VH1 Takes on Sierra Leone With Bling'd: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip Hop.(MTV Networks Inc. VH1)

Jewelers Circular Keystone,  May, 2007  by Bates, Rob

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By Rob Bates

VH1 recently aired Bling'd: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip Hop , a searing 90-minute documentary that took several rappers to Sierra Leone to show them the impact of its diamond-fueled civil war and the conditions in its present-day diamond trade.

The show began by explaining the lure of diamonds for the hip-hop community, arguing it evolved from 'pimp' style and turned into a form of status. 'We had for so many years chains around our neck, but this time they had diamonds in them,' says rapper Kanye West.

West, whose 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone' single helped ...

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