April 4th, 2016 will bring a very special edition of NYC’s all-45 throwdown, Mobile Mondays!Celebrating their birthdays, and in the mix with nothing but 45s, will be legendary Hip Hopartists Diamond D and Large Professor.
Originating from the birthplace of Hip Hop, the Boogie Down Bronx, Diamond D‘s introduction to the music world came in 1989 as the production side of his group Ultimate Force. Soon thereafter, he would embark on a solo career, rhyming on the track “Show Business” from A Tribe Called Quest‘s classic sophomore album The Low End Theory. Less than a year later, Diamond would release his own classic with his debut album, Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop (1992). Quickly racking up production and remix credits for the cream of the early to mid 90’s Hip-Hop crop, including Brand Nubian, House Of Pain, OutKast, The Pharcyde, and many, many more, Diamond established a reputation as a go-to producer for a sure-shot beat. Diamond has continued to release his own material and to produce and remix for others, achieving a rare longevity for a Hip Hop artist. As evidenced by the name of the super group he claims membership in, D.I.T.C. (Diggin In The Crates), Diamond has always been a representative for vinyl culture. Be sure to check out Diamond’s latest release, the instrumental compilation Dat’s That Shit! An Exclusive Collection Of Rare Instrumentals From The DAT Vault.
In preparation of this Mobile Mondays! birthday celebration, we caught up with Diamond and he gave us a breakdown of 10 of his favorite 45s!
S.O.U.L. – Soul (Recorded Live)
Funk to the 10th power. S.O.U.L., one of the tightest b