SOHH DIRTY

formerly known as SOHH Houston

Bling Responsibly My Ass

Posted on July 20, 2006 7:02 AM

Paul Wall telling folks to "bling responsibly" is like a murderer telling people to kill responsibly. Paul and business partner Johnny Dang own a bling emporium situated at Houston's Sharpstown Mall, between 59 South and Bissonnet. But you already knew that. What you may or may not know is that the TV Jewelry owners have no idea whether their jewelry supply comes from the blood diamond market or not. At least that's what Johnny Dang told me months ago.

While out on an assignment for a regional publication, I interviewed Dang about his grill business. When I raised the issue of conflict diamonds, his face automatically transformed into a blank stare. He was clueless as to what blood diamond entails, which is understandable. Lots of folks didn't know about blood diamonds before they heard Kanye West's "Diamonds (From Sierra-Leone)" Hell, Paul Wall recently told MTV that he never even heard of Sierra Leone prior to that song.

I didn't make this shit up:

Wall â€" who's gained acclaim not just for his rapping but for his diamond-encrusted grill â€" said he was amazed by what he saw, and he hopes the film will raise awareness about the past, present and future of Sierra Leone.

"Up until I heard Kanye's song 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone,' I had never even heard of the country," Wall said. "But once I did, I wanted to find out more, and I wanted to try to help out. So we went to Sierra Leone â€" me, Raekwon and Tego CalderÃ³n â€" and it changed our lives. We saw the diamond mines and the amputee camps, and it was hard to believe that especially in 2006, people can be living like this.

"When we were over there, it shocked and kind of embarrassed us as jewel wearers, but the people over there told us not to stop wearing them..."

What good is it if you're going about telling people to "bling responsibly" when your own sense of responsibility is questionable? I've said it before, these jewelers need to start doing their homework and at least, try to find out which terrorist organizations they've been sponsoring all along. There's even a website for those who want to ensure that the money they dole out on bling isn't funding innocent deaths of teenagers and entire families.

The nonchalance isn't limited to Paul Wall and Johnny Dang. I once talked to a rapper who couldn't hide his own ignorance when I brought up the issue. "Itâ€™s a shame that people have to lose their lives just to put jewelry on the artistsâ€™ arms, but, Iâ€™ll be a hypocrite to say I donâ€™t love jewelry," said the rapper who shall remain nameless.

Kareem Edouard, director of Bling: Consequences and Repercussions, once revealed that he has also met artists who told him they would only wear the diamonds that people died for. Wow, how gangsta.

Don't get it twisted though. While I'm obviously not in favor of conflict diamond, I'm certainly not anti-bling. In fact, for those of you who have no intentions of sponsoring terrorist/rebel groups in conflict zones, here's a list of Clean Jewelers to buy from. (Nope, Jacob's not on the list either.)

Boycott TV Jewelry. Their pricing is outrageous anyway.

Posted by SOHH Rizoh

dirty (AT) sohh (DOT) com

[Nominate your favorite artists, bloggers or even yourself for an Online Hip-Hop Award Click Here!]

Posted by SOHH Rizoh

348 Comments

By deblak on July 20, 2006 10:23 AM

1st !@! nd fuk paul wall

By Tiffani on July 20, 2006 10:28 AM

LOL @ Paul Wall tellin people to 'bling responsibly' when he's walkin around with 365 carats in his mouth and 56,529 carats around his neck!

By Nelly on July 20, 2006 10:29 AM

Obviously Paul Wall doesnt give a damn.

By MAK1 on July 20, 2006 10:41 AM

IM COOL WIT ICE!! I AINT GOT TIME TO RESEARCH WHERE IT COMES FROM WHEN IM IN THE STORE ABOUT TO BUY IT

NEW TRACK "STOP WIT IT" NOW PLAYING ON MYSPACE PAGE!!!!

By Dizzy Bone on July 20, 2006 10:43 AM

^damn that's cold

if yo lil sister had to die for you to wear the shit, you'd still buy?

yall niggaz is stupid

By deblak on July 20, 2006 11:16 AM

^^^ tru sh!t rite there

yall b trippin cuz foreal if dat was u minin paul walls ice 2 go in his fat up mouf yall b thinkin 2wice..

By naj. on July 20, 2006 11:18 AM

Damn Rizzoh...that's some ill shit. But like I said the other day it's no longer hip hop it's hyp-hop...

Hypocrites run this shit.

By uway on July 20, 2006 11:24 AM

get cz'z i dont think that gets no one killed lol

By idlike on July 20, 2006 11:31 AM

i'd like my bling to come with the amputated arm then I can wear it around my neck as a charm... Or put some diamonds in my mouth WITH a foot hanging off and go around asking people, "Excuse me, but do I have something in my teeth!!!" HAHA

~Maybe you fucks shouldn't worry so much about jewelry when World War 3 is right around the corner!!!!

Goodbye America... It was nice knowing you and ALL your concerned BLINGERS....

~Fucking Morons~

AND YEAH... A WHITE MAN SAID IT!

By Banga! on July 20, 2006 11:45 AM

good blog
I'm not madd at Paul for not knowing.
I'm glad he was honest and said he never knew. And I didn't know either.
But I doubt he looked into his business to see if he was sellin conflict diamonds. Cause if he did that would mean he have to restructure and reorganize his entire business which is a ton of work. Which I doubt he's willing to do unless he has to people don't shake up they business until they start lossing money or might go to jail. Perfect example is all the sweat shops overseas none of these rich people gave a sht till the government was in their ass.
this was bound to happen most hip hop ventures aren't built from the ground up. So there's aspects of there business or products their oblivious to.

By willyjsimmons on July 20, 2006 12:02 PM

Boycott jewelers.
Boycott Clean Channel.
Boycott Viacom.

Boycott any and everything that doesn't ADD to the artform of HIPHOP.

Oooops, that would probably knock sohh.com out of the loop too with the amount of bullshit being spread through this site.

Good lookin Rizoh.(seriously)

But.....you can't blame rappers for world governments and the UN not following through with a resolution that's already six years old.

By Nimrod on July 20, 2006 12:06 PM

I for one am not surprised. Many of you seem to be oblivious as to what Hip Hop became in the past 12-15yrs. Ignorance on every level is par for the course. When court jesters were allowed money and control of creative content everything went sour. Common Sense said it a long time ago on "I used to know her" Unfortunately many of you are in denial because some of your favorite artists fall in an unflattering light upon close examination.

Corporate robber barons have found willing black minstrels to act as pied pipers to the masses and they couldn't even hold on to that job. Now they're being outdone by the likes of Paul Wall in the exploitation department.

By Caprice Tha 1st on July 20, 2006 12:17 PM

The diamond trade been going on so long and the latest run of bling-hop to me signifies that yeah,they shed some light on the issues...

But as long as cats is rappin' diamonds will be apart of their repitoire...It's just a lifestyle..not good not bad...just a lifestyle..

It's not just hip hop....The biggest diamonds I've ever seen been on 50 year old white women....Clear as spring water...so what are you gonna do..?? So what can you do..?? Nothing....

Update:
500,000 without power in St.Louis yall.....FEMA supposedly on the way.....yeah right...!!

By Nimrod on July 20, 2006 12:30 PM

Just like cornered rats to shift the focus and start pointing fingers. What the hell does St. Louis or white women have to do with the role WE play in our own oppression?!

When rappers brag about the body count in their hoods who's killing who?

When rappers brag about how much dope they sell gues who they're selling it to?

I could go on but what's the use. All I'm gonna hear is we don't make guns and we don't produce cocaine and blah, blah, blah. Just remember without OUR participation WE wouldn't be the laughingstock of the world.

Just imagine that a white rapper named Paul Wall and his asian partner Johnny Wang have cornered the market on OUR foolery. Need I say more?

By MIGUEL on July 20, 2006 12:48 PM

so what if PAUL WALL blings...
this is just one more point that brings up the fact.. that Americans live a lot better than other countries... People are still slaves out in countries that have nothing to do with diamonds...
granted its a problem.. its one problem in the world... remember.. people do what they can to feed their families..

So if your on here talking down, on this one small problem in the world.. then you seriously need to check your outlook on the world, or
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT..

THIS IS A NON ISSUE WITH TODAY'S PROBLEMS....

By MIGUEL on July 20, 2006 12:49 PM

NIMROD

PLEASE DONT TYPE ANYMORE..
OR GET TO THE POINT, AND QUIT ACTING LIKE YOUR RIGHT ALL THE TIME..
YOUR JUST REDUNDANT

By Sam Sneed on July 20, 2006 1:14 PM

Nimrod, you take shit too serious. their are plenty of sites to discuss serious topics. if you tryin to save people be a preacher instead of comin on this hip hop blog wit this "we are the world" shit and "hip hop killin people" shit. get a life bitch.

By Big$ed32 on July 20, 2006 1:23 PM

As a military member I have traveled all over the world and wherever I go black people are treated as second class citizens. Italy, Spain, Korea, even in Africa. Africans look down on us because they see us as having so many more opportunities and we waste them to slang dope, gang bang and other stupid shit. If I hear one more rapper talk about they didn't have a choice I will die. I came from a very impoverished neighborhood in Houston, but I wanted more than what the corner could give me. If you want better you have to go out a make better. As far as garbage hip hop, stop buying that shit. By some hip hop that can teach you, mold you, and make us better people. I sick of "I sold crack, I'll shoot you back, yatta yatta". Educate yourselves people!!

By SCARTOWN on July 20, 2006 1:34 PM

So i guess that Paul Wall is as stupid as he sounds when he raps. You never even heard of Sierra Leone? give me a fucking break!! I thought it was common knowledge of what goes on down there for your shiny rocks but i guess thats just me.Fuck that fat retard and his metal teeth,looking like a blinged out JAWS from the James Bond movies.What it do???????

By Y on July 20, 2006 1:36 PM

Big$ed32 = Nimrod

By Caprice Tha 1st on July 20, 2006 1:39 PM

Nimrod what..??

Cornered rat...?? Man please..!! Can we say over-politcial with the whole song and dance..!!??

I'm no going back and forth but I'mma leave wit u this,cause obviously I seem like the nigga to fuck wit...

Fuck Tiffany and Co,Fuck the Shane Co,Fuck Harry Winston....Fuck Paul and Johnny....All those MF's profited off blood diamonds at one point in time....

But people across all backgrounds bought or buy diamonds from these cats..Thats where the 50 year old ladies come from...

Bling is a small percentage of what's wrong with hip-hop....We gotta police ourselves....I knew about Sierra Leone in the 10th grade 12 years ago...All about it...It's doesn't stop niggas from getting Jewlery..It won't stop it now....

The same thing is happening with oil..but niggas not gone stop driving..That's life...That's why we at war forreal..Fuck Osama and Saddam....It's oil,fossil fuels....

But Because a nigga(in Paul's Case white dude)takes a trip to Africa and sees it for the first time it becomes an issue..Please...I ain't feeling it...

The fact that the cats who mine the diamonds is like "keep doing yo thang" (not in those words)only lets me know that for some fucked up reason they feel it's worth it....It's life to them...So be it...

Cats in Sudan like damn I wish we had it like them...Them niggas ain't playing at all in Sudan and it for no-bullshit diamionds...

Yeah niggas die on the block from gunfire..And yeah niggas pushed rocks in the 80's and 90's....Thank Regan and Bush Sr for that...Crack music nigga...

As far as St.Louis....it has nothing to do with this blog...But it's where I "broadcast" from,where I rest at so in essence I'm doing me...It is what it is...shifting focus naw not really.....Jus life...!!

By the guy in the backround on July 20, 2006 1:42 PM

yea man the world is fucked up but shit happens that triggers other shit to happen lets talk about a hip hop issue this is some world news type documentary shit

By 3rd Coast on July 20, 2006 2:42 PM

Lets be real about this shit honestly!!

Nobody in tha states really gives a fuck about this blood diamond shit I
don't, I mean yea it's sad & all that
shit but at least im honest when I say
I don't give a fuck, & why do I not
give a fuck because it doesn't affect
me in any kinda way..yea im selfish &
cold but so is everyone, I would say
at least 30% of tha adults that post
on this board have enough money to go
to cierra leone including this writer
& try to help, make a donation or some
shit but do they???? NO because they
really don't give a fuck even when they
act like they do!!!

Say a nigga gets 100 thousand dollars
somehow & decides im a go buy a diamond
platinum chain for 30 thousand dollars
do you honestly think they will give
two shits where tha diamonds came from
or who got their balls chopped off for
em????? NOBODY GIVES A SHIT

Stop actin all riteous, when you walk
by tha homeless man on tha corner &
won't put no change in his pocket &
you wanna act like you give a shit bout
blood diamonds??? You fill tha air all
day with gasses that are ruinin our
invironment yet you still copp tha
hummer & with that hummer you are
slowly killing the entire world & you
wanna comlain bout lil mustafa in
sierra leone gettin his wig split for
not pickin tha minds fast enough???

Your clothes are made by underage lil
workers in china that get 50 cents a
day & your shoes are made in a taiwan
sweatshop your basketball was prolly
put together by a one armed midgit
with a head like rocky dennis & your
bitchin bout blood diamonds???

FUCK YOU OVERLY SELF RITEOUS SMUG
MUFUCKAS!!!

By 3rd Coast on July 20, 2006 2:51 PM

Before you have the right to bitch
bout blood diamonds you need to buy
a bicycle donate 50% of your income
to cherity sew & make your own clothes
from hemp & grasses give all your retro
jerseys & nikes to a poor family give
your 20thousand dollar car away & live
in poverty for tha rest of your life
then & only then will your bullshit oppinions mean anything!!!

& while your doin that i'll drive my
gas guzzlin lincoln towcar, sport all
tha jordans & polo shit I want buy all
tha jewelry I want & be tha happiest
nigga in tha world because we live in
such a great fuckin country that we
have tha privelges to do & say what
ever we want!!!!

By Nimrod on July 20, 2006 2:54 PM

Sorry to spoil everyone's celebration of ignorance as it relates to hip hop but I'm back. LOL! Hey Miguel if you're trying to bait me you succeeded.

This is very relevant to rap because rap is the vehicle by which the "sheep" are misled. Every major corporation wants a piece of hip hop because of its proven success in controling mindless idiots like Miguel, Sam Sneed and others on this blog. No hip hop didn't start the sproblem and it certainly can't solve them but the power of rap is in the wrong hands.

I'm so glad that the ignorance in rap appears to be running its course. I listen to backspin on Sirius 43 to hear rap that was FUN and felt good. None of that gangbanging, dope dealing, ghetto bullshit. Reality rap my ass, how many people in the hood you know driving 300k cars and wearing 1m in jewels? A bunch of corporate sponsored thugs misrepresenting black people and our culture. Fuck em all and fuck those who appreciate what they do. OUR very survival is at stake you musically obsessed morons!

By MayorOfLosAngeles on July 20, 2006 2:56 PM

Caprice the 1st you made absolutely no sense wit them comments.... fuck paul wall's fake ass. and johnny dang. I wish them niggas would come to the hood with them jewels, well stomp a bone out they ass. fuck paul wall's ignorant ass. He's just a stupid ass wigger acting like he's hood and black. them crackers and chinks dont give two flyin fucks about them people in africa dying for diamonds, as long as they wholesale price is cheap. Yall ignorant people saying this blog aint about important issues, but it is. Its a microcosm(big word) of whats happening and been happening since forever in america. a small percentage of black people succeeding, while the majority of us toil...and this is the way its gonna be until WE change it. just like tupac said ,"they dont give a fuck about us".

dwell on this, nigguz:

"if i choose to ride, thuggin till the day i die, they dont give a fuck about us.... but when i start to rise, a hero in they children's eyes, now they give a fuck about us....."

By MayorOfLosAngeles on July 20, 2006 2:58 PM

Big ups to Nimrod for being one of the only niggas on this blog who isnt a complete idiot. they stupid muthafuckas dont know they still trying to kill us off, and they got our music now, so thats speeding up the process. It went from slavery, to jim crow, to hip hop....think about it.

By ethan on July 20, 2006 3:07 PM

3rd Coast and anybody else that typed something as stupid as him!

"& while your doin that i'll drive my"
gas guzzlin lincoln towcar, sport all
tha jordans & polo shit I want buy all
tha jewelry I want & be tha happiest
nigga in tha world because we live in
such a great fuckin country that we
have tha privelges to do & say what
ever we want!!!!

What are you 12!? or just the worlds only living brain donor?

Either way, to say that we live in a free contry so therefore we can profit off other peoples deaths is possibly the stupidist thing i ve read on this site! and believe me I ve seen a lot of suppossidly intelligent black people call each other nigger, so i ve read some stupid stuff.

How hard is it to by a dimond from canada? the canadian dimond is minied in canada leagally with nobody dieing or mutilated to get it. Half you people, no make that all of you people probably don't even own a diamond let al one a blood diamond, Paul wall didn't know so what? now he does and he is makiing an effort to change it.

People these are your people, dieing for a rock, so you can live in your moms basement but have lots of bling, idiots! this isn't something wrong with hip hop this is something wrong with YOU!

By ethan on July 20, 2006 3:09 PM

Nimrod

well said, don't listen to these idiots there all 12 and girls, living in their moms basement

By co-signer on July 20, 2006 3:14 PM

i agree wit 3rd coast cuz i kno i dont really give a damn cuz it has nothin to do wit me

By Nimrod on July 20, 2006 3:30 PM

Glad to see thought has been provoked!

I come on these blogs for one reason and one reason only and that's to provoke thought. It pains me to see the negative influence rap has become. I see young men emulating their favorite rappers with excessive tatoos, faux jewelry and anti-social behavior but in real life that image is an impediment not an advantage. Who's gonna hire them? The odds are already against us from birth yet people who don't mean us well invites us to be their fools.

Rap has gone from reflecting the street to dictating what is street and who controls rap? Jimmy Iovine? Tommy Motolla? Clive Davis? Doug Morris? There's not a black man in rap who controls a damn thing. Sadly, we've forfeited our very identity by claiming and defending something we do not control. Can anyone on this blog remember when every city and region had its own style of dress and slang? Thanks to big biz now everyone looks like extras in a video. No creativity. No identity. No hope.

By Solstice on July 20, 2006 4:01 PM

I agree with Nimrod. How the hell can you people call hip hop a culture without experiencing it in the greater context of what's going on in the world. Hip hop is anything but isolated. It's arguably the most influential genre of music to date. It infiltrates the lives of everyone on this damn blog. Shit, it infiltrates the lives of muhfuckas who don't even listen to the shit. But the nigga Nim is too serious because he's looking at the big picture. I guess Ye was too. You all are right, let's keep hip hop where it started, in the traps, on the blocks.

And yo, shit does happen, but you might as well have done the shit yourself if you know it's going down and you don't do shit about it. In my humble opinion, hip hop fans have a greater social responsiblity than other aficionados of music just because our shit is so global. But we know niggas and heffas ain't about to start claiming that responsibility, cuz that would mean we'd have to be bold enought to admit to and correct our own fuckups. And "real niggas" would never do that.

Paul Wall is a rich man. So is Johnny Wang. I wonder how many of his clientele are old white women? I'd wager that they get dough off of rich ass and broke ass blacks who can't wait to give their money to Paul. Grills, ice, bling, whatever, its cool. I love jewelry too. But damn, what's with the excess? It's these excessive ass rappers that are weighing down the charts now too. Stop
being greedy!

It's bigger than hip hop...waaay bigger. And a lot of the wack ass music and fads out now don't even justify being classified as urban music.

And fuck it, I do take shit seriously. Like hip hop. I love it to the death, but I won't be part of its demise.

To the squares, who don't want to think about the music they listen to, pay this soapbox tirade (I'm no hypocrite, I'm ranting) no mind. It wasn't really for you anyway. good look to the moderator, the topic is kinda trill and is definitely relevant.

By MIGUEL on July 20, 2006 4:06 PM

IM BAAACK... YUP IM BAAAAAAAACK..!!!

First off... Its pointless to come up on this blog, and call someone out by saying that person or persons, is some looser in their moms basement. Im into rap, not hip hop, thats why im only on this blog, and a Houston rockets blog. trust me, im not a looser in my moms basement. or dont trust me, your call.

SECOND.. Nimrod Nimrod Nimrod,
you want to be remembered huh???
YOu know why there are songs about gangbanging, dope dealing, and the ghetto.... its because in real life. there is gangbanging, dope dealing, and especially the ghetto.. ART IMITATES LIFE... Get off your high horse.. I dont think you give the regular guy enough credit..... People are not as dumb as you make them out to be... For you to come up on here like a militent, with your ill just leave it at that

Mayor of L.A. i said it before.. Your the b!tch in L.A..... I know real dudes from L.A. and they dont talk as much shht as you do.... real cats from L.A. dont play that.. quit hating on Paul wall... cuz yes.. he is from the hood, and yes, he was raised around black people... its like you expect him to talk "white" all of the sudden... I aint much a fan of him, but if your b!tch azz is going to hate, hate for the right reasons... you hate just to hate, and because your racist
quit quoting pac...
cuz nobody gives a f*ck about U..
haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
"no mo' pain"

By Solstice on July 20, 2006 4:10 PM

I feel you too, ethan, but damn, all the idiots are 12 and girls?? LOL I'm not 12 but there's more than testosterone on this blog. i'll spare you my tirade on misogyny in hip hop...

By Lil Flip on July 20, 2006 4:19 PM

ARRRRRR, that's why I wear Lucky Charms and clover leaf's, my stones and jewels are mined by little elves, and tiny leprechaun's!!!! And yes I have my very own pot of gold to squat over...........I need Mines..... in stores NEVER!!!!!!!

By Lion XL on July 20, 2006 4:27 PM

more people need to listen to Dead Prez, MOS DEF, Talib Kweli....closest thing to real education most of yall will ever get....

BUT....sad thing is the people of Sierra Leone actually WANT us to keep buying the diamonds, and I dont mean the owners, but the actually workers...Sierra Leone is a dirt poor country with no other means od supporting itself....yeah its a corrupt country, but how many other countries are there are corrupt and living off the blood of its people(besides the US!!)

Hate to say but if we ban conflict diamonds all together the people will suffer even more...it's good that people are starting to understand and awknowledge the problem, but knowing about the problem and having a solution is two different things.

and while we at what about all OUR brothers and sisters dieing for gas to fill up all them SUV's we pushin??? There a whole lot shit goin on in this world that we either don't understand or don't know about...and current hip hop isn't helping..no one is out there like chuck D or Xclan or whoever that pushing the information out there for us learn..they teach us that in school anymore, they don't report it in the news....cuz they're scared of the result..REVOLUTION

HEADS UP, EYES OPEN, FISTS CLECNCHED

the new movement...and its not just black anymore

By Nimrod on July 20, 2006 4:32 PM

Miguel, if it's knowledge you seek you need only ask. I can tell you're definately not black because none of what I said struck a nerve. I mean how could it? OUR struggle is not YOUR struggle. Hate to break the news to you but all blacks don't gangbang or sling dope. I know how that dose of reality disrupts your fantastic view of us but it's the truth. Don't worry though, with the help of people like yourself perception is bound to become reality. My only hope is YOU get to experience the consequences of your dream firsthand and not from the comfort of your ipod... Cheers!

By daredevil on July 20, 2006 5:31 PM

I wear CZ! So im good! I shop at the middle of the mall when i cop my ice! LOL

By !!! on July 20, 2006 6:23 PM

For some reason, that picture of Paul Wall startled me...

By Big$ed32 on July 20, 2006 6:57 PM

Nimrod
I agree 100% with what you said.
Y
No this is NOT Nimrod, but he does offer some good points.
And for all you youngsters who keep saying "I don't give a fuck, it doesn't affect me", trust me in time it will. Just because your sleeping in mommy's house, watching BET all day don't think the suffering of others won't affect you. They said the conflict in the middle east wasn't our problem, now look.

By ronchi on July 20, 2006 7:15 PM

Nimrod is RIGHT! In the words of Dap from "School Daze", WAKE UP!!! If we don't care because it doesn't affect us NOW....chances are, will we care when things DO affect us?

By aural essex on July 20, 2006 8:25 PM

Here is the Playlist for Dorchester Univercity

1. I Know....3:50 / Produced by Strobe and Essex for
I.W. Productions tm. Written and performed by Strobe
and Essex. Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

2. We make the fly rhymes....3:22 / Produced by Strobe
for I.W. Productions tm. Written and performed by
Strobe. Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

3. Rap Experience....3:51 / Produced by Strobe for
I.W. Productions tm. Written and performed by Essex.
Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

4. Nigga say what.â€¦.3:09 / Produced by Strobe for I.W.
Productions tm. Written and performed by Strobe and
Essex. Recorded at Nightcrawler studios

5. D.U. Interlude....1:02 / Produced by Strobe and
Essex for I.W. Productions tm. Written and performed
by Strobe and Essex. Recorded at Essex house studios

6. Let me start this....4:55 / Produced by Essex for
I.W. Productions tm. Written and performed by Essex.
Recorded at Nightcrawler studios

7. Boston Feat. Kwe D Unknown....3:50 / Produced by
Kwe D Unknown for Strezzed Out Ent. tm. Written and
performed by Kwe D Unknown and Essex. Recorded at
Strezzed Out studios.

8. Glamorous (for the)....3:22 / Produced by Biz 20
for Biz 20 Productions tm. Written and performed by
Strobe and Essex. Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

9. Imagination....4:15 / Produced by Essex for I.W.
productions tm. Written and performed by Essex.
Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

10. Peace Treaty Feat. Livalect & Mike Head....4:31 /
Produced by Strobe for I.W. productions tm. Written
and performed by Essex, Livalect and Mike head.
Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

11. She make my phone rang....3:45 / Produced by
Strobe for I.W. Productions tm. Written and performed
by Strobe and Essex. Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

12. Living My Dreamsâ€¦.3:31 / Produced by Agent Zero
for I.W. Productions tm. Written and Performed by
Livalect. Recorded at Essex house studios.

13. Lil more hip....4:07 / Produced by Strobe for I.W.
Productions tm. Written and performed by Strobe and
Essex. Recorded at Nightcrawler studios

14. (Bonus Track) This is I.W....3:55 / Produced by
Strobe for I.W. Productions tm. Written and performed
by Essex and Strobe. Recorded at Essex house studios.

15. I'm ah Emcee....3:05 / Produced by Strobe for I.W.
Productions tm. Written and performed by Strobe.
Recorded at Nightcrawler studios.

16. Way we do dis Feat. David Szebedaâ€¦.2:46 / Produced
by Biz 20 for Biz 20 Productions tm. Horns by David
Szebeda. Written and Performed by Essex, Strobe and
David Szbeda. Vocals recorded at Nightcrawler studios.
Horns recorded at 131 studios.

By May on July 20, 2006 9:03 PM

when paul wall said, "i have never heard of the country [sierra leone]", i got tight as hell...wtf you mean you ain't heard of sierra leone prior to kanye west's "diamonds"?!...there's nothing wrong w/taking a break from your indulging in the jewels you rock to learn some geography...i wanted to smack the s--- out of paul wall, i swear...!

By EnglandRepresent on July 20, 2006 9:30 PM

I co-sign what May says. Ignorance is rife in the US, it ain't cool to be a thick muthafucka, educate yourself niggas, get your study on and learn somethin. Paul Wall needs to be shot.

By Nimrod on July 20, 2006 9:32 PM

Glad some people understand and appreciate my perspective. We all have to do our part and no effort is too small. The prisons are filling with young black men obsessed with the images and propaganda they're constantly bombarded with. People talking about Sierra Leone but we have our own victims of materialism right here in urban America. And when they do something stupid to acquire meaningless grillz, jordans, throwbacks or whatever our advice is "Stop Snitching." Now we have entertainers giving out advice to criminals. Am I the only one who finds that ironic? When Paul Wall is through being a wigger and jacking us for our fads he can go into corporate America and be the next Lyor Cohen or Jimm Iovine while the dumb NIGGERS are stuck with his outdated dentistry. Black people let's get our game tight. In the words of Public Enemy, "who stole the soul?"

By Carlos Marcello on July 20, 2006 11:13 PM

I personally would like to commend all people on this site taking a special intrest in the situation in Sierra Leone. Everyone seems to have their own ideas and thoughts about the situation, it just seems like people need to see the REAL BIG PICTURE. Captialism has taken is begining to cause a huge decay into our culture we need to stop letting these corporations,media outlets, and foolish rappers from influencing our youth. Realisticly no one wants to hear that type of stuff, yeah so and so is struggling, home boy got shot, and lil one went to jail. It's funny but noone seems to care about anything these days. I wonder when brothers and sisters are going to stand and up and fight like back in the day. I was watching Pres. Bush on MSNBC just now today spoke with the NAACP.... the man been in office damn near 6 years and he just now talking to the NAACP? FUCK HIM and his Proposals and FUCK NIGGAS WHO DONT WANT TO FIGHT FOR THE CAUSE. Honestly alot of you cats just dont get it and maybe never will, Sierra Leone is just the grim realty of our so called flashy lifestyles of being on top. Our brothers and sisters bleed to mine out these diamonds and yall sayin its wrong to not care? I thought we as black people are supposed to help each other now I know that the task seems hard to accomplish but damn why yall cant just come up with a plan to at least try and do something? why can't someone just say the hell with it we need to look out for just us By Any Means Necessary. I aint no milltent, Im not racist, And I damn sure aint no hypocrite. FUCK A TALK WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING AND WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE GOTTA DO RIGHT NOW! 1

By Sylthedeal on July 20, 2006 11:50 PM

Another Example of what Kanye said. . .

". . . And the White Man get paid off of all of that."
-All falls down

He doesnt care. . .If it were a Black owned business they would have no choice but to care. . .

By The Lazy Pimp on July 21, 2006 12:48 AM

Conflict Diamonds, STD's, Hybrid Cars, Voting.. This is all too much.. It's hard out here for a pimp.

By EnglandRepresent on July 21, 2006 12:54 AM

Conflict Diamonds, STD's, Hybrid Cars, Voting.. This is all too much.. It's hard out here for a pimp.

Posted by: The Lazy Pimp

^^^LMFAO!!!! That is classic!

By Bird on July 21, 2006 1:22 AM

It is so refreshing to see intelligence on this blog. I was beginning to think I was the only one here that thinks about anything other than me me me.

NIMROD you are 100% on point. We can make a differance by not buying conflict diamonds. What the oppressed people of the USA and Sierra Leone fail to understand is the almighty dollar rules all thanks to Europeans spreading their capitalist views to the four corners of the earth.

Cut that money off and the mine "owners" will have to conform. They ain't gonna close shop for the few dollars it would take them to actually at least act like they give a damn about the workers.

That's just my dream though. It's not gonna happen until mother nature starts putting a serious beating on our asses for our over-indulgence at her expense. For now rappers, "rich white ladies", and the handful of drug dealers that can actually afford to spend tens of thousands to millions of dollars on diamonds are going to keep those mines in business.

By EnglandRepresent on July 21, 2006 1:46 AM

Bird : Yo Bird, I agree with what you say, all of it, apart from this bit 'What the oppressed people of the USA and Sierra Leone fail to understand is the almighty dollar rules all thanks to Europeans spreading their capitalist views to the four corners of the earth.'. For real, the biggest proponents of capitalism on this earth, the biggest capitalist state on planet earth is America and you did all that by yourselves. Would you rather live in a communist state, would you rather live in a fascist state? Thats an unfounded statement Bird unless you're a socialist or a communist or you're a political left winger.

By joe williams on July 21, 2006 5:34 AM

PAUL WALL AINT EVEN THE FIRST TO PUT THE GRILL ON TV. LIL FLIP IS THE FIRST ONE TO SHINE HIS GRILL ON TV. PAY HOMAGE TO FLIPPARICHIY OR HOW EVER YOU SPELL IT.

OUT

By Shakeem on July 21, 2006 6:37 AM

Ya'll niggaz is broke, thats why ya'll on this blog bitchin, you poor ass muthafukerz, real g'z dont give a fuck about this shit, the definition of Ice in the hood is: Congratulations, YOU MADE IT OUT! and that is a big accomplishment for any nigga, cause aint nuthin good in the hood, like 50 says "fuck the hood", while you poor ass depressed faggots who aint been gettin pussy for ever, I'll be headin to the club right now.

Rotten Apple SEP 19TH!!! COP THAT BOYEEEE

By Odhis on July 21, 2006 7:20 AM

I hope that Lion XL reads this coz its meant for him.

The beef with blood/ conflict diamonds is that the money from selling them is spent to buy arms to keep the civil war going on......

U saying that sierra leone is a dirt po country n that's why they want people to keep buying is totally wrong!

PAMOJA!!!!

By jony on July 21, 2006 8:40 AM

you americans are so self-righteous.

you go to church and are sooo religous but you don't give a fuck about people being murdered so a rapper can floss a gay piece of carbonite around his neck or arm.

black peoples main enemy: themselves

By May on July 21, 2006 9:11 AM

i know that this is off-topic but my ideas about capitalism and communism go like this...both economic/governing systems are evil in their own right...with communism, everyone is equal...it looks good on paper but operates horribly in actual life...do you know how oppressive that is to human beings...the people virtually have no rights to freedom of expression or speech...the government decides what the public should and should not know...the people live with the basics, politicians running the government are portrayed as doing well for their country when in actuality the majority of the people are poor as f---...i mean, look at N. Korea: Kim Jong Il is regarded as a f---in' god and his people are starving...

as for capitalism...of course a wealthy, prosperous nation will rise...but this strength, prosperity, and affluence depends on the toiling [and practically the enslavement] of human beings from impoverished countries...those who rock the gold, platinum, and those [extremely ugly] diamond-encrusted grillz do not know the risks these people take to mine these precious metals and jewels...the capitalist system encourages greed...people will do anything to have material things which will eventually depreciate in value...i guess you could also say that captialist system divides us human beings... the distribution of wealth is ridiculous...a skinny 1% of the population control it while others have to struggle to even obtain a decent life...especially for us Black and Latino/Hispanic folk...we don't always have the best resouces, the best schools, the best homes...this nation is so f---ed up towards us...why must we be kept at the bottom i don't know, but it enrages me...but i'm going off kilter...

By May on July 21, 2006 9:13 AM

^i suppose my above response is for EnglandRepresent but everyone else can comment on it too...

By May on July 21, 2006 9:28 AM

Posted by: Carlos Marcello at July 20, 2006 11:13 PM

i think people have so much to say, but they are afraid to talk...not to talk just to be talking...not to stir up some lil' controversy that will die down in two days...i'm saying to talk which can influence people's mentalities...which will make the government fearful...to talk to create fervent support and violent oppostion...it takes a lot of balls to do this kind of talk...i will not be surprised if no one decides to speak LOUD AND CLEAR about the political and social state of the US under this f---ed up administration...but i will have a lot to say to my kids about how horrible Bush was

By Nimrod on July 21, 2006 9:53 AM

Wow May! You said plenty. Not that I totally agree with everything you said but I have to respect anyone who can articulate their position so well. Stay on your path!

By Lion XL on July 21, 2006 10:32 AM

to ODHIS, i hope YOUR reading because this is meant for you....

have you ever did your own research about Sierra Leone? Or you going by what you read on this blog and a few others?

My statement, which you pretty much ripped out of context, was that the people, the ones losing their arms, the ones suffering, the ones living through the civil war having nothing else and live off the money from the blood diamonds. I know its wrong, I hope you know its wrong, but the people see it as their only option. If you read any the articles and stories, and I mean real articles and stories written for information, not the headlines and daily news blurds, but the real stories, and youll see that the people feel dependant on that trade. When I say it is a dirt poor country, it is what it is, they have no economy outside of the blood/conflict diamonds. Take that away and they do not see an option for survival. I have been blessed to have had an oppurtunity to meet and speak to people from Rwand, Nigeria, Haiti, Cuba, you name it, and all of those countries have one thing in common, the majority of the people the people accept the oppression as daily life with no alternative. The people of Sirra Leone are no different. I wasn't saying 'they want us to buy so we should keep buying em', I was simply pointing the dichotomy(big word, look it up) of the situation. Stop the trade completely and the people suffer, Keep the trade going and the people suffer.

Every one keeps saying stop buying the diamonds, but then what? what do you do with the country after they have no econmomy to support its people? What I am really saying is we don't have nearly all the answers to this problem and jjumping on the bandwagon and shouting don't buy blood diamonds may not help the people at the end of the day. It's not a simple problem so a simple solution isn't going to solve it. I mean how stupid was 'JUST SAY NO'? At the end of the day did it really change anything? "STOP SNICHING" seems to have been more effective than that.

You should really understand what a person is saying before you pass judgement or make a coment.

By coach on July 21, 2006 10:55 AM

the diamond thing is bad but I'm not getting bent out of shape about it. hip-hop ony accounts 4 a small amout of diamonds purchased. the africans don't really like us anyway. The don't have the right to judge us. It was them who sold us out to the white boys anyway. We can't hold a grudge forever but, we AMERICAN niggaz need to work on saving ourselves before we worry about them. Real talk.

By Carlos Marcello on July 21, 2006 11:22 AM

Posted by: coach at July 21, 2006 10:55 AM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I agree 100% with what your saying but at the same time we have to reach out to our brothers and sisters out there as well. You see if you've noticed America is similar to the children's movie A Bug's Life: why you ask? Because poor disenfranchised people such as ourselves are the ants. Corporate America are the grasshoppers. If all blacks would just wake up one morning with the same idea on their mind about what we really should do to save ourselves then I guarentee we would run this country I mean its like Paul Mooney said "Everyone wants to be a nigga, but don't want wanna be a nigga" 1

By The realist on July 21, 2006 11:40 AM

To those of you trying to jump on the righteous path on this diamond shit need to go kill yourselves. If any of you broke ass chumps had the cheese, to buy grills or bling out with 100 piece bling you would. You righteous ass munchers never think about that shit till some moron post oh you are doing this oh you are doing that, the most reason they are hating is cause they cant do the shit them selves. Critics are worse than lawyers always on some ones dick cause they cant do or buy the shit them selves so they try to diss others for there come up. I don't give a damn if they killed a whole country for the diamonds or what ever buy you haten on Paul and Johny cause they don't know where there diamonds come from shit you probably don't know where your damn sneakers or food comes from. Do your own research and see if you are supporting some type of negative shit you will be shocked at what you might find. Its not there fault that people died over there for there diamonds hell look at the US we are killing our own for freaking oil and money. You will never stop greed and complaining about it for 2 mins wont help it either,this topic wont be a topic in a few weeks then you will move on to some other haten as topic. Why cant people just watch other people prosper, and try to do the same thing, with out hating. "Let ye with out sin cast the 1st stone."

By May on July 21, 2006 11:45 AM

why is this blog not on the home page and replaced with some bulls--- about letoya instead? who gives a s--- about this chick? we were getting into a deep conversation, you know!

By LISA on July 21, 2006 2:02 PM

Kanye is just trying to enlighten people of OTHER struggles we may be promoting while some rappers are promoting an image to be "HIP". Rap, Rap videos, hip hop is all and attitude, stories told with music and images of what we "dream of". All women want to have bomb ass bodies to make the one(with money, good looks charm and a BIG ONE) to wife us and give us the good life and lovin'. Men want the power,money, sex and fine ass women to surround him or be able to pick and choose between women. But in real life..we have faults..all of us aren't handsome or pretty. Don't no man want a skinny beyotch that can't cook and want to feed him cabbage for dinner. Music, videos and tv are all fantasies...and distractions from our own stresses in life.

By May on July 21, 2006 2:40 PM

oh i almost forgot...thanks Nimrod

By miguel on July 21, 2006 5:46 PM

Some fake cake registered my name, but fyi everybody outthere, i am the real miguel that has been on this site for a min. not the registered "miguel" on the other hand diamonds are diamonds... who cares if the Africans kill themselves off for them... they're dumb if they do, so let em

By DrAmAtIc on July 23, 2006 1:15 AM

johnny said he gets his daimonds from the same place jacob does only he gets them cheaper...those words came from his mouth in a interview

By wiggawesley on July 23, 2006 2:07 AM

Mane Fucc dat soft ass White Boi !

ol lame non-rappin ass cracker

By Rigo on July 30, 2006 3:57 AM

Why is everyone mad at Paul Wall for, like he said other rappers dont know either. Keep jumpin on the white dude thats fucked up. Thats pussy shit, bunch of fags! I Bet ya jeezy or juelz santanas BLACK ASS DONT KNOW ABOUT SIERRA LEONE. ITS NOT JUST DIAMONDS LOOK AT YOUR NIKES,REEBOKS, JACKETS HELL EVEN YOUR UNDERWEAR COMES FROM SHIT POOR COUNTRIES. YEAH ITS EASY TO POINT WITH THE CROWD, STAND ON YOUR TWO'S BE MEN. STRAIGHT DICK RIDERS.
( You Think Biggie gave a Fuck where he got his Diamonds? ) oh Yeah and Wesley, Paul's my nigga, you internet thug, I'll slap those freckles off your face fake ass 50 Cent.

By wiggawesley on August 7, 2006 1:47 PM

lol RIGO Fucc u and dat punk ass White boi... dat name Rigo sounds like a dirty ass mexican or somethin, Or u just a cracka defendin another cracker

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