Big Shug The Diamond Report

After the release of debut record Gris-Gris, Dr. John found himself in a strange and awkward position. The US was deep into the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were fresh in the public memory. On top of that, Dr. John was being pursued by various Los Angeles authorities for a handful of criminal offenses. It was, in his own words: "a heavy time for me." Much like Sly & The Family Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On, Dr. John's follow-up album Babylon would be a reflection of the chaotic and tumultuous time that he was living in. He and band dove deeper into the voodoo-inflected psychedelic rock and R&B of Gris-Gris, while touching upon elements of free jazz and Captain Beefheart-style avant garde. As with his debut record, production was handled by the legendary Harold Battiste, and much of the same session personnel who performed on it returned for Babylon, including Plas Johnson on saxophone, Alvin Robinson on guitar, and backing vocals from Jessie Hill, Shirley Goodman, and Tami Lynn. Babylon stands out as one of Dr. John's most overtly political albums, and is a singularly murky and darkly entrancing record in his discography. A psychedelic swamp of apocalyptic lyrical content, drunk, disorienting experimentation, and a fascinating entry into Dr. John's catalogue well-worthy of his expansive legacy. Get On Down is all too eager to reissue this unique record for Record Store Day Black Friday, which has not been repressed on vinyl in over 40 years. In keeping with the album's hallucinogenic sound, it is presented on trippy splattercolored vinyl, and housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket.Shuggie Diamonds is my ‘singing’ and ‘more soulful’ alter ego, so the title The Diamond Report is based off that. The nickname was given to me by my brother, the late, great Guru. My music is also a form of me dropping jewels; I have always been a diamond in the rough.” - Big Shug on his new album, The Diamond Report Boston rap stalwart Big Shug blends equal parts raw soul and grimy street rap on The Diamond Report, an album that’s bursting with life and character from an emcee who exudes longevity. With decades in the game, the Gang Starr Foundation co-founder continues to sound hungry and passionate with his art, and it’s led to one of his strongest album showings yet. After delivering smooth vocals on the opening track, Shug hits your ear like a freight train on the bombastic “EMF” that’s produced by longtime collaborator DJ Premier. A lyrical middle-finger to “every motherf*cker” who’s ever doubted or crossed him, the single also received the video treatment from director Myster DL. It puts the focus directly on Shug and his rhymes, and it actually sets the tone for the remainder of The Diamond Report. At 20 tracks deep, the album plays like a highlight reel of all of Shug’s artistic strengths. On “Doing My Sh*t,” he kicks back and oozes confidence as he croons over the Thir(13)teen-produced instrumental. And then on the Lil Fame-produced “Keep It Cool,” he’s back in bruiser mode alongside M-Dot, B.A.M and International Dreez. Shug also embodies the wise hip-hop sage on several cuts, including standouts “Old Man Rapper” and closer “You Ain’t About It.” But it’s on the lyrically charged “Stay The Course” that everything hits hardest. With Elevated Music’s snarling beat as his canvas, Shug takes aim at Trump, big ups Colin Kaepernick, and spits rewind-worthy bars like: “I still hustle, that’s how I was raised/ When I started out they said rap was a phase/ 20 years later, I still get paid/ While some of y’all clowns, still get played.” It’s a powerful reminder of exactly who Shug is, where he comes from, why he’s still here, and why everyone needs to be paying attention. To paraphrase the man himself, it may be 20 years later, but Shug’s pen is as sharp and necessary as ever.