Artist: Kareem Edouard
Interviewer: Alexander Fruchter

Signs of wealth and status are abundant in our society. Everything from clothes, to cars, to dining choice shed light on the socio-economic details of individuals and groups. There may not be more of an “I got money!” signifier than jewelry. People don’t just walk around with bracelets, rings, and necklaces as expensive as your apartment because they look nice, a certain feeling and message goes along with those wardrobe accompaniments. Many have “ooohed” and “ahhhed” at the shine of a necklace, or the excessiveness of gold teeth, but fewer have thought about the impact of such decorations. The first thing that comes to mind when seeing the latest Jesus Piece, or spinning medallion is, ‘how much did that cost?’ It is natural to think of that cost in terms of dollars and cents, while in actuality the cost is much higher than one thinks. Rappers and others are literally paying an ‘arm and a leg’ to shine on stage and in music videos, the only thing is the arms and legs are not their own.

In his short-film, Bling: Consequences and Repercussions, director Kareem Edouard takes an in-depth look at where the diamonds we see on the arms, necks, and in the mouths of some of the most prolific Hip Hop artists come from. He also examines the conditions, which exist in those places, and the implications of such a high demand for diamonds. In this SoundSlam exclusive interview, Kareem Edouard answers questions about his film, as well as what drove him to make it. As he does in his film, he tackles tough issues and speaks honestly. This is definitely an interview that must be read.

SoundSlam: What do you feel are some of the causes for such a large disconnect between Africa, and African-Americans?

Kareem Edouard: Capitalism causes that disconnect in my opinion. We tend to care more about becoming moguls and acquiring material things than taking care of our own families and communities.

SoundSlam: Many rappers, jewelers, consumers will plead ignorance about the diamond trade and plight of African people, do you believe that they just don’t know, or really they just don’t care?

Kareem Edouard: I think it is half and half. Some don’t know and some just don’t care. It is unfortunate, but true. In my interviews with jewelers I got a lot of them telling me that they really didn’t know where their diamonds originated, and that there is no way to tell. Diamonds are untraceable, especially after they are cut.

SoundSlam: Much of this conflict comes out of intense greed. And such greed is present in our society as well. It begs the question, when will all this stop, and where will society’s fascination with status lead us?

Kareem Edouard: I have no idea when and where all of this “Bling” obsession will end or even if it will end. I am just trying to educate people about where their diamonds may have come from. Then they will then make the decision about if they still want to wear them or not.

SoundSlam: RUF is a good example of even a rebel force succumbing the same evil that it is fighting(greed, unjust power), how will there ever be peace in Sierra Leone if the freedom fighters turn into tyrants themselves?

Kareem Edouard: Well, the civil war in Sierra Leone is and has been over since 1999. However, the war-like conditions in much of that area have not ended. Many of the former conflict areas still have violence and extremely poor working conditions in the mining villages, even though they are no longer considered conflict regions. I hope that the UN would step in and begin regulation of working conditions of the mines.

SoundSlam: Kanye West brought a lot of attention to this issue with his songs and video. He acknowledges his almost hypocritical actions of denouncing the diamond trade, yet still wanting to wear diamonds. While he sold a lot of records and people were talking about it, do you think he made a lasting impact, and one that will lead to any kind of reform or change?

Kareem Edouard: No. I think that the song, “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, was confusing to people. The remix actually addressed the real topic of conflict diamonds, but the original song was about the record label. The really confusing part for people was when it came to the video. The original song was used over amazing images of kids in working in the mines. Everyone kind of understood that there was something going on over there, but the lyrics told them nothing. I credit him with getting the topic some attention, those of us who already knew what was going on appreciate that much. Now it is time to teach the kids what is really happening, no confusing messages here.

SoundSlam: Will there ever be a time when Hip Hoppers throw down their diamonds?

Kareem Edouard: I think that there will be those who decide that they are over and those who will forever be headed to the jewelry store.

SoundSlam: David Shimanov says in your film that Hip Hoppers need to be different, and that is why they buy diamonds. But in reality, everyone seems to be doing the same thing and it seems like conformity is the thing and non-conformists like De La Soul etc are just nerdy or lame or what have you. What are your thoughts?

Kareem Edouard: I agree that they are just conforming to the stereotype of what a rapper should look like. I think that in the film David just meant that everyone is trying to be original with their jewelry pieces. Rappers have to have the biggest, most colorful, spinning, best piece around or they don’t even feel like they are fit to hit the stage. It is sad that they used to bring their skills and showmanship to the stage and now its just diamonds.

SoundSlam: It appears as though even if rappers did know of the cruelty and horrific actions produced through the diamond trade they may not care, or it may intensify their fascination with diamonds. Do you feel that diamonds go into Hip Hop’s gangster mentality? “No feelings, I don’t give a f**k, I got my god-damn diamonds, and somebody had to lose an arm for me to have them, that’s how gangster I am.…”

Kareem Edouard: I do think that diamonds do definitely play into the gangster mentality. I came across one rapper a couple of weeks ago, I won’t mention names, who said to me that he wouldn’t wear a diamond unless an arm got cut off for it. I never thought that I would hear that from another human, but they never cease to amaze/ disappoint me.

SoundSlam: I read in another interview you talked about the need for minority filmmakers to document their own cultures. And that they have difficulty getting funding for doing so, while whites are not having as much trouble getting funding for making films documenting other cultures. Some may feel like, ‘it’s no big deal, someone is shining a light on the issue anyway.’ Can you explain why that fact is important for those that don’t see it?

Kareem Edouard: I think that we need to prove to ourselves and the world that we too can put out quality films and not just the same story over and over again. We have got to step up the skills, I went to school for this man. I prepared myself to make a film the entire world will respect, they may not love it, or even like it, but they have got to respect it.

SoundSlam: At the very end of the short film, a little kid sums up his feelings very simplistically. Do you agree with his comments, that rappers should not wear diamonds because they are African-American and African people are dying to make their diamonds? And why do you think he is able to draw that relationship so easily, while grown men and women cannot?

Kareem Edouard: Grown men and women don’t want to. It is also difficult for them to resist the temptation of a beautiful sparkly diamond especially when they are in the position of buying it. I feel like we never really want to see the blame for anything put on us. What we need to see though is that our culture has been ripped from us and used to market products from shoes to diamonds. Hip Hop is not advertising and it seems like a lot of people have forgotten that.

SoundSlam: You have condensed everything into 10 minutes, what will be further explored in the feature film?

Kareem Edouard: With the feature we will be branching out to include all facets of celebrity culture that “Blings.” There will be interviews with rappers and hopefully survivors of the conflict. We plan to travel to the affected areas to get a first hand perspective of the results of the world’s greed for diamonds.

SoundSlam: Chuck D is a perfect choice for the narration, what other Hip Hop artists would you like to get involved in the film?

Kareem Edouard: I would love for Mos Def to be a big part of the feature film, also KRS-One and many more. I want to sit down and talk to all the major diamond wearers in the industry also Diddy, Pharell, Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Mannie Fresh, Busta Rhymes, Cam’Ron etc.

SoundSlam: When will the feature hit theaters?

Kareem Edouard: Hopefully the feature will be released in late 2006 early 2007.

SoundSlam: Who are some of your role-models, or filmmakers that you look up to?

Kareem Edouard: Jean-Luc Godard is one of my favorites because of the film Breathless. Matthew Cassavetes who directed a French film called Hate, that changed my perception of poverty all over the world, Alfred Hickcock of course, and my Mom.

You can check out the film by visiting www.wghfilms.com/bling.htm