The whole Diggin’ In The Crates project might have no purer output than this album. Diamond (who sometimes has no D suffixed) talks shit all carefree and produces the hell out of this with his friends. He’s almost too goofy to be boom bap, but the form also has The Pharcyde and MF DOOM, so it works.

Diamond D grabbed the hip-hop world’s attention with “I’m Not Playin,” a standout track with his previous group Ultimate Force. His solo debut Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop finds Diamond and his friends, soon to be known as the stalwart Diggin’ In The Crates crew, enjoying that raised profile and creating his next batch of hits. Diamond’s beats stand out, even among his golden-age peers, for their dynamics, with disparate elements combined in interesting ways, the chops shifting underneath his admittedly average but listenable raps. Standout tracks include the cautionary “Sally’s Got A One Track Mind” and the propulsive “Freestyle (Yo That’s That Sh..).”