yU - Beats & Rhymes (Remix) (Prod. by Oddisee)

For those of you who prefer physical copies of albums rather than digital, yU (1/3rd of the Diamond District) will be officially re-releasing his 2009 mixtape "Before Taxes" via Mello Music Group on March 13th, 2010. Fellow Diamond District member Oddisee has contributed two remixes to the retail version, but made several like this one below.

Download: yU - "Beats & Rhymes" (Remix) (Prod. by Oddisee)
Bonus: yU - "Beats & Rhymes" (Original) (Prod. by yU)

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Oddisee feat. yU - yU Traveling (NYC Remix)

Life on a road is rite of passage for every artist, and each stop on the journey leaves an indelible mark on those who pass through. MC and producer extraordinaire Oddisee, one third of one of 2009's celebrated group Diamond District, is certainly no stranger to the travel game, having visited the shores of Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America in the name of boom-bap. Be it the sleepy ambiance of a wayside town, or the frenetic energy of a major city, the experiences of Oddisee's worldly adventures are channeled into his new 24-track instrumental album Traveling Man, out now digitally and available as a limited edition vinyl pressing on February 23rd.

In an effort to re-imagine a trip into Gotham City, Oddisee has recruited fellow Diamond District rhyme-slinger yU as passenger for a remix to "NYC." The Big Apple has never sounded so good, as yU laces an electric 16 bar verse over a vibrant track that captures a slice of the timeless spirit of the city. Infectious drums and soaring strings serve as a sonic travel guide through the boroughs as yU echoes the resilience of NYC, rapping that there's "a lot more to do, but off to a good start." Safe travels, everyone.

Download: Oddisee feat. yU - "yU Traveling (NYC Remix)"

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Diamond District - Who I Be (Marco Polo Remix)

Diamond District's debut In The Ruff made huge waves last year. Considering the impact that the album made, remixes of some of the cuts were inevitable. A reworking of "I Mean Business" by yU (1/3 of Diamond District) surfaced in late December, and now, Canadian producer Marco Polo, who contributed tracks to Masta Ace's A Long Hot Summer, Sadat X's Black October and various Boot Camp Clik projects, including his own Double Barrel project with Torae, is the latest to add new flavor to one of the tracks; reworking one of the album's top songs, "Who I Be."

In addition to getting the track out early for fans, Marco Polo's "Who I Be" Remix will be appearing on Mello Music Group's Diamond District Remixes album, as well as Duck Down Records' The Stupendous Adventures Of Marco Polo. Even before hearing the track, the pairing of Marco Polo's patented boom bap with Diamond District's own break beat heavy sound is a logical match. Marco Polo's new flavor is apparent right out of the box, as he drops the low end and adds a serving of catchy keys that give the song a fresh and more bouncy feel. On enlisting Marco Polo for the remix, Mello Music Group founder and Director of Operations, Michael Tolle, says, "Given the success of In The Ruff, we wanted to keep the remixes in a few select hands. Oddisee reached out to Marco on the strength of his Double Barrel release with Torae. and Marco came thru with a big radio friendly remix that made fresh use of the original ODB sample." Keeping the remixes in ready supply, in the coming weeks fans can also expect a remix of "Streets Won't Let Me Chill" by Detroit's own Apollo Brown.

Download: Diamond District - "Who I Be" (Marco Polo Remix)

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X.O. - One.Ten.Ten

Here's the newest effort from breakthrough Diamond District member X.O. With his success in 2009, X.O. starts off the new year right with his fresh new album, One.Ten.Ten. The majority of production is handled by AB the Producer and Oddisee, and includes features from Raheem DeVaughn, Tabi Bonney and more.

Preview:


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Diamond District - I Mean Business (Remix) (Prod. by yU)

Continuing with their mission to bring back the sounds of old with a new twist, Diamond District's "I Mean Business" Remix combines a laid back bass groove, an addictive drum pattern, and is laced with the unmistakable lyrical prowess of group emcees Oddisee, X.O. and yU. The track is a further testament to their ability to capture the essence of the boom-bap sound, mixed with street savvy and politically conscious lyrics that depict life in and around our nation's capital.

Download: Diamond District - "I Mean Business" (Remix) (Prod. by yU)

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XO - DO iT (Music Video + Audio)

The first leak off of Diamond District member XO's sophomore release One One Ten is the single "DO iT" featuring Ab The Producer on the boards. The video for "DO iT" was shot in the historic district off Howell & Mill in Atlanta last month and was captured by PhiltheGod / 43FiLMS. XO takes you on a lyrical journey while navigating through the decay and destruction.

Download: XO - "DO iT" (Prod. by Ab The Producer)

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Diamond District - Something For Y'all (Prod. by Kev Brown)

The big day is finally here for fans of DMV triumvirate Diamond District. Their debut full-length album, In The Ruff, is out today via Mello Music Group. The album, which features two brand new tracks from the group as well as their hard to come by material from a limited release this spring, is available in stores and on iTunes. One of the just-released tracks is "Something For Y'all," produced by Kev Brown. While District member Oddisee produces the vast majority of Diamond District's songs himself, working with Brown hardly involved leaving the group's comfort zone. "Working with Kev is honestly keeping it in-house – he founded the Low Budget Crew and gave birth to everything that I'm doing right now. We wanted that signature Kev Brown sound- grimy soul."

"Something For Y'all" showcases emcees Oddisee, X.O. and yU trading verses, rapping to their audience, and trying to upstage each other. The track has a distinctively old school vibe. This old school spirit is one of the attributes that has made Diamond District's debut so hotly anticipated. While you won't find any Kangols in the vicinity of Diamond District (though Oddisee has been seen recently sporting a cardigan onstage), the track boasts a heaping serving of formative hip-hop flavor, and soul food. "Undefeated on my feet / when I'm dishing out defeat / like a plate of soul food with swine meat from Texas."

Unlike many boastful choruses, Diamond District are absolutely right when they rap together "We got something for y'all / the hardcore / something people been waiting for such a long time... we're down for the cause." That cause- real hip-hop- has been awaiting torchbearers as deserving as Diamond District for quite a while.

Download: Diamond District - "Something For Y'all" (Prod. by Kev Brown)

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Diamond District - Diamond Exchange (Mixtape)

Gearing up for their October 27th release of In The Ruff, DMV's Diamond District is leaking a twelve-track mixtape compiled by DJ Buddy. Featuring four songs from the upcoming album along with a mix of each of the group member's solo work, these tracks all come together to comprise the Diamond Exchange Mixtape with all of the tracks laced together seamlessly with cuts and transitions courtesy of DJ Buddy, who states, "I mulled it over with my mom and we decided Diamond District is the definitive hip-hop group of today." Returning the compliment, group producer/emcee, Oddisee, speaks highly of DJ Buddy and his involvement in putting the mixtape together, saying, "DJ buddy is great and in all honesty this mixtape is all him. He's an actual fan and supporter of our music and movement. The mixtape was actually DJ Buddy's idea and he presented the idea to us. We're fans of a lot of his remixes, so it was in honor to be included in his series." Each of the tracks throws the spotlight onto one of the group's members, letting them each showcase their talent, including the track "In the Jungle," which features a purely instrumental performance by Oddisee. Although a pre-album mixtape, don't let it throw you that a handful of these songs are not on the album – not one of them lacks in the high quality production or deft lyrics that the group has become known for.

Preview:


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Diamond District: Mini Documentary

In anticipation of the official release of their forthcoming debut effort, In The Ruff, the trio of Oddisee, X.O., and yU, collectively making up the group Diamond District, take some time out from their day to break down the boundaries that define the area where the group was born and raised – the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia). From a bird's eye view, Oddisee points over the bridge to where he grew up in Maryland and X.O. and yU show us where our nation's capital lies on the northwest corner. Diamond District is essentially standing at the crossroads of the DMV, and even more important than their geographic location is the mind state and way of life that comes from living at that intersection. As the video progresses, each member brings us a little deeper into their worlds. X.O. explains how the movement began in DC and slowly spilled over into Maryland and Virginia; YU brings us into his friend's apartment where he delivers a flow packed with cleverness and slick delivery; Oddisee brings us into his modest home studio where he shows us that you don't need a lavish setup to create head-nodding beats that we are accustomed to hearing from the boom-bap beat-smith. And with each segment you leave with more insight than you came with, as the trio drops knowledge, both individually and collectively. Diamond District's In The Ruff will be available October 27th via Mello Music Group.

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