Best of '09: Diamond District - In The Ruff
![MMG005CD[1].jpg](http://dcist.com/MMG005CD%5B1%5D.jpg)
Let's cut to the chase. In a year that saw a good number of hip-hop releases from area artists, there was one that really jumped out and grabbed me. That album was Diamond District's In The Ruff. Why? The simple answer is when you manage to couple compelling production with smart lyricism, chances are you have a dope hip-hop product. And without a doubt, Diamond District accomplishes that feat.
The trio consists of emcees yU (an Unbuckled 7 participant) and X.O., as well as producer/rapper Oddisee. All three are accomplished in their own right, having released albums and/or mixtapes as singular artists, so the major question coming into In The Ruff is whether or not they all can get on a track without someone overshadowing one or two of their group mates to the point it ruins the song. To their credit, there are few, if any, instances where that delicate balance is thrown off.
On the intro, Oddisee states the album's objective: combine the sound of 1990s East Coast boom-bap hip-hop with D.C.-centric rhymes. And Diamond District does just that. "Streets Won't Let Me Chill" comes complete with snapping snares and a kicking bass line as the guys navigate their way way around and through the pitfalls of life in the city. There are illusions to the fact that areas of the District are actual and metaphorical battlefields. Block versus block. Rich versus poor. Progressive versus regressive. All throughout, though, each emcee understands what they should be doing in order to better their given situation, but the easy trappings of the streets are never far away.
In a similar vein, "The District" seeks to clearly define the District against Washington. Carry-outs are juxtaposed against encroaching corporate offices. Listeners are warned about the werewolves in wool suits downtown on K Street NW. The Diamond District cats have cast themselves in the role of outsiders in their own town.
Keeping in the tradition of songs from the era Oddisee drew inspiration from, "Who I Be" is a quintessential head nodder focused on reminding you that the emcees you're listening to are indeed the best you've heard, ever. Boastfulness is par for course in hip-hop, and DD doesn't leave much room for doubt about how they see themselves in the pantheon of the D.C. scene. As is the case across the album, there's parity in strength among the three rappers. Instead of either physically or mentally skipping over weak verses, the listener is compelled to check every line uttered by everyone involved, because all the lines are intriguing.
Ever since it made its online debut as a free download in the spring and had its formal release this past fall, In The Ruff has received a lot of rightfully deserved attention among rap tastemakers. Recently, artists like Tabi Bonney and Wale have also come out nationally proclaiming proudly that they hail from the Nation's Capital. With the acceptance of those artists and efforts like the one put forth by Diamond District, D.C. looks to be finally fortifying its distinct voice on the East Coast and to the broader hip-hop community. Hats off to Oddisee, X.O. and yU for coming together to make an album this city needed.