Mood - Diamond in the Back
Ya'll know this song, right?
I'm not thinking about the classic, "Be Thankful" by William DeVaughn, that uses this line as apart of the hook. Not entirely, at least.
At work I listen to Spotify to help pass the time and one day I was going through Ludacris' catalogue. As I was rounding out his hits, I decided to put on "Diamond in the Back" off of his Chicken and Beer album. When I listened to it, the beat was a mix of joy and mild toughness and Luda's (because we're homies like that) delivery layered on top created a smooth groove.
Inspiration took over and when that happens I get filled with happiness and excitement. I also tend to see colors in movement and words and tones become fabrics and seam lines. Is that weird?
Anyways, listening to the song on repeat, because that's what I do when creativity hits through music, I saw textured leathers, long fur and cable knit. A warm yellow, burnt orange, ivory and chocolate came into the picture too. I mean, I basically saw the the 70's. I really envisioned a female version of a modernized 1970's pimp caricature. Yikes. I embraced it all and made it the foundation of this Diamond in the Back concept.
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I started to look up 70's Cadillac models and luckily for this concept, that's when the dope and streamlined models were made. Initially looking, I'm not sure how to incorporate the Cadillac. It could just be in the background but I'm thinking of translating it into a few style lines.
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Next, I wanted the muse. I instantly thought of Pam Grier, an iconic actress who got her start in the 70's. A lot of the notable characters she's played were very strong and didn't take any BS from anyone and I wanted that mentality in this design concept. Beyond that, I started to look up 70's fashions which transitioned into me looking up the Black Panthers who were a prevalent force during that time. I don't have intentions on incorporating their monochromatic all black uniforms but I had ideas of using their protest signs and flyers for graphic inspiration.
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I want the feel to be a good time but the Diamond in the Back concept is ultimately a celebration of melanin and the black female, despite any surrounding struggles.