Despite having a rich and diverse hip-hop history, the greater D.C. area has gone almost completely unnoticed by the nation's hip-hop fans. But that's all starting to change thanks to the effort of artists like Wale and the trio of rising stars known as The Diamond District.
In anticipation of the official release of their forthcoming debut effort, "In The Ruff," the trio of Oddisee, X.O., andYU, collectively making up the group Diamond District, break down the boundaries that define the area where the group was born and raised – the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia). Even more important than their geographic location is the mind state and way of life that comes from living at that intersection of three states.
As the video progresses, each member brings us a little deeper into their worlds. X.O. explains how the movement began in DC and slowly spilled over into Maryland and Virginia; YU brings us into his friend's apartment where he delivers a flow packed with cleverness and slick delivery; Oddisee brings us into his modest home studio where he shows us that you don't need a lavish setup to create head-nodding beats that we are accustomed to hearing from the boom-bap beat-smith. And with each segment you leave with more insight than you came with, as the trio drops knowledge, both individually and collectively.
Diamond District's "In The Ruff" will be available October, 27, via Mello Music Group. Keep it locked to RefinedHype for all the latest.
Oddisee's music transports me to another realm; it's living culture. Listening to Diamond District's album is like being in a novel Wright, Baldwin, and Ellison wrote together. Dude is globetrotting and making music with the best in the world on a daily basis, to me, that's worth keeping up on.
