Coming out of D.C. in the hip hop game is definitely an uphill battle. With the only relevant things in Washington occurring now being Obama, Wale, Go-Go, and the Washington Wizards( in the rare occurrence that Gilbert Arenas is healthy), the hip hop scene is a difficult road to travel down. However, The Diamond District, composed of Oddisee, X.O., and YU, cruise down the avenue in their LP In The Ruff. Good rhymes, better beats, no features, the Diamond District pack the sound of their city in under an hour, and makes for a good listen.
The hip hop that is released in D.C. has a distinct sound that separates itself from the genre (i.e. Wale-Attention Deficit, producer Best Kept Secret). The production is a standout in this city’s music; the percussion, the samples and sounds, all mesh together in sometimes perfect harmony. Oddisee, the main producer of the album, showcases this in his production in key spots on the album. The first song, “Streets Won’t Let Me Chill” acts as a sort of microcosm to the album: it’s a great example of the D.C. production game. With banging percussion as the backbone, horns on the side, and the “Streets Won’t Let Me Chill” sample pumping, the song is an instant head nodder. This quality transitions to the next track, “Who I Be” which is highlighted by an ODB sample and bass heavy drum pattern. “I Mean Business” also follows the dope drum pattern theme, as its quick hitting drum strokes, organ, and “Mass Appeal” sample make for a standout moment in the album.
Just as you think you have the album sound down, The Diamond District change the tempo with “Off The Late Night”. Its’ a soulful transition in the album, as The Diamond District tell of a one night love affair that has the listener calmed and soothed. It acts as a nice contrast from the rest of the album. There are times where you are subconsciously listening to the album; ignoring the lyrics and just listening to the instrumentals (Like 9th Wonder’s work with Buckshot, picked up solely for the production).
Lyrically, the album deals with political and social issues in society today. It parallels the Dead Prez album, Let’s Get Free, with a correlation between the tone and topics. There are times where the lyrics hit home and have the listener rewinding the track, trying to figure out what he said. For example, in “The District” they discuss the lifestyle in D.C and America under the current economic state, “But I guess we all we got/ if they keep cutting jobs im’a sell me some rock/ can’t trust the market no more to invest in stock/ and is it jail population arresting cops/ so I regret this not/ I mean what I say flick the ashes on the constitution…”. The same can be said for the album titled track “In The Ruff”, “With my economy on a seesaw/ down size and rising wolf in disguise to eat more /so me I take the Shorewood forest route and rob corporate and floss ‘em out/ now hear me out”. The album is aimed at the middle class,hard- working demographic and the lyrics reflect that; those who have been effected by the recession can relate to the topics covered by the Diamond District; and while we ALL may have been effected in some way by the economic crisis, some have more than others and there is no flashy, flossin’ track on this album. This LP is aimed at the working class, blue-collar population and is meant to be played out of pick-up trucks instead of Bentleys.
With all this being said, it’s far from a perfect project. The main problem with this album is the rhymes, and beats, grow stale and predictable at times. To a new listener to the Diamond District, it may be hard to decipher between X.O. and YU. They don’t grab you as a listener and it has you skipping through some songs halfway through. This isn’t a symptom that is apparent throughout the entire album. If you were to listen to each song individually there would be no problem. But once song after song keep accumulating, it becomes very boring and a challenge sometimes to listen to the whole album. Even production falls victim to this, but to a much smaller extent. Production isn’t a problem on this album, and lyrics aren’t horrible either. But they are lagging behind the production and do weigh down the album at times.
The Diamond District have a coherent album with In The Ruff, and have the internet buzzing with positive reviews and acclaim. While the album is not without its flaws; as the listener sometimes yearns for more energy from the MC’s over the stellar production, and you may not know the difference between the members, all of this is overshadowed by the overall quality of the music. The album doesn’t really fit in a certain category of rap. And who cares? Its dope. So even if you have a Bentley, In The Ruff won’t be a bad look, as The Diamond District has put out one of the most solid projects of the year.
84/100
Streets Won’t Let Me Chill
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I Mean Business
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The District
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Related posts:
- Diamond District: Something for Ya’ll
- Diamond District: Make It Clear (Remix) + Instrumental Album Release
- Diamond District: I Mean Business
- Oddisee + XO + YU = The Diamond District
- Diamond District: I Mean Business + Album Release Info
Follow: Jon Garcia on Twitter
