DITC co-founder and legendary producer/MC Diamond D released his full-length album The Rear View today (8/19). The 14- song project is his first solo release since 2019's The Diam Piece 2 and shows a growth in his production that we've witnessed over his last few releases.

"I'm still sample-based, but I use live musicianship to give the songs a BIG feel," the "Sally Got A One Track Mind" producer told Rock The Bells. "I picked up that technique from producers like Nottz, Dr. Dre, and Battlecat. Though I'm still sample-based, I have to compete with what is on the radio, so it all ties in."

In an exclusive interview with Rock The Bells, Diamond reminded us that he is "one of the few producers who writes his own shit," and he says that the slower tempo and laid-back feel on the project allowed his lyrics to be heard fully — something that he finds important.

"The slower tempo of the songs was not intentional," Diamond shared. "I actually recorded more songs than those that made the final cut, but I wanted my vocals to shine through and be heard clearly. In hindsight, that may have been a premise for the laid-back feel of some of the songs."

The album, which features Posdnous of De la Soul, Westside Gunn of Griselda, Ashtin Martin, Stacy Epps and KP, took about two months to record between New York, L.A., and Atlanta, with engineers Believe and Amond Jackson.

Listen to 'The Rear View' above.