Black Diamond (Angie Stone album)

Black Diamond is the debut studio album by American singer Angie Stone. It was released on September 28, 1999, by Arista Records. The album is named after Stone's then-teenaged daughter Diamond Ti'ara.

Critical reception

In his review for Billboard, Michael Paoletta declared the album "a musically rich and empowering journey through life's many ups and downs" that pairs "smooth, mellow grooves [...] with emotion-packed lyrics." He further wrote: "For those lamenting the lack of honest R&B/soul, stop worrying: With Black Diamond, it's back where it belongs." AllMusic editor Theresa E. LaVeck rated the album four out of five stars. She noted that "purposefully positive, the album chronicles Stone's journeys maintaining personal faith and loving relationships, resplendent with new takes on traditional soul sounds. Stone supports her songwriting and vocal talents with help from A-list musicians/writer/producers such as Lenny Kravitz and D'Angelo. The sophisticated mix is elevated by Stone's incredible voice." 

Entertainment Weeklys Laura Morgan found that "on her alluring retro-soul bow, the Southern songstress pairs sensual R&B with tastefully lean production, allowing her raw emotion to roam free." Ayana Byrd, writing for Rolling Stone, compared Stone's vocal performance with Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight and remarked that "Stone's Southern country-road sensibilities prevent her from being derivative of her obvious influences; instead, Black Diamond shines with the intensity of brilliant soul." BBC Music critic Daryl Easlea called the album "a fine debut" that proclaims "after years of struggle, Stone's arrival as an artist in her own right." Kerry Potter from Q described Black Diamond as "a low-key album of quietly poetic soul, epitomised by the muffled funk of "Green Grass Vapors." [It] is meandering and over-polished at times, but, in the main, hints at a sparkling future." Exclaim! editor Del F. Cowie complimented the album for its "classy and subdued mood."

Chart performance
Black Diamond debuted at number 144 on the US Billboard 200 in the week of October 16, 1999, with first week sales of 10,000 copies. It was not until February 19, 2000, that it peaked at number 46. Two weeks prior, on  February 2, 2000, the album had been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By September 2003, Black Diamond had sold 812,000 copies in the United States.

Track listing

Notes
  signifies an additional producer
  signifies a remixer

Sample credits
 "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" contains excerpts and samples of "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Black Diamond.

Musicians

 Angie Stone – vocals
 Joe Belmaati – programming, musician
 Rex Rideout – programming, musician
 Chalmers "Spanky" Alford – musician
 D'Angelo – musician
 Iran – musician
 Jonas Krag – musician
 Lenny Kravitz – musician
 Aaron "Freedom" Lyles – musician
 Ali Shaheed Muhammad – musician
 Joe Quinde – musician
 Craig Ross – musician
 Sekou Aiken – background vocals
 Stephanie Bolton – background vocals
 Gerry DeVeaux – background vocals
 Tenita Jordan Dreher – background vocals
 Gemini – background vocals
 Juliet Roberts – background vocals

Technical

 Angie Stone – production ; recording engineering, mix engineering, executive production
 Aaron "Freedom" Lyles – production ; recording engineering, mix engineering
 Ali Shaheed Muhammad – production ; recording engineering
 Russell Elevado – production 
 Rex Rideout – production ; engineering assistance
 Phil Temple – production 
 DJ U-Neek – production 
 Gerry DeVeaux – production ; executive production
 Cutfather & Joe – remix, additional production ; mix engineering
 Aaron Connor – recording engineering
 Tim Donovan – recording engineering, mix engineering
 Tim Hunt – recording engineering
 Eli Lishinsky – recording engineering
 Kevin "K.D." Davis – mix engineering
 Tony Maserati – mix engineering
 Mads Nilsson – mix engineering
 Soul Spin – mix engineering
 Denise Barbarita – engineering assistance
 Erik Fryland – engineering assistance
 Charles McCrorey – engineering assistance
 Jeff Gregory – engineering assistance
 Susanne Savage – production coordination
 Miriam Gonzales – production coordination
 Jo Jones – production coordination
 Lesvia Castro – production coordination
 Coen Antonisse – production coordination
 Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
 Peter Edge – executive production

Artwork

 Margery Greenspan – art direction
 Sheri G. Lee – art direction, design
 Ruven Afanador – photography
 Phil Knott – back cover photography
 Angie Stone – collage construction
 Lori Demsey – collage construction

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

1999 debut albums
Angie Stone albums
Arista Records albums