and I do mean m.c.’s. These guys can rap. And with production reminiscent of the mid 90’s boom bap, their album In The Ruff sounds more east coast than any other rap release to come out of the nation’s capital. Their lyrical content is very inviting to intelligent listeners, and their beats are gritty head nodders that will not only impress even the gulliest of street dudes but will also peak the interest of rap nerds too with great samples, drum patterns, sounds, and structures. And no, the songs don’t sound dated or retro. It’s a fresh new DMV sound! This is one of those high caliber underground albums that true hip hop heads needed desperately. And at 11,000 free downloads plus in the first six weeks on the net, people are slowly but surely going to realize that D.C. ain’t no joke. NYC better step their game up. Download this clean version now, and cop the dirty version when it’s released officially this summer.
DOWNLOAD DIAMOND DISTRICT- IN THE RUFF
Diamond District DMV Official Website
These guys have a bunch of other stuff in the works too (solo albums, collabos, etc.) so stay tuned. And if you’re digging what you hear, peep out this new mostly intrumental EP Oddisee released for free download below. The cover photo was taken in the Sudan, where he spent many summers growing up. Pretty ill.
And as a bonus, I gotta put you on to a new mix from my dude Supa Qool DJ Uncle Q called By All Means Badu (cover below). Uncle Q and I go way back to the dorms of College Park, and although he grew up in NYC (Brooklyn stand up!), he is a cornerstone of the D.C. hip hop music scene and also the Diamond District’s show DJ. He’s actually my connection to Oddisee. This Erykah Badu mix is perfect for the summer. Now that I think about it, I saw Badu live at Constitution Hall in D.C. Wow, that was a great show, right after her release of Mama’s Gun which is one of my all time favorite R & B albums. Check Uncle Q’s mix out below, it’s one long mp3 so let it ride…
Terps 4 Life. Testudo hollerrr at me. Peace.
Westcheddar 