When some men are sentenced to prison, they smuggle in drugs or weapons. When Diggs Dynamite was sentenced, he smuggled in an 8-track recorder. An accomplished drummer on the outside, he figured he’d use his time wisely on the inside during his six years of hard time. He evolved into a prolific songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. At the end of his stint, he walked out with more than 100 songs recorded and over 400 more waiting to see the light of day. Perhaps cruel and unusual, ins...
When some men are sentenced to prison, they smuggle in drugs or weapons. When Diggs Dynamite was sentenced, he smuggled in an 8-track recorder. An accomplished drummer on the outside, he figured he’d use his time wisely on the inside during his six years of hard time. He evolved into a prolific songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. At the end of his stint, he walked out with more than 100 songs recorded and over 400 more waiting to see the light of day. Perhaps cruel and unusual, inside Diggs’ very real prison, CDs were considered contraband, leaving him without new music for inspiration. Still, he prevailed, mysteriously recording two albums under the radar of prison officials while he served his time. The first was a 19-track demo tape entitled, From the Trenches of London, which showcases his many influences—rock, reggae, and punk infused with his own unique style. The second, Still in the Trenches, expresses his darker side with a healthy dose of undeniable honesty inspired by the scandal, struggle, and hypocrisies of the prison system he experienced. It’s been four years since Diggs was sprung from prison. He is finally in the position to begin working on the well-crafted songs from his prison archives as well as many new ones. Today, he is in the studio recording “Blame It on Your Idols,” which is set for a 2009 release. His naked and raw sound will see a little polishing this time around. Listeners should expect a diverse mix of tunes that reflects Diggs’ own eclectic taste in music. Blame It on Your Idols pay homage to Diggs’ main influences, including Angelo Moore (a.k.a. Dr. Madd Vibe, lead singer of Fishbone and a profound influence of Diggs) who is featured on two tracks, “Static in the Waves” and “Isms.”
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