VH1 Documentary Looks at West Africa’s Diamond Trade

“Bling'd: Blood, Diamonds and Hip Hop,” is the title of a new documentary from VH1's Rock Docs. Bling'd examines the diamond trade in Sierra Leone, and examines whether the “diamond-obsessed hip-hop community may have unintentionally played a role in the country's war.”

Hip-hop artists Paul Wall, Raekwon (of Wu Tang Clan), and reggaeton king Tego Calderon visited Sierra Leone late last year. They heard first-hand accounts of the atrocities suffered during the civil war, how the country is trying to rise from the ruins of conflict, and how Sierra Leone's citizens are attempting to improve their living conditions. The rappers met with local musicians, amputees, refugees, and former child soldiers on their trip. They also visited diamond mines and villages that rely on the diamond trade.

In the U.S., Kanye West, Jadakiss, Big Daddy Kane, Juelz Santana, Chris Aire, Mr. T, and others will discuss the evolution of ‘bling,’ what it means to wear diamonds in Hip-Hop America, as well as the issues surrounding conflict diamonds and poverty in mining communities.

The film will also include testimonials, facts, and graphic images of those directly affected by the diamond trade. According to VH1, these artists are representative of the hip-hop community coming to terms with its obsession with diamonds and the discovery of the effect it has on the impoverished people in Sierra Leone. Singer Kanye West is quoted in the documentary saying, “It's just ironic that what made black people feel so empowered was completely demoralizing and destroying other black people.”

The movie, produced with the help of the United Nations Development Program, will air on VH1 Thursday, February 22 at 8 PM.