# Sid Diamond

Sidney Diamond (born 7 July 1986), previously known by the stage name Young Sid, is a New Zealand rapper.

## Biography

Sid Diamond was born in South Auckland, New Zealand and later moved to Manukau City, Auckland. He is of Cook Island and Māori descent, and was raised in the Manukau suburb of Ōtara. Diamond's father, Vincent George, was the president of a gang called the Tribesmen, and his mother, Victoria, was an alcoholic who died of lung cancer in 2009. His older brother, Karlos, who is currently imprisoned, was an aspiring rapper under the name Mr Sicc, and a member of an Ōtara gang called Bad Troublesome Ward. At a young age, Diamond was arrested twice for fighting, and carried weapons such as a knife and an axe, but said in a 2009 interview that Karlos worked to prevent him from getting involved with gangs.
Sid first became attracted to American hip hop after listening to Karlos' copy of the 1988 N.W.A single "Gangsta Gangsta." He recorded his first song at the age of eleven, and was part of a short-lived group called The Murder Squad.

## Career

Diamond formed hip-hop trio Smashproof in 2005 with members Tyree and Deach, and they signed a contract with Move The Crowd Records (a subsidiary of Universal) during his first semester of university; he dropped out shortly thereafter in order to pursue his music career full-time. His solo debut, The Truth, was released on Move The Crowd in 2007, and featured a guest appearance by Chamillionaire. He spent three weeks in New York recording the tracks, many of which were produced in Croatia, France, and Auckland. The album would then go on to debut at No. 27 in its lone week on the RIANZ top-40 album charts on 10 September, and won Urban Album of the Year honors at the 2008 Māori Music Awards. However, he came under controversy in February 2008 when he appeared in a music video for the track "Put Your Colourz On", which featured South Auckland street gang members.
His first album with Smashproof, titled The Weekend, was released in March 2009. The featured single, "Brother," broke a 23-year-old record for the longest consecutive run at number one by a New Zealand-based act on the country's singles chart. Sid was the opening act for Ice Cube's Straight Outta Compton Tour concert in Manukau City on 22 August 2007.
In 2010, Diamond released his second album, What Doesn't Kill Me..., which charted for eight weeks and won him his second Urban Album of the Year at the Māori Music Awards.

## Discography
### Albums

| Date | Title | Label | Charted | Certification |
| September 2007 | The Truth | Move The Crowd/Universal | No. 27 (NZ) | RIANZ |
| May 2010 | What Doesn't Kill Me | Move The Crowd/Universal | No. 11 (NZ) | RIANZ |

### Singles

| Title | Featured Performers | Album | Producers | Year |
| "Hood Like Me" | | The Truth | Shuko | 2007 |
| "Hood Like Me (Remix)" | Fizek, Louie Knuxx, Ethical, Flowz, K54 | The Truth | Shuko | 2007 |
| "Too Much Pain" | Brad Marquis | The Truth | Lyr1kz | 2007 |
| "Undisputed" | | The Truth | Noble | 2007 |
| "MTC its OVA" | Ethical, Deach | The Truth | Cochise, Juse | 2007 |
| "My Letter" | Brad Marquis | The Truth | Lyr1kz | 2007 |
| "MADE" | | What Doesn't Kill Me | Twice As Nice | 2009 |
| "Never Waste a Day" | Kayo | What Doesn't Kill Me | Twice As Nice | 2010 |
| "Stuck in a Box" | Stan Walker | What Doesn't Kill Me | Emile | 2010 |
| "You" | Deach | What Doesn't Kill Me | Twice As Nice | 2010 |

### Mixtape Appearances

| Title | Featured Artists | DJ | Year |
| Speed of Sound Vol 1' | MTC | DJ Nino Brown | 2005 |
| Speed of Sound Vol 2' | MTC | DJ Manchoo | 2006 |
| Speed of Sound Vol 3' | MTC | DJ SMV | 2007 |
| Major Flavours Vol 2 (Australia)' | Urban Artists from NZ, Aus, USA | DJ Sirvere | 2008 |
| Speed of Sound Vol 4 (Domestic Disturbance)' | Young Sid | DJ Danny-ill | 2009 |
| Get Ready Mixtape' | Sir T Hosted By Young Sid | DJ SMV | 2010 |
| Speed of Sound Vol 5' | MTC | DJ Manchoo | 2010 |

### Other guest appearances

| Title | Performers | Album | Producers | Year |
| "Oh No" | Tyree (feat. Deach) | Global Casino | Juse | 2005 |
| "Ride Till I Die" | Juse (feat. Smashproof and Kaeson) | Global Casino | Juse | 2005 |
| "Who Better Than This (Remix)" | PNC (feat. Scribe, David Dallas, Louie Knuxx, Koma, and Mareko) | P, N Whoa (Single) | 41 | 2006 |
| "Turn it Up" | DJ Sirvere (feat. Smashproof and MZRE) | Major Flavours | N/A | 2006 |
| "Put Ya Colours On" | Fizek (feat. Face Killa, Gravity, Punchline, and 187) | Skull Fingers Up (The Sample) (EP) | N/A | 2008 |
| "3rd Class Living" | Ethical (feat. M1) | Ages Turn | N/A | 2008 |
| "Problem Child" | Ethical (feat. Cyphanetic) | Ages Turn | N/A | 2008 |
| "Talk of the Town" (remix) | Ethical (feat. Tyson Tyler, Kardinal Offishall, and Grandmaster Roc Raida) | Coming of Age (EP) | Emile | 2008 |
| "Chop 'Em Down" | Ethical | Coming of Age (EP) | Twice As Nice | 2008 |
| "You Already Know" | Nesian Mystik | Elevator Musiq | DMON | 2008 |
| "Brother" | Smashproof with Gin Wigmore | The Weekend | F.B.I | 2009 |
| "It's Friday" | Smashproof | The Weekend | Styles Fuego | 2009 |
| "Ordinary Life" | Smashproof | The Weekend | Twice As Nice | 2009 |
| "Monstars Ink (Remix)" | Tyson Tyler (feat. Monsta Ganjah and Flowz) | Reality Cheque | Yorel | 2009 |
| "First Time" | David Dallas (feat. Jordache and Niko) | Something Awesome | P-Money & 41 | 2009 |
| "Really Don't Care (Remix)" | Derty Sesh (feat. Ethical) | Sic Love | Derty Sesh | 2009 |
| "Deachy is Back (SP Remix)" | Deach (feat. Tyree) | Vision | Twice as Nice | 2010 |
| "Move The Crowd" | MTC | Speed of Sound Vol.5 | Styalz Fuego | 2010 |
| "Ready For Whatever" | SIR T | Walk With Me | Twice As Nice | 2010 |

## Awards and nominations
### Nesian Vibes Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2007 | Nesian Vibe Awards | Best Artist | | Nominated |
| 2007 | Nesian Vibe Awards | Best M.C. | | Nominated |
| 2007 | Nesian Vibe Awards | Best Group | Smashproof | Nominated |
| 2007 | Nesian Vibe Awards | Best Album | The Truth | Nominated |

### Māori Music Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2008 | Māori Music Awards | Māori Urban Album of the Year | The Truth | Won |
| 2008 | Māori Music Awards | Māori Male Solo Artist of the Year | | Nominated |
| 2010 | Māori Music Awards | Māori Urban Album of the Year | What Doesn't Kill Me | Won |
| 2010 | Māori Music Awards | Māori Male Solo Artist of the Year | | Won |

### New Zealand Music Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2008 | New Zealand Music Awards | Hip-Hop Album of the Year | The Truth | Nominated |
| 2009 | New Zealand Music Awards | Most Singles Sold | Smashproof featuring Gin – Brother | Won |
| 2009 | New Zealand Music Awards | Best Music Video | Chris Graham – Brother | Won |
| 2009 | New Zealand Music Awards | People's Choice Award | Smashproof | Won |
| 2009 | New Zealand Music Awards | Urban/Hip-Hop Album of the Year | Smashproof – The Weekend | Nominated |
| 2009 | New Zealand Music Awards | Single of the Year | Smashproof featuring Gin – Brother | Nominated |
| 2009 | New Zealand Music Awards | Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Smashproof | Nominated |
| 2010 | New Zealand Music Awards | Urban/Hip-Hop Album of the Year | What Doesn't Kill Me | Nominated |