Sid Diamond
Diamond in Dunedin, Otago in 2008
Diamond in Dunedin, Otago in 2008
Background information
Birth nameSidney Diamond
Also known asSid Diamond, Young Sid
Born (1986-07-07) 7 July 1986
Auckland, New Zealand
GenresTrip hop, New Zealand hip hop
Years active2005–present
LabelsMove The Crowd Records
Websitehttp://www.movethecrowd.co.nz/

Sidney Diamond (born 7 July 1986), previously known by the stage name Young Sid, is a New Zealand rapper.

Biography

Sid Diamond was born in South Auckland, New Zealand and later moved to Manukau City, Auckland. He is of Cook Island and Māori descent, and was raised in the Manukau suburb of Ōtara. He used his aunt's address to attend Papatoetoe High School.[1] Diamond's father, Vincent George, was the president of a gang called the Tribesmen,[2] and his mother, Victoria, was an alcoholic[2] who died of lung cancer in 2009.[3] His older brother, Karlos, who is currently imprisoned, was an aspiring rapper under the name Mr Sicc, and a member of an Ōtara gang called Bad Troublesome Ward.[2] At a young age, Diamond was arrested twice for fighting, and carried weapons such as a knife and an axe, but said in a 2009 interview that Karlos worked to prevent him from getting involved with gangs.[2]

Sid first became attracted to American hip hop after listening to Karlos' copy of the 1988 N.W.A single "Gangsta Gangsta."[4] He recorded his first song at the age of eleven, and was part of a short-lived group called The Murder Squad.[4][2]

Career

Diamond formed hip-hop trio Smashproof in 2005 with members Tyree and Deach, and they signed a contract with Move The Crowd Records (a subsidiary of Universal) during his first semester of university; he dropped out shortly thereafter in order to pursue his music career full-time.[2] His solo debut, The Truth, was released on Move The Crowd in 2007, and featured a guest appearance by Chamillionaire. He spent three weeks in New York recording the tracks,[5] many of which were produced in Croatia, France, and Auckland.[1] The album would then go on to debut at No. 27 in its lone week on the RIANZ top-40 album charts on 10 September,[6] and won Urban Album of the Year honors at the 2008 Māori Music Awards.[7] However, he came under controversy in February 2008 when he appeared in a music video for the track "Put Your Colourz On", which featured South Auckland street gang members.[8][2]

His first album with Smashproof, titled The Weekend, was released in March 2009. The featured single, "Brother," broke a 23-year-old record for the longest consecutive run at number one by a New Zealand-based act on the country's singles chart.[9] Sid was the opening act for Ice Cube's Straight Outta Compton Tour concert in Manukau City on 22 August 2007.[10]

In 2010, Diamond released his second album, What Doesn't Kill Me..., which charted for eight weeks and won him his second Urban Album of the Year at the Māori Music Awards.[11]

Discography

Albums

Date Title Label Charted Certification
September 2007 The Truth Move The Crowd/Universal No. 27 (NZ) RIANZ
May 2010 What Doesn't Kill Me Move The Crowd/Universal No. 11 (NZ) RIANZ

Singles

Title Featured Performers Album Producers Year
"Hood Like Me" The Truth Shuko 2007
"Hood Like Me (Remix)" Fizek, Louie Knuxx, Ethical, Flowz, K54 The Truth Shuko 2007
"Too Much Pain" Brad Marquis The Truth Lyr1kz 2007
"Undisputed" The Truth Noble 2007
"MTC its OVA" Ethical, Deach The Truth Cochise, Juse 2007
"My Letter" Brad Marquis The Truth Lyr1kz 2007
"MADE" What Doesn't Kill Me Twice As Nice 2009
"Never Waste a Day" Kayo What Doesn't Kill Me Twice As Nice 2010
"Stuck in a Box" Stan Walker What Doesn't Kill Me Emile 2010
"You" Deach What Doesn't Kill Me Twice As Nice 2010

Mixtape Appearances

Title Featured Artists DJ Year
Speed of Sound Vol 1' MTC DJ Nino Brown 2005
Speed of Sound Vol 2' MTC DJ Manchoo 2006
Speed of Sound Vol 3' MTC DJ SMV 2007
Major Flavours Vol 2 (Australia)' Urban Artists from NZ, Aus, USA DJ Sirvere 2008
Speed of Sound Vol 4 (Domestic Disturbance)' Young Sid DJ Danny-ill 2009
Get Ready Mixtape' Sir T Hosted By Young Sid DJ SMV 2010
Speed of Sound Vol 5' MTC DJ Manchoo 2010

Other guest appearances

Title Performers Album Producers Year
"Oh No" Tyree (feat. Deach) Global Casino Juse 2005
"Ride Till I Die" Juse (feat. Smashproof and Kaeson) Global Casino Juse 2005
"Who Better Than This (Remix)" PNC (feat. Scribe, David Dallas, Louie Knuxx, Koma, and Mareko) P, N Whoa (Single) 41 2006
"Turn it Up" DJ Sirvere (feat. Smashproof and MZRE) Major Flavours N/A 2006
"Put Ya Colours On" Fizek (feat. Face Killa, Gravity, Punchline, and 187) Skull Fingers Up (The Sample) (EP) N/A 2008
"3rd Class Living" Ethical (feat. M1) Ages Turn N/A 2008
"Problem Child" Ethical (feat. Cyphanetic) Ages Turn N/A 2008
"Talk of the Town" (remix) Ethical (feat. Tyson Tyler, Kardinal Offishall, and Grandmaster Roc Raida) Coming of Age (EP) Emile 2008
"Chop 'Em Down" Ethical Coming of Age (EP) Twice As Nice 2008
"You Already Know" Nesian Mystik Elevator Musiq DMON 2008
"Brother" Smashproof with Gin Wigmore The Weekend F.B.I 2009
"It's Friday" Smashproof The Weekend Styles Fuego 2009
"Ordinary Life" Smashproof The Weekend Twice As Nice 2009
"Monstars Ink (Remix)" Tyson Tyler (feat. Monsta Ganjah and Flowz) Reality Cheque Yorel 2009
"First Time" David Dallas (feat. Jordache and Niko) Something Awesome P-Money & 41 2009
"Really Don't Care (Remix)" Derty Sesh (feat. Ethical) Sic Love Derty Sesh 2009
"Deachy is Back (SP Remix)" Deach (feat. Tyree) Vision Twice as Nice 2010
"Move The Crowd" MTC Speed of Sound Vol.5 Styalz Fuego 2010
"Ready For Whatever" SIR T Walk With Me Twice As Nice 2010

Awards and nominations

Nesian Vibes Awards

Year Award Category Work Result
2007Nesian Vibe AwardsBest ArtistNominated
Best M.C.Nominated
Best GroupSmashproofNominated
Best AlbumThe TruthNominated

Māori Music Awards

Year Award Category Work Result
2008Māori Music AwardsMāori Urban Album of the YearThe TruthWon
Māori Male Solo Artist of the YearNominated
2010Māori Urban Album of the YearWhat Doesn't Kill MeWon
Māori Male Solo Artist of the YearWon

New Zealand Music Awards

Year Award Category Work Result
2008New Zealand Music AwardsHip-Hop Album of the Year[12]The TruthNominated
2009Most Singles SoldSmashproof featuring Gin – BrotherWon
Best Music VideoChris Graham – BrotherWon
People's Choice AwardSmashproofWon
Urban/Hip-Hop Album of the YearSmashproof – The WeekendNominated
Single of the YearSmashproof featuring Gin – BrotherNominated
Breakthrough Artist of the YearSmashproofNominated
2010Urban/Hip-Hop Album of the YearWhat Doesn't Kill MeNominated

References

  1. 1 2 Smithies, Grant (10 September 2007). "Young Auckland rapper speaks the truth". Stuff NZ. Archived from the original on 1 June 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Staff (21 February 2008). "Rapper Young Sid". Sunday Star Times. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  3. Umbers, Lee (19 June 2011). "Sid finds diamond in a dark place". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 Young Sid biography – Allmusic
  5. "Move the Crowd: Young Sid". Move the Crowd Records.
  6. RIANZ Albums Chart, 10/9/07
  7. "Young Sid wins @ Waiata Māori Awards". Pacific Superheroes. 20 November 2008. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  8. "Killer Beez diss stings Dawn Raid". Sunday Star Times. 17 February 2008.
  9. Smashproof – The Weekend – Move the Crowd Blog, 1 January 2009
  10. Straight Outta Compton Tour, 22 August 2007 on YouTube
  11. Staff (13 September 2010). "2010 Walata Maori Music Awards Winners Announced". New Zealand Music Commission. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  12. "2008 Vodafone NZ Music Award Finalists". Muzic.net.nz. 3 September 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
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