Original DITC member, diamond D, always kept his fingers dusty on stunts, blunts & hip-hop.

Story Oliver Wang

"For this edition of Liner Notes, we’re taking it back to Diamond D and the Psychotic Neurotics, OG digger of the crates. The sample-fest that went into 1992’s Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop has been the inspiration for countless other producers to get their own fingers dusty, searching for the next obscure loop, stab or break that no one’s flipped yet. Check one, two – feel his vibe.

Best Kept Secret Like many songs on the CD, Diamond keeps it clean and simple for the first song, dropping a powerful guitar from Three Dog Night’s “I Can Hear You Calling” (from Naturally) over the hard drums from Kool and the Gang’s classic “NT” drum break.

Sally Got a One Track Mind The melancholy, dusky sound comes courtesy of the dreamy flute melody and deep bassline of Oakland’s funk-rock outfit, Tower of Power and their mellow “Sparkling In the Sand” (from East Bay Grease). Underneath that, Diamond layers the signature hi-hats and crisp snare of the Skull Snaps’ well-loved “It’s a New Day” break.

Step To Me Diamond’s Diggin’ In the Crates partner Showbiz masterfully assembles this aggressive track. The opening, dramatic loop is from Solomon Burke’s blaxploitation soundtrack for Cool Breeze (“Fight Back”) while the impellent bassline originally appeared on Cream bassist Jack Bruce’s solo album, Things We Like (“Sam Enchanted Dick Medley”). Just for good measure, Show tosses in the Delfonics’ sweet soul anthem “Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” for that added touch of emotive force.

“*!*!” What U Heard On an album filled with great bass lines, Diamond and co-producer Lakim Shabazz team up to deliver one of the best - a superbly smoothed out, two-bar loop jacked from “Alvina,” a composition by Bay Area saxophonist John Handy and his 1977 fusion album Carnival.

I’m Outta Here Like “Best Kept Secret,” “I’m Outta Here,” uses a similar two-note sample and uses that lone hook for all the song’s sonic weight. No guitar this time but rather, Diamond and Showbiz isolate an organ smash from Detroit’s blue-eyed soul group, Flaming Ember, and the song “Gotta Get Away,” from.

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