Royce Diamond

It's been said that 'you can pay for school but you can't buy class' and Royce Diamond agrees that this rings true to his fashion philosophy, which speaks for itself when it comes to his own personal style.


There's very little Kansas City's Royce Diamond doesn't do. From rapping to producing to weighing in on the relationships of Kansas City with his latest podcast project, 'Uncovered' , he's all over the metro map.


It's no wonder then that his fashion style echoes that of a savvy businessman, as that is what he is. I had the chance to catch up with him for this month's 'Man of Style' to ask him a few questions about his fashion choices and fashion mistakes: - Examiner.com

When determining the “value” of Royce Diamond, it’s hard to focus on just one area. Do you focus on Royce Diamond the artist, the producer, or just the musical storyteller from the ‘Dotte? These days it’s a combination of all three as he does a balancing act of recording material for his fourth album (to be released this fall), directing projects for his company NNK Productions and entertaining crowds with songs off his latest album, Signal Flow.

Royce has performed recently in St. Louis, opened for Big K.R.I.T at The Granada in Lawrence and has visited the students of a Wyandotte grade school to speak to them about pursuing their dreams and how much hard work goes into being in the music and film industries. It’s clear that his sound and stage personality is accepted across the board, making him easily accessible to a wider audience as a local artist.

With the creation of NNK Productions in May 2010, he has been able to flex his directing and editing muscles to film Blue Corner events and help with the production of short film, Third Hand Misery. He has released promo videos for Signal Flow, including a live performance of “Move Back”. And his song, “The Dotte”, one that has been slated as one of the favorites off Signal Flow, will be welcoming its own music video release this summer.

Despite the increasing number of projects Royce has his hand in and the full schedule he maintains, he still manages to keep his priorities of family and community in line with what he wants to do professionally. Whatever amount of success comes from all the hard work, dedication, blood, sweat and tears, his head/heart decisiveness is a priceless balance often lost among those focused on making it to the top.

You can catch Royce hosting and performing his newest tracks at Hello Kitty Presents: Social Crush at Midland Theatre on Friday, May 27th. Cover charge benefits Red Cross for Japan Disaster Relief. - Demencha Magazine

There are a handful of names that inevitably come to mind when you think about the Kansas City hip-hop scene: Approach, Reach and Mac Lethal, to name a few. But one name you probably wouldn't think of (but should) has just released his third album on Datura Records, and it's seething with heavy beats and hot rhymes.

Royce Diamond's new album, Signal Flow, dropped yesterday, and the multitalented engineer turned producer turned recording artist will be celebrating the release with a hip-hop throw-down tomorrow night at the Jackpot Music Hall.

Royce Diamond's resume is pretty impressive. He's done engineering work for Raphael Saddiq and Herbie Hancock, and he's performed on stages with Talib Kweli and the Cool Kids. And though his last album, Aficionado, was released for free download, Signal Flow is being released as a full-blown, mature album for purchase -- and it's well worth the handful of bones. His knack for lyrical poetry that is introspective and narrative and his abilities as a superb producer make Signal Flow's sound uniquely smooth and polished for homegrown hip-hop. And it's no wonder: Diamond studied at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, and he had the infallible hand of Datura's owner, Sean Hunt (aka MC Approach), at the ready to help.

Snag yourself a digital copy of Signal Flow on Diamond's website here. - Pitch Magazine

What's love got to do with it? Quite a bit, according to Royce Diamond of Kansas City, Kansas. Like most of his listeners, Diamond has love issues. Though his latest effort, Aficionado, comes well after Valentine's Day, it might be worth holding on to, until that date once again arrives. Unlike the greeting cards that do and don't show up in the mailbox, the roses that may or may not arrive at work, Royce's tales of caution, romance and woe stay grounded in reality. And if you have access to the Internet, they're also free. On the digitally released album's introduction, Royce asks, Who is this Royce Diamond? After the last of the 11 tracks, it's safe to say Diamond is a man whose life is filled with gold diggers, bourgeois temptresses and — like the shared title of two of the album's tracks — problems with love. When it's a matter of "Fallin' in Love," "Ghetto Love" or "Problems Wit Love" (parts 1 and 2), Royce's head seems to be in the clouds. Good thing the production on Aficionado isn't. The eclectic assortment of outstanding beats, including '80s new wave, R&B and soul, to name a few, overpowers much of what Royce himself says. "Gold" even incorporates the famous hook from Jay-Z's "Who You Wit." Putting oneself so close to greatness is a brave move. As brave, it turns out, as the rest of the album's production. - Pitch Magazine

Royce Diamond may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of Kansas City hip hop. And it’s almost criminally easy to hype up someone as the next big thing.

But if his new album, Aficionado, is any indicator, or if you judge a musician’s worth by how long his or her song stays in your head, the KCK rapper/producer is headed for some big things.

Aficionado is an explosive mixture of confessional and often deeply personal lyrics on top of eclectic beats united by smooth, solid and subtle production. No surprise, as Diamond is a graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences and was an understudy to Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Jeff Poe.

His prowess is on display on both sides of the microphone.

First, the vocals: His lyrical flow ranges from boastful on his introduction track, “Get Used to It” (announcing his intentions: “You ain’t heard of me before, get used to it”) to a confessional mediation on love and loss on “4 Years Strong,” before closing the album with a more personal apology/appreciation to his mother. He also sprinkles in a few getting-it-on songs like “Fallin’ in Love” and “Ghetto Love.”

But the highlight on Aficionado is the musical arrangement. It’s so simple (often only a beat, a sample, backup vocals and the lead vocals), but eclectic (old-school harmonies, spoken-word samples, acoustic guitars). For example: “Gold” is a high-energy song out of the Kanye West mold about gold-diggin’ broads and relies on an acoustic-guitar hook, while the next track, “Fallen’ in Love,” sounds like an old-school Bone Thugs-n-Harmony love-song jam that relies on a simple female vocal sample with a funk-based beat.

The album is always pushing forward and exploring some new avenue. It never plods along or gets bogged down.

Whether you’re looking for a club-worthy bounce track, an angry I-used-to-love-her song or an old-school jam, Royce Diamond’s Aficionado has it all. And I guarantee, at the very least, you’ll be humming his hooks hours after you’re done listening. - Ink Magazine