As it turns out, “Diamonds” is a girl’s best friend. Rihanna’s latest single, which she recently performed on Saturday Night Live, has sparked a seapunk uprising, inspired a Zola Jesus cover, and helped to fuel her airborne 777 Tour. Not bad for a little old “happy and hippie” song, but why not add one more accomplishment to the list? Kanye West has now put his own spin on “Diamonds” and, no, he didn’t use the opportunity to rap revisit “Sierra Leone.” Instead, he begins at a soiree: “We in this party and nobody invited me / We going crazy and I always use my best sense / But that don’t matter cause I stay on my Fresh Prince.” From there, he spirals into My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy levels of crazy, sounding increasingly angry and conflicted about wealth and lady-relations (“Voices in my head, I need choices in my bed.”) before shouting out Brad Pitt, Hurricane Sandy, and shower sex. His contribution is just one long verse, but it could be the buffest we’ve heard from the G.O.O.D. Music CEO in a season or two.
