Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop
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Album Summary
Diamond D — born Joseph Kirkland and a proud member of the legendary D.I.T.C. (Diggin' In The Crates) collective — stepped out on his own with 'Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop,' his debut solo album, dropping in 1992 on Mercury/Polygram Records. Recorded in New York City, this record is Diamond D doing what Diamond D does best: getting deep in the crates, flipping jazz and soul into something brand new, and spitting over every last beat himself. He handled the bulk of the production personally, demonstrating a rare and undeniable command of both the boards and the microphone, with contributions woven in from fellow travelers in the New York underground scene, including voices from within the D.I.T.C. family. This is boom-bap in its purest, most uncut form — a debut that arrived fully formed, like Diamond D had been holding this record inside him for years just waiting for the world to catch up.
Reception
- The album earned deep respect from hip hop publications and underground listeners who recognized Diamond D's exceptional production craftsmanship and lyrical authority, securing it an honored place among the most revered records to come out of the New York underground scene.
- While mainstream chart success stayed elusive, 'Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop' built a devoted cult following over the years and is consistently lifted up in retrospective critical assessments as one of the most underappreciated treasures of hip hop's golden age.
- The single 'Best Kept Secret' served as the album's calling card, drawing ears toward Diamond D's dual genius as both MC and producer and giving the wider world its first real taste of what this man was capable of.
Significance
- 'Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop' stands as a cornerstone of the D.I.T.C. legacy and the New York underground boom-bap movement, embodying that raw, jazz- and soul-drenched sampling philosophy that made early 1990s East Coast hip hop feel like something sacred and unstoppable.
- Diamond D's intricate sample-flipping and meticulous drum programming throughout this album left a deep imprint on a generation of producers, helping to cement Diggin' In The Crates as not just a crew but a whole philosophy of how hip hop production should be approached — with reverence, skill, and dirt under your fingernails.
- This album is a landmark in the producer-as-auteur tradition, with Diamond D commanding nearly every sonic element from start to finish, making it a defining example of the self-produced debut as a complete artistic statement in the golden era of hip hop.
Samples
- Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop — sampled by numerous artists across the 1990s and beyond, with the title track standing as one of the more revisited cuts from the album in hip hop production circles.
- What You Seek — sampled by later artists drawn to its soulful construction and distinctive drum arrangement.
- A Day In The Life — sampled by artists seeking that quintessential early 1990s New York boom-bap texture that Diamond D locked in so effortlessly on this record.
Tracklist
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A1 Intro 184
0:42
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A2 Best Kept Secret —
4:07
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A3 Sally Got A One Track Mind —
3:44
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A4 Step To Me —
3:25
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B1 Shut The "*!*!" Up —
0:52
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B2 "*!*!" What You Heard —
3:17
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B3 I'm Outta Here —
5:07
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B4 A Day In The Life —
4:19
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C1 Comments From Big "L" And Showbiz —
0:22
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C2 Check One, Two —
4:16
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C3 What You Seek —
3:30
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C4 Lunchroom Chatter —
0:27
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C5 Confused —
3:38
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D1 Pass Dat S**t —
5:55
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D2 Freestyle (Yo, That's That Sh..) —
3:01
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D3 K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) —
3:54
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D4 Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop —
2:31
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D5 Best Kept Secret (Radio Edit) —
4:07
Artist Details
Diamond D, born Michael Delaney Snead, is a Queens, New York MC and producer who emerged from the golden era of hip-hop in the early 1990s, dropping his landmark debut album Stunts, Blunders & Dope Rhymes in 1992 that showcased his silky boom-bap production style and sharp lyrical wit. A member of the legendary D.I.T.C. crew alongside legends like Big L, Fat Joe, and Buckwild, Diamond D helped define the East Coast underground sound that kept hip-hop rooted in soulful samples and raw street poetry during a time when the genre was expanding in every direction. His influence as both a behind-the-boards craftsman and an MC earned him deep respect in hip-hop circles, cementing his place as one of those unsung architects whose fingerprints are all over the music even when his name doesn't always get the shine it deserves.
