 |
| Diamond Plus aka Puny Lukey Don |
I met this artist online. He is my cousin, Jevon Rabsatt, who I found on Facebook. I reached out to him to ask questions about our family tree and found out that he has been into music since he was a teenager. I chatted with Diamond Plus aka Puny Lukey Don on February 8, 2025, while he was in Gambia to learn more about his music and journey.
What inspired you to become an artist?
Diamond Plus shared that he grew to love music just from listening to it. He recalled that
Beenie Man and Buju Banton had a great impact on him. He saw Beenie Man at a
concert in St. Thomas and was so enthralled that he became determined to be an
artist. He also saw Buju Banton in concert on another occasion and decided he really wanted to pursue music professionally.
Diamond Plus also recalled that he would chant and sing along with his nephew, Romeo,
who was a good drummer. He also shared the first time he saw 2Ekwip, who we now
recognize as Timothy and Theron Thomas of R. City. Diamond Plus shared that
those boys were quite young at the time but would come to his brother-in-law’s
studio to record music. He was amazed at their talent and drive at their age
and became more determined to push and nurture his talent. Diamond Plus would hang
around them and chant with them.
He fondly shared a memory from his 8th Grade year at a Team Rally, which involved all the local schools. Diamond Plus said that he along with Maurice ‘Verse’ Simmonds and Rakeem, now deceased, competed in a competition. Diamond Plus was declared the winner. These various experiences all help to inspire the artist we know today as Diamond Plus.
What was your
first single that you put out?
My first release was Gal from All Nation. It was also my first dancehall song, released in 2001 while I was still in high school.
Who helped you to get your music out there?
Tony Gee was one of my first producers that helped me to grow, taught me to record, and put me on Boston airwaves. He did a show with Movado and took me to Gambia for the first time. Dis N Dat band with sister Debbie and Rango aew who 'buss my live' in Boston and surrounding areas. I would do sold out gigs with them in and around New England.
My DJ is Jagga Movements. My support team includes my close friends who believe and support me. I currently manage myself along with the support of the LUKEY Family, who encourage and support me on the journey. I thank God for his continued guidance.
Diamond Plus purchases beats online and often works with Abu Shaq, a talented producer based in the Gambia.
What does LUKEY mean?
LUKEY means Loyal United Kings Educating Youths. Olord Lukey Don, Diamond Plus, and Lukey Flames are the founding members. Anything in the positive light that brings uplift-ment to the world, to each other, a teacher, a blogger, a good dad, someone that tells the younger generation to stay away from drugs etc. - that’s considered Lukey. If my friends read this article they will say, .. 'that article on you is Luke, my boy, or it's Lukey.'
What are your plans for your music for 2025 and beyond?
I want to release another EP entitled Diamond Time Now and drop some new singles. I already have the music but I’m continuing to work on the visuals.
“I know I have the hits in all genres but they just need to be shown in the light”
What type of music do you listen to and who are the top
artists on your playlist?
I listen to a variety of music - I try to stay away from negative music even though I support the various genres.
- Lovers Rock – as much as I have the bad boy aura, I still have a lot of love in my heart!
- Hip hop
- Afrobeat
- Dancehall
- Gospel
- Soca
My top artists include: Ruger, Busy Signal, Vybe Kartel, Buju Banton, Sizzla, and Pressure.
“I cut my dreads but still am a Rasta!”
What’s your writing
process?
I like to flow from the top of my head – I don’t pre-write. Inspiration comes from anything – could be a word, or seeing someone pass by. I like to keep myself grounded in the way I make music – I write from different perspectives.
 |
| Diamond Plus aka Puny Lukey Don |
As we chat today, you
are on the African continent. Tell us about your experience.
Gambia is beautiful. It’s a little warm right now. There’s a lot of love being shown and I also consider it home. Africa is not like what we see on TV. I was inspired to travel to Africa because DJ Jagga Movements inspired and encouraged me. I performed at a show with Movado and the crowd was over thirty thousand strong.
Within Diamond Plus’ first
four days in Gambia, one of the DJ’s friends was transporting him. He saw a
flyer in the car for an upcoming show and started freestyling about the
headliner’s name and the name of the
show. The driver recorded him and sent
the video to the featured artist. When Diamond Plus arrived at his hotel, he
went to shower. When he was finished, he met several people waiting for him
because they all wanted to hear him freestyle. That interaction opened the door
for him to meet Attack and they both visited the studio to record the song the next few
days. The song was released and within the first 8 days, it captured over 100K
views on YouTube. To date, Hundred Taw has over 300,000 streams on YouTube.
Diamond Plus said that the feedback was overwhelming and people love the song.
The culture of Gambia is love! Africa is home! I encourage everyone to touch down on the motherland. I love the versatility of the music here.
What stage have you always dreamed of performing on?
I would love to perform at a big concert in the USA with over 30,000 people in the crowd. I would also like to perform at stage shows in the USVI and BVI – from St Thomas to Tortola.
Which artists would
you want to collaborate with (local, regional, and international)?
Diamond Plus works with other artists by co-writing, mentoring, collaborating, and
being featured.
I would love to collaborate with R City, Pressure Buss Pipe, and any upcoming artist who is willing to work with me. On a national level, it would be Busta Rhymes.
Share something with
the readers that most people don’t know about you.
- I am a very humble, praying, and caring guy.
- I follow the lead from God.
- I am willing to go above and beyond to help upcoming artists.
- I want the best for everybody. While people may think it’s a competition, that’s not the case.
Please share some
advice for the younger generation.
- Keep a prayerful life
- Don’t follow bad company
- Work hard for what you want
- Don’t let anyone throw their fears on you
Anything else you’d
like to share?
- I encourage everyone to subscribe to my social media: Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
- I have lots of videos coming soon because I want to fulfill my fan’s requests for more visuals.
- I am working hard this year to please my fans.
- I am going to continue getting back to the roots and my prayerful times.
- I want to spend more time with my family.
