The Billiken's Bluff

A few weeks back my friend, the Reader of Depressing Books, wrote:

sometimes when a book reaches a certain level of being good, then its flaws (or what i feel might be viewed as flaws by other people) become, to me, idiosyncracies, its obscurities become i'm-too-stupid-or-young-to-know-what-this-mean-ies, and its irresolutions become moments of humbleness, humility, and sincerity on the part of the author

the book becomes un-criqitueable

which feels really good

I feel the exact opposite way about Kanye West, who while not exactly a novelist, sometimes fancies himself a last poet, a conscious MC, and sometimes even the second coming of Christ.



Everything Kanye does I want to critique. It's not that I hate Kanye West. I actually enjoy his brand of hip hop. He tackles topics normally ignored by your average trip to 106 & Park. But, because he often talks about college, religion, middle class adolescent angst (topics I'm more familiar with than Jay Z's upbringing of standing on the corner still holding my crack looking up and down the block where the fuck is the dough at?) I find I scrutinize Kanye much more closely.

In his new song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" Kanye attempts to come to terms with his desire to wear some bling and the knowledge of how these diamonds made their way onto his chain.



Jay Z also wears a diamond Roc-A-Fella chain, however he is unflinching. He does not blink. He is a hustler through and through. Steal unabashedly, or not at all. He didn't start as a drug dealer and then use his new found platform to advocate for a Free Tibet. He doesn't try to be anything he is not. He doesn’t care where his diamonds came from.

Kanye cares, sort of.

These two join forces for Diamonds for Sierra Leone Remix. Kanye goes first...

[Kanye]
Good morning! This ain't Vietnam, still
People loses hands, legs, arms, for real
Little was known of Sierra Leone
and how it connected to the diamonds we own
When I speak of diamonds in the song
I ain't talking bout the ones to be glowing
I'm talkin' bout Roc-a-Fella, my home
My chain, these ain't 'Conflict Diamonds'



Is they Jacob?



Don't lie to me, man
See, a part of me say keep shinin'
How? When I know what a 'Blood Diamond' is
Though it's thousands of miles away
Sierra Leon connected to what we go through today
Over here, it's a drug trade, we die from drugs
Over there, they die from what we buy from drugs
The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charms-es
I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless



'Til I seen a picture of a shorty armless



And here's the conflict...
It's in a black person's soul to rock that gold
Spend your whole life tryin' get that ice
Oh, the Polo rugby, you look so nice
How could something so wrong make me feel so right?
Right before I beat up myself like Ike
You could still throw your Roc-A-Fella Diamond tonight
Because...

<> ARE FOREVER

Next up is Jay Z, who seems to entirely ignore the topic, the exploitation and mutilation of Africans in the diamond trade, presented by Kanye West. It seems as if it is not in his range to discuss this.

I find this strange for a number of reasons. Let's say Kanye came to Jay Z and asked him to record a few rhymes for this song. Jay Z says, I'm well versed in Diamonds, I've been rapping about them for nearly a decade.

Kanye says wait a second Jay Z... this isn't your typical Bling Bling, throw the Roc-A-Fella diamond sign in the air song. This is supposed to be introspective and educational. This song is going to explore the darkside of the diamond trade. It is going question the true value of a diamond. Is it worth it to wear a stone that is one of the root causes of violence not only in America's ghettos but in African diamond mines?

Jay Z says, no doubt Homey. I understand completely. Diamonds, conflict. I got you dawg.

Jay Z then proceeds to hit the ground running and free style the following verse...

[Jay-Z]

Yup! I got it from here, Kanye, damn
The chain remains, the game is intact
The name is mine, I'll take the blame for that
The pressure's on, but guess who ain't gon' crack?
Pardon me, I had to laugh at that
How could you falter, when you the Rock of Gibralter
I had to get off the boat, so I could walk on water
This ain't no tall order, this is nothing to me
Typical takes a day, impossible takes a weekI do this in my sleep
I sold kilos of coke, I'm guessin' I could sell CDs
I'm not a business-man, I'm a business, man!
Let me handle my business, damn
Kanye-z, you got me, Freeway then Foxy,
YG's, Tearri Mari, Peedi, watch me
Bleek could be one hit away his whole career
As long as I'm alive, he's a millionaire
And even if I die, he's in my will somewhere
So he could just kick back and chill somewhere
Oh yeah, he don't even have to write rhymes
The Dynasty, like my money last three life times
Shirley Bassey in rear, saying "exactly''
Whatever, saying "practically" my whole career
The Diamond is forever, I be monumous forever
Now the Louis Vuitton Don is comin', couldn't be better
People lined up to see the Titanic sinking
Instead, we rose from the ashes like a phoenix
If you waitin' for end of the Dynasty sign
It would seem like forever, it's a mighty long time
I'm Young, bitches!
Goodnight!

A typical Jay Z verse. With some clever turns of phrase. My favorite being...

I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, MAN!

BUT...

Was Kanye just so happy to have Jay Z on this track that he looked past the fact that his verse has absolutely nothing to do with Diamonds in Sierra Leone? Nothing to do with the topic of the song?

I like the idea of Kanye's verse but it ends up sounding forced and disingenious. Jay-Z verse is devoid of anything substantive, but it ends up sounding slick and natural.

Now there is a conflict.

Here is a link to the video for this song. Oddly enough, most of the video is filmed in Prague. Every movie, music video being produced seems to be shot in Prague.



I'm unclear as to how the Czech Republic plays into the diamond trade. The climatic scene of the video has some African children, presumeably from Sierra Leone running into what appears to be St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague where Kanye is playing not one, but two pianos!

Finally Kanye implores the viewer to:

"PLEASE PURCHASE CONFLICT FREE DIAMONDS."

I'll do you one better Kanye, I won't be purchasing any diamonds!

Ok I've had enough of this song.

As Jay Z would say,

Dobry Noc!