Conflict Diamonds

## Song by Lupe Fiasco

"**Conflict Diamonds**" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released as the 15th track from his mixtape *Revenge of the Nerds* (2006). It remixes Kanye West's "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," which gained the attention of the fellow rapper, and led to him being featured on West's "Touch the Sky" single.

## Background

Fiasco told *The A.V. Club* that it began as a freestyle after around "seven days" West released "Diamonds." He reached out to West's team for permission to do freestyles over the beat along with "Muhammad Walks," on his mixtapes, where "it took off" overseas.

## Analysis

The track addresses the illegal diamond trade in Africa, slave labor, and corruption that goes behind obtaining and selling the prized stones. It also mentions the glorification of these things, whether it be impressing others or believing it to be quite invaluable, even leading to envy or theft. The particular line, "The gift and the curse, the venom and the serum," summarizes this concept, as diamonds can be given as expensive gifts and appreciated, but on the flipside can be a curse where it leads to greed as well as the dark history of how they are made and sold. *Verbicide* noted once Fiasco released his track, "Next thing you know, Kanye makes this the theme of his video and remix—neither of which credit Lupe. Lupe adroitly looks the other way because Kanye offers him a verse on "Touch the Sky" off Kanye's highly-anticipated *Late Registration*."

For its message, it was about bringing truth to situations and living realities that stem from the diamond industry. Fiasco explained to *Financial Times* in 2022, "Diamonds are shiny and fun for about an hour, right? But there's also a dark side to how they are created. Have you ever seen a nightclub when the lights are turned on? It's fucking gross. The paint is cheap, it's sticky, the floor doesn't match the walls. But in the darkness, you would never know any of this. It's my job to shine that light and expose the dark side."

## Cultural references

* Cecil Rhodes (July 5, 1853 – March 26, 1902) was an English colonialist, mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896.
* De Beers is a South African-British corporation that specializes in diamond mining, diamond exploitation, diamond retail, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors.
* George Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009.
* Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

Diamonds are forever (yeah)

They won't leave in the night

I've no fear that they might desert me

Uh, FNF, yeah

You know what I'm saying

I figure, I feel like I should just

You know, show people other side that weren't aware

You know what I'm saying

They are presently unaware

They don't know about it

You know what I'm saying

You know just show 'em there's an other side to this thing right here

We call it bling

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Yeah

Allow me to break down the game

Behind the bracelets, earrings, chains, watches and rings

The bling

The crystal encrusted, princess flooded

Canary studded, blue colored and blood stained

Yeah, the older brother of the drug game

The giver of fame, the take awayer of lame

The empowerer of the kings that came with claims and disease

To leave where the native peoples were staying

Believe, my engagement ring received

And flossed at the cost of a bonded child miner's pain

Long ago kings used to wear 'em in their armor when they fought other armies

Because it used to scare 'em

If you wasn't rich, couldn't wear 'em

Witches used to marry 'em

They'll shoot you before they share 'em

The gift and the curse, the venom and the serum

Most hated lady's best friend, get murked for a clear one

[Bridge]

Diamonds are forever (yeah)

You know what I'm saying

(Diamonds are forever)

Now I ain't comin' down on nobody

You know what I'm saying

I ain't trying to judge nobody and nothin' like that (Forever)

You know what I'm saying

I floss too, I might go get me a pinky ring tomorrow

You know what I'm saying

But, I just want you to see man

You know what I'm saying

Just see man

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

Uh, Cecil Rhodes sowed war and genocide

Into the countryside just to get his shine on

I fear what De Beers and his peers used to do

Before the world really knew, just to get their mine on

Making paper with slave labor

And hitting little kids with life time bids making them cut and shine stones

Inflating the price and making them look nice

And I wasn't thinking twice when I was putting mine on

About a young shorty in Sierra Leone

Or other conflict countries that people call home

I figured I would never go to Angola

So it never did affect me there, maybe indirectly

That my neck leash was funding a rebellion or a military coup

Started by militias that don't believe in following none of Geneva's rules

I was brushing off the haters, trying to be cool

Didn't have a clue that the rapper was helping the rapers

Raiders of the villagers, pillagers of the schools

Shooters of the innocents, torturers of the witnesses

Burners of the businesses and my bracelet was the fuel

Uh, I ain't pushing an agenda, homie

I'm just pushing the facts, fuck Bush

'Cause there's people doing worse on this earth and they're black

I took it there, yeah, now let me bring it back

We all know on foreign shores that they finance wars

But ask yourself, "Do they finance yours?"

When I first got mine I took them out on tour

Didn't know they lost half the value when I took 'em out the store

Or it was full of moissanites and cubits

But the jeweler knew I was stupid

And that I couldn't prove it

Feeling like I need it because I do music

To impress the groupies and the interviewers

So I didn't appraise it, nor did I loupe it

Even gave them to my girl, thinking I was Cupid

Homies was all hate, hoping they could make me lose it

Creeping through my own hood, knew I had to remove it

I see the Russian Mafia, the Jewish Mobsters

The undercover terrorists and the traps for the hustlers

Homie, it's a wrap for the nonsense rhyming

Props to Kanye, I call it "Conflict Diamonds"

[Outro]

Diamonds are forever (Yeah)

You know what I'm saying

I felt like I should just let you all know that

You know what I'm saying

Make you all aware, so many people

Do things to glorify 'em

I felt like it was time for somebody to do somethin'

That would horrify 'em

You know what I'm saying

Bet you never thought that

That 20-carat ring or 20-carat chain or bracelet that you got on

Is fundin' some little war somewhere

Got some little kid murderin' a whole family somewhere

You know what I'm saying

But hey! Just think, now you know

You know what I'm saying

You gotta know to be a hypocrite, baby (haha!)

Hollaback, FNF up! (Forever)

Chi-town, Lupe!

## References

1. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (October 31, 2006). "Lupe Fiasco". *The A.V. Club*.
2. ↑ Mitra, Avir (November 7, 2006). "Interview: Lupe Fiasco". *Verbicide*.
3. ↑ Hobbs, Thomas (May 18, 2022). "Rapper Lupe Fiasco: 'It's My Job to Shine Light and Expose the Dark Side'". *Financial Times*.