Kanye West - "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" - WTF?

jhmaeng

jhmaeng

jhmaeng

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Hi guys,

This intrigued me a while before but never got round to asking about his "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" song/video.

Why does he have two versions? More importantly, why is the second version absolutely nothing to do with Diamonds from Sierra Leone?? I bought the music video on iTunes and I was pretty annoyed to find that the video's lyrics 1. skipped almost entirely the whole point of the original song, 2. has nothing from Jay-Z as there is in the original and 3. ended up with him talking random crap about this and that about himself.

I also realised that some of the compilation albums seem to carry the annoying second version rather than the original.

Why? If you're going to have a hit song with an accompanying video, why do you need a second version with completely different lyrics, sentiments and topics whilst missing the collaborator's (Jay-Z) part? I was actually contemplating refunding the video purchase, until I realised that Apple would just point and laugh at me for even daring to think that they would entertain the idea.

If I've lived under a rock and missed some kind of a huge political furore about the video that forced him to change the lyrics, then I'll probably crawl back under that rock... :D but otherwise, :mad:!
 
IIRC, the original was the one about himself and Rocafella. Then some dude told him about the diamond trade, and he was so touched by that that he re-wrote it.
 
Well, I'm crap at actually listening out the lyrics but from what I can pick out, the lyrics of the second version just sounds annoying and he doesn't seem to be able to stop talking about himself.

And it's just really strange having listened to one version of the song for a while, then buying the music video only to find that the lyrics are completely different.
 
Gilly said:
You have come across rap before, right? :p
Click to expand...
I know, I know... but!

Maybe it's just one of those odd things that other people will forever be like "huh?", but the second version really really really gets on my norks!!
 
So.. which version is the first and which version is the re-written one? because the one I find annoying doesn't really have anything to do with the diamond trade (as far as I can figure out the lyrics)

First verse of the version that doesn't annoy me (what I think is the first one):

Good Morning, this ain't Vietnam still
People lose hands, legs, arms for real
Little was known of Sierra Leone
And how it connect to the diamonds we own
When I speak of Diamonds in this song
I ain't talkin bout the ones that be glown
I'm talkin bout Rocafella, my home, my chain
These ain't conflict diamonds,is they Jacob? don't lie to me mayne
See, a part of me sayin' keep shinin',
How? when I know of the blood diamonds
Though it's thousands of miles away
Sierra Leone connect to what we go through today
Over here, its a drug trade, we die from drugs
Over there, they die from what we buy from drugs
The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charmses
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 ya whole life tryna get that ice
On a polar rugby it look so nice
How could somethin' so wrong make me feel so right, right?
'fore I beat myself up like Ike
You could still throw ya Rocafella diamond tonight, 'cause


First verse of the one that gets on my man-breasts:

Close your eyes and imagine, feel the magic
Vegas on acid,
Seen through Yves St. Laurent glasses
And I've realized that I've arrived, cuz
It take more than a magazine to kill my Vibe does
he write his own rhymes, well sort of
I think 'em
That mean I forgot better read me than u ever thought of
Damn, is he really that caught up?
I ask if you talkin' bout classics, do my name get brought up?
I remember I couldn't afford a Ford Escort or even a four-track recorder
so its only right that I let the top drop on a drop-top Porsche
- its for yourself that's important
If yor stripper name Porsche and u get tips from many men
Then your fat friend her nickname is Minivan
Excuse me,
That's just the Henny, man,
I smoke, I drink, I'm supposed to stop I can't because

========================
Oddly, what I thought was the original is labelled as "remix" on the lyrics website... maybe it's the original I find annoying, and the second version that I've been listening to all this time?
 
The first one you posted is Diamonds From Sierra Leone. The second is Diamonds Are Forever.

So your first is the second...If that makes sense.

*n
 
They're both called Diamonds From Sierra Leone.

1. "Wake Up Mr. West" (Masser/Goffin) - 0:41
2. "Heard 'Em Say" (featuring Adam Levine of Maroon 5) (West/Levine/Masser/Goffin) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 3:23
3. "Touch the Sky" (featuring Lupe Fiasco) (West/Smith/Jaco/Mayfield) (Produced by Just Blaze) - 3:57
4. "Gold Digger" (featuring Jamie Foxx) (West/Charles/Richard) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 3:28
5. "Skit #1" - 0:33
6. "Drive Slow" (featuring Paul Wall and GLC) (West/Slayton/Harris) - 4:32
7. "My Way Home" (featuring Common) (West/Lynn/Scott-Heron) - 1:43
8. "Crack Music" (featuring The Game) (West/Meeks/Taylor) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 4:41
9. "Roses" (West/Withers) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 4:05
10. "Bring Me Down" (featuring Brandy) (West/Williams) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 3:19
11. "Addiction" (West/Rodgers/Hart) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 4:27
12. "Skit #2" - 0:31
13. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)" (featuring Jay-Z) (West/Carter/Harris/Barry/Black) (Co-produced by Devo Springsteen and Jon Brion) - 3:53
14. "We Major" (featuring Nas and Really Doe) (West/Trotter/Jones/Williams/Campbell/Simmons/Smith/Reid) (Co-produced by Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell and Jon Brion) - 7:28
15. "Skit #3" - 0:24
16. "Hey Mama" (West/Leace) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 5:05
17. "Celebration" (West) (Co-produced by Jon Brion) - 3:18
18. "Skit #4" - 1:18
19. "Gone" (featuring Cam'ron and Consequence) (West/Mills/Giles/Willis) - 6:02
20. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (bonus track) (West/Harris/Barry/Black) (Co-produced by Devo Springsteen and Jon Brion) - 3:58
21. "Late (hidden track) - 3:50
 
Kanye did 2 videos to the Jesus Walks song, but kept the lyrics the same. Its something artists do. And as for Jay-Z i used to rate him, but now i dont as much, half of his material is taken from other artists.
 
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