Diamond District

The hip-hop trio Diamond District emerged from the region known as "the DMV," shorthand for the Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland area. Their formation centered on blending influences from mid-'90s East Coast rap—particularly the styles of De La Soul, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and Gang Starr—while highlighting the underrecognized Washington, DC rap community. The lineup features MCs X.O. and yU alongside producer and MC Oddisee, whose own catalog includes several solo albums, productions for Jazzy Jeff, and membership in the Low Budget Crew alongside Kev Brown, Kenn Starr, and Cy Young. A sequence of singles issued in the late '00s marked the group's initial outreach to the broader hip-hop audience. In April 2009 they offered the clean edition of their debut album, In the Ruff, as a free download via music blogs; the resulting coverage and interest enabled them to present evidence of their audience to Mello Music Group and secure a deal. The label then issued the explicit version of In the Ruff in October 2009 and scheduled the follow-up project, March on Washington, for release the following year.