Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) [BREAKDOWN]

From his sophomore album, Kanye speaks on the Blood Diamond trade in Sierra Leone.

Good Morning, this ain't Vietnam still
People lose hands, legs, arms for real
Little was known of Sierra Leone
And how it connect to the diamonds we own
A reference to the Robin Williams film Good Morning Vietnam. Kanye is comparing The Vietnam War to the Blood Diamond issue going on in Sierra Leone. Although not quite as bad as Vietnam, there is still plenty of bloodshed happening over in that part of Africa.

When I speak of Diamonds in this song
I ain't talkin bout the ones that be glowin
I'm talkin bout Rocafella, my home, my chain
Roc-a-Fella records, the label that first believed in Kanye's talent, has a hand sign that makes a diamond. This is in reference to the original "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" track in which Kanye talked about the label he's signed to. Not blood or conflict diamonds.

These ain't conflict diamonds, is they Jacob? don't lie to me mayne
Kanye asks if the prominent jeweler Jacob & Co is selling him things with blood diamonds in them.

See, a part of me sayin' keep shinin',
How? when I know of the blood diamonds
He's having a hard time bringing himself to keep wearing diamond studded watches and necklaces because he knows that people may be dying to make them.

Though it's thousands of miles away
Sierra Leone connect to what we go through today
Over here, it's a drug trade, we die from drugs
Over there, they die from what we buy from drugs
Now he's showing how American ghettos are connected to Sierra Leone. People sell drugs to make a living and buy things that they need and want in parts of America, while people from Sierra Leone die from what people buy from selling drugs.. diamonds.

The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charmses
I thought my Jesus Piece was so harmless
'Til I seen a picture of a shorty armless
he's having second thoughts about all of the diamond studded jewelry he bought. Seeing someone in Sierra Leone without their arms because of blood diamonds makes him feel bad.

And here's the conflict
It's in a black person's soul to rock that gold
Spend ya whole life tryna get that ice
On a polo rugby it look so nice
How could somethin' so wrong make me feel so right, right?
He's conflicted about the entire thing. On one hand the thought of buying diamonds is ingrained in the culture he was raised in. He even says people spend their whole life getting them, and when they do they feel great. So how could something that makes him feel great, also make him feel bad at the same time?

'Fore I beat myself up like Ike
You could still throw ya Rocafella diamond tonight, 'cause
He closes the verse saying that although he's worried, people can let go and still throw up the Roc-a-Fella sign.