DIAMOND: My Music and Graphics work

DIAMOND: My Music and Graphics work

Eazymedia recently caught up with a Nigeria Born Artiste DIAMOND in a studio in Lagos Nigeria. He opened up on his music career and graphics work.

EAZYMEDIA: hello Diamond, can we meet you?

DIAMOND: My name is Akhimien Diamond David aka Diamond, aka Oni fe te, aka Omo to dun. I’m the only child of my Mum, and that makes me precious, that’s why I’m called Diamond, I hail from Delta state, Nigeria. I was born in the mid 80s.

EM: When did your journey of music all started?

DIAMOND: it all started in the year 2008 when I heard a song by R. Kelly titled ‘Ignition’ I wondered how he makes hit songs, I felt if he (R. Kelly) can do it, then I also can. I was really inspired by the song, so with that I started working on myself, worked on my voice. That same year I recorded a song titled ‘Amanda’ Produced by DjEazy at Eazy Records Studio Nigeria, the song was played on radio across Nigeria, the song took me to places and lot of events in schools and events held by cooperate organisation. I didn’t make a video of the song, It took me some years later before I came with the Track titled ‘’I Need You’’ It was a love song Produced by ‘Wave’ that was in the year 2010, It all started as a child’s play thing, the producer made the beat for the song and he told me to do some love thing on the beat, the song was finally made and it turned out to be a hit on Radio, so that prompted me to make a video for the song which was shown on almost every Entertainment programs on Television across Nigeria. In 2012 I made a hit song titled ‘’Oni fe te’’ which I also made sure the song hit the Nigeria music Industry.

EM: Ok! What prompted you in making the song ‘Oni fe te’, and what message exactly where you trying to pass across?

DIAMOND: Oni fe te is a street slangs, meaning you don’t want to get messed up, or get yourself involved in any trouble and so on, one day I was in front of my house when I heard some guys on the street saying different kind of street words, I heard one of them saying (ah! Iwo ke, oni fe te) meaning (what! You? You don’t want to get into trouble) then I picked the word and that was how I started cooking up some other lyrics and made a song out of it. I used the song Oni fe te to back my last hit I Need You, because one has to follow up whatever he does.

EM: Cool! Let’s talk about your new single that is out already ‘Sade Mi’

DIAMOND: Sade Mi is a love song comprising two people from different tribe and background, the both families are against their union, because of the battle between both party, she decided to run far away from everybody to an unknown place in order to silence the trouble between both families, her disappearance was when she and the guy was on bed, and that made the guy run out to search for her.

EM: What message are you trying to pass to those listening to the song Sade Mi?

DIAMOND: The message in the song Sade Mi is to abolish the sense of tribalism in our society, this is to let our parent know that Love does not talk about where you are from or how wealthy your and so on, parent should allow their children to make the right choice for themselves, we should not focus the love for our children on our personal or selfish reasons, Love is within the heart not the outward look or how fat or slim the pocket is.

EM: Are we expecting any new video from Diamond?

DIAMOND: definitely new video in the making, also a new hit song coming soon, but the video will be out before the new song, we are working on the video Shade Mi right now.

EM: Is Diamond under a Record Label?

DIAMOND: Presently I’m not under any Record Label or Management, I do all my work myself, because I’m also into graphics design, that way I fund my promotion, both radio and television, even going to print press for press release of my singles.

EM: We see a particular Company named Urban Graphics spreading your songs on so many social media, what can you tell us about the company since you said you are not under a management.

DIAMOND: (laughs) Well, the truth is that I’m the brain behind Urban Graphics, I’m into graphics design and painting, but I do more of graphics design because technology has taken over the world, we are now in a computer world, I infused the creative of painting into computer graphics, so I’m the CEO of Urban Graphics. I’ve done a whole lot of graphics for the likes of OJB Jazreel, Zakki Azzey, Felabration, D’Banj, event banners and so many of them.

EM: How do you combine your Music and Graphics work?

DIAMOND: It’s the handwork of God I must say, I started with graphics before venturing into music business, so my graphics speaks for itself, I create out time for the graphics work and also make out time to put my songs together, it’s the grace of God.

EM: Why do you choose to work everything on your own, why not go for a Record Label or a Management?

DIAMOND: There is no Artiste that does not want a record deal, but the thing is, In Nigeria today, getting a record label that can concentrate on making the artiste get to the top is way difficult, most record label look more into making the money out of the Artiste in just a short time of promoting him or her, and there also some of the label that starts up your promotion and along the line they begin to loose interest because they want you to become 2face Idibia immediately, it is not done that way, everything in life is a process, an Artiste is a brand, you must make that brand a household name before you can start thinking of making the kind of money that come to the mind. I need a Record Label that understands the Music business that can put me on a platform where I can meet up with the standard of music in the world we are in today.

 

EM: We have a lot of Upcoming Artiste who have the dream of getting into a record label that will start up their work, what can you say about such Artiste?

DIAMOND: I won’t discourage any Artiste to walk up to a record label, the thing is when you as an artiste find yourself in a particular record company, take your time to see the commitment of the company in your project, make sure what they signed you up for is what they are working on, and not postponing the promotion of your songs, that will put your career on hold, they might come across another Artiste that would make them drop your project and ask you to wait, that is why I advise Artiste to read through the contract deed before signing a deal with a record label, some record company might sign you up and get your all the clothes, shoes, put money in your pocket, but your songs will be lying on the desk not taking any action to put the songs on Radio or even make a video, that my friend is imprisonment in disguise, they just take care of your bills and cage your career, buying gifts and putting money in your pocket is not the main thing that brought you to them, but to make your song go across the world. For me, my career is more important than anything.

EM: Ok! Can you tell us when your album will be released in the market?

DIAMOND: My Album by the grace of God will be out soon, but that will be next year, because I’m still working on the completion of the album while I’m working on my next video, I want the album to pass message across to people, not just dance all the way, music should be Entertaining and Informative, people listen to music and practise what they hear from it, so I’m trying to make sure the album reach out to people’s heart with good message.

Daimond’s Brand new single Shade Mi is already making wave in the Nigeria music Industry, you can download songs from Diamond below.

Download: Sade Mi