Whatever it looks like, it's actually someething quite politically correct and caring. We can't just read things into this stuff, it can alienate us from our kids when we get it all wrong and make something bad out of something good.
West also has spoken out about the illicit trade in diamonds. West originally wrote Diamonds are Forever to commemorate the rebirth of the Roc-a-Fella dynasty (which is symbolized by the diamond-shaped hand sign). However, after he heard about the death and destruction caused by the conflict over diamonds in Sierra Leone, Africa, he said that he saw a different meaning in the song. He said he felt that God was using him to relay a message about the issue conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized African governments. The money made from these diamonds is used to purchase weapons and support opposition forces. As a result of this conflict, families get separated, children are forced to serve as soldiers and thousands lose their lives.
When West learned of this problem, he wanted to help promote awareness. He wants people to realize that when you purchase diamonds, you dont really know where your diamond came from. There is a chance that a small child paid the price so you can look glamorous. This rap song gives a bit of information about the diamond war in Sierra Leone. It is touching, yet its message is deep. While we might all love to wear five karats, those karats might have found their way to you because of the strife and conflict going on in South America. Any diamond purchase could support the existence of this conflict.
There is information about the good works of other artists you might not think of as doing good works at this site.
http://www.bsu.edu/learningfromhate/mu_west.htm
