Music channel VH1’s “Rock Docs” is premiering its latest episode tomorrow, Thursday, February 22 titled “Bling’d: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip Hop.”
The film takes a look at the illegal diamond trade in Sierra Leone, West Africa and its connection with the hip hop culture, particularly how “bling” played a role in the nation’s 11-year civil war.
The film follows rappers Paul Wall, Raekwon, and reggaetonian Tego Caldron as they visit the war-torn country and mining communities, meeting with musicians, refugees, amputees and former child soldiers.
The documentary also includes interviews with other prominent rap stars who give their take on the evolution of diamonds in hip-hop, including Jadakiss, Big Daddy Kane, and Kanye West – whose track “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” helped spark Paul Wall’s work on the film.
Due to what is called the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, a UN mandated process designed to certify the origin of diamonds from sources which are free of conflict, the World Diamond Council claims that today over 99% of all diamonds are conflict free. But while this percentage is extremely promising, Paul Wall and the film’s director, Raquel Cepeda, share that there is more to be done than just cleaning the diamonds.
“We’re not trying to boycott diamonds,” Cepeda added. “Who are we to tell people what to wear? We want to make social consciousness ‘sexy’. If you started boycotting diamonds, you would cripple the economy in Sierra Leone. Let this film be a point of departure in order for us to motivate ourselves to become conscious consumers and get involved in other things that are happening in the world that we can help with.”
“Bling’d: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip Hop” premieres on VH1, Thursday, February 22. For more info, check the network’s website at www.vh1.com under shows, Rock Docs.