This was something of an obscure 12" release in that it appeared between Diamond's two retail albums, and didn't include any song found on either LP. Released in the mid-'90s via the D.I.T.C. producer's own Dusty Fingers imprint, the title track is a solo song apparantly recorded in 1994 - three years before "Hatred, Passions & Infidelity" hit stores. The sound is classic crate diggin' Diamond, dark and sinister, full of vintage samples and headnod-inducing rhyhm with Diam never losing touch of the beat. This is harder than the stuff found on both his official albums, and had he got the chance to release his sophomore I bet this would be closer to what we would have gotten to hear. D even adresses the situation here: "I'm trying to make a second album, but those geeks on 26:th street keeps giving me problems/ so what's a man's supposed to do?/ Let them talk to my lawyer, or talk to my crew...".
On the flip we find a posse cut that features more of Diam's trademark production though it lacks a verse from the man himself. Rather, he's assembled K. Terrible, John Dough, Big Red and even an fire apperance by Ras Kass who appears here as The Fantastic Four. "You're in the Wrong Place" has no recording year attached but it does sound as it's been recorded before the "Hatred..." LP; I would guess 1996. Though it's not quite as immaculate as the powerful A-side, the smacking drums and the chopped jazz bassline works real well to underline the four emcees raw skills. While three of these emcees have managed to impress me on various Diamond releases over the years, and do a good job here, it's no question that it's Ras who steals the show. Despite a relatively short verse, this is when Ras was one of the most promising lyricists in the game, and when backed up by one of the best producers in the game you know great things are upon us (think rhe "Soul On Ice" remix).
Although this 12" is of course out of print by now, it's a must hear for any fan of good true school hip-hop and D.I.T.C. head. So if you ever come across a physical copy, don't hesitate to pick it up ASAP because I promise you that you'll live to regret it otherwise. I uploaded the main tracks on both sides below, but I somehow lost the instrumentals somewhere so you'll have to settle with the vocal versions, and since we're dealinng with HQ Mp3:s, that's pretty much all one need anyhow, right right? D.I.T.C. forever and a day... Enjoy!
A. Diamond - "With The Dope Sound"
B. Fantastic 4 - "You're In The Wrong Place"
This is a straight banger.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, man.
Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI think the track was recorded even before, it was on The stretch & Bobbito Show of October 20th 1994 (at the end, before phone calls)
Dope track!