Diamond D facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diamond D
Diamond D at A3C in Atlanta
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Kirkland
Also known as	Diamond D
Born	(1968-04-05) April 5, 1968 (age 57) The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Record producer rapper
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Chemistry Mercury PolyGram Diamond Mine Babygrande

Joseph Kirkland (born April 5, 1968), known by his stage name Diamond D, is an American hip hop artist. He is a rapper and a music producer from The Bronx, New York City. Diamond D is also one of the people who started the group called Diggin' in the Crates Crew, often shortened to D.I.T.C.

Early Years and Inspiration

Joseph Kirkland grew up in a place called Forest Houses in The Bronx. He was inspired by local DJs like DJ Hutch and DJ Supreme. When he was young, these DJs would let him practice on their turntables.

When he first started making music, Diamond spent a lot of time at Jazzy Jay's studio. He says Jazzy Jay taught him many important skills. In an interview, he shared that he learned almost all his production skills from Jazzy Jay. He felt Jazzy Jay was very advanced for his time.

Music Career Highlights

Besides Jazzy Jay, Diamond D also credits Brand Nubian member Grand Puba for inspiring him to start rapping. He became more known after appearing on a song called "Show Business" by A Tribe Called Quest. This song was on their album The Low End Theory.

Debut Album: Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop

In 1992, Diamond D released his first album, Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop. He described the album as a collection of beats and ideas he had saved up. About 80% of the album's music came from these ideas.

One of his favorite memories from making the album was recording the vocals for the song "Check One, Two." He also created the beat for "Sally Got A One Track Mind" in just 30 minutes. This song became one of the album's most famous tracks.

Grammy Award Win

In 1996, Diamond D won a Grammy Award. He won it for his work on the song "The Score" by The Fugees. This song was the title track from their album The Score.

Later Albums

..... It was called Diamond Jewels and included popular songs from his first album.

Diamond D has continued to release music and work with many other artists over the years. He is known for his unique sound and production style in hip hop music.

Albums

Here are some of the albums Diamond D has released: