Detroit, Michigan lyricist and one of the underground music scene’s finest, Mickey Diamond returns with his 18th studio record. After bursting onto the scene in the early 2000s with his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous, the guy has since built an impressive discography for himself through 17 previous albums as well as 7 EPs and a mixtape, earning him quite a bit of attention in the underground. However, since 2022, Mitch has been consistently delivering some of the best material of his career to date. These include the Gucci Ghost series produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Oroku Saki EP produced by Ral Duke, the Death Threat$ album produced by Sadhugold, the Capital Gains album produced by Camoflauge Monk, the excellent Oroku Saki sequel Super Shredder and Gucci Gambinos. We recently received tickets to Diamond Cutter as well as Dolla $ign Diaries & Wolf, the second installment in a new trilogy that launched about two months ago.
“Shepherd’s Pie” begins with a drumless soul sample about him learning how to save money instead of chasing money, while “Big Bad Wolf” goes the instrumental “boom bap” route so he can screw over anyone who gets in his way. “Murda He Wrote” bangs the drums again and talks about playing gigs with 10 friends, while “B22” talks fondly about his ability to consistently rock the block, unlike those who no one wants to work with.
As for “Silence of the Lambs,” we get Diamond on some piano, mixed in with kick drum and snare, letting the fear breathe again and having the FBI ask him what happened during the break, until “Rabbit Hole” brings back a crooning sample chop that talks about how his style is too flashy for poor people. “Matthew 7:15” eerily boasts about slitting throats with a liquid sword, while “Business as Usual” continues in its second half about looking cool before it all boils down to money.
Raised by Wolves gave us more hardcore heat at the start of season four, warning that if someone bitch to one of his own, the entire community would be on his side, while When It Rains was an affectionate take on feeling the pain of a friend who’s in a bad mood. “False Profits” crudely establishes that he’s here to take on the greatest of all time, while “Want You Back” ends with a shredded soul sample that talks one last time about not being mad at the women he’s been involved with.
We’re less than a few months away from the release of Wolf Tickets’ Wolf, Sheep & Goat trilogy, and in terms of musical performance in 2025, Black Sheep’s buzzer-beater isn’t quite what many who’ve followed Mickey Diamond over the years were expecting. His lyrical style focuses more on his ability to tell stories centered around friendship, relationships, spirituality, conspiracy theories, and politics, all in The Big Ghost’s signature production style.
Rating: 9/10
