"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" contains a sample of the titular theme song for the 1971 James Bond filmDiamonds Are Forever as performed by Shirley Bassey. The song connects the material wealth West had become accustomed to following his rise to fame with the horrors of the civil war in the West African country Sierra Leone, financed by the illegal diamond trade. After gathering information on the plight of children in West African countries, who since 1991 have been forced to mine the conflict diamonds and die in the civil wars funded by them, West recorded a remix to "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" which featured an additional closing verse by Jay-Z and new verses that detail the situation in Sierra Leone. He initiates the remix by proclaiming, "Good Morning! This ain't Vietnam. Still, people lose hands, legs, arms for real." The remix was included as the thirteenth track within the album, whereas the original version was included as a bonus track. An unofficial remix entitled "Conflict Diamonds," which went into even further detail regarding the situation in Sierra Leone, was recorded by Kanye's friend and fellow Chicago hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco. "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" remains a crowd favorite and is one of West's most performed songs. It boasts a chorus that calls for listeners to "Throw your diamonds in the sky," referring to the Roc-A-Fella hand sign, which is in the shape of a diamond. The song was the recipient of much acclaim. It won the awards for Best Rap Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards as well as a Pop Award at the 2006 BMI London Awards. Shirley Bassey was reported to be very impressed with West's performance and stated that she wished to work with him in the future.
Music video
The music video for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" was directed by Hype Williams and shot entirely in black and white. It was filmed on location in the city ofPrague, the capital of the Czechia. West was fascinated by the architecture found in the capital and felt its sculptures, cathedrals, and stone pavements emitted the timeless feel of "Diamonds". The video illustrates the topics West would later touch on within the remix of the song, as it features visuals of young African children toiling away in mines under the careful watch of their wardens. The images are juxtaposed with scenes of wealthy Europeans shopping in boutiques and trying on jewelry. The music video ends with text that reads, "Please purchase conflict-free diamonds". The video was premiered on BET's Access Granted on June 15, 2005. The music video was met with critical acclaim. It was nominated for Best Male Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards Japan and Outstanding Music Video at the 2005 NAACP Image Awards.
Track listings
Digital download
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
U.S. Promo Single
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 3:18
U.K. Promo Single
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 3:18
U.K. Maxi Single
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone – 4:01
"Jesus Walks" – 4:58
"The New Workout Plan" 4:03
U.K. C.D. Single
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
German C.D. Single
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
"Jesus Walks"
European Maxi-Single
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – 4:00
"Jesus Walks" – 4:58
Personnel
Information taken from Late Registration liner notes.
