The song Diallo, Diallo by Wyclef Jean is a tribute to the life and death of Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant who was shot and killed by four New York City police officers on February 4, 1999. The officers fired 41 shots at Diallo, who was unarmed and standing in the doorway of his Bronx apartment building. Nineteen of the bullets hit him, causing fatal injuries.

Diallo had come to the United States in 1996, seeking a better future for himself and his family. He worked as a street vendor, selling video cassettes and socks, and dreamed of going to college and marrying his girlfriend. He also applied for political asylum, claiming to be from Mauritania, a war-torn country in West Africa.

The police officers who killed Diallo were part of the Street Crime Unit, a plainclothes squad that targeted violent criminals and illegal guns. They claimed that they mistook Diallo for a rape suspect and that they thought he was reaching for a weapon when he pulled out his wallet. They were later acquitted of all charges, sparking outrage and protests from civil rights activists and community leaders.

Wyclef Jean, a Haitian-American rapper and singer, was moved by Diallo’s tragic story and decided to write a song in his honor. He collaborated with other artists, such as Youssou N’Dour, MB2, and Kofi Black, to create a powerful and emotional tribute that blended hip-hop, reggae, and African music. The song features lyrics in English, French, Wolof, and Fulani, reflecting Diallo’s multicultural background and the global impact of his death.

The song also criticizes the police brutality and racial profiling that led to Diallo’s killing, as well as the injustice of the legal system that failed to hold the officers accountable. Wyclef sings:

You said he reached sir / But he didn’t have no piece sir / But now he rest in peace sir / In the belly of the beast sir

The song also expresses sympathy and solidarity with Diallo’s family and friends, who had to endure the loss of their loved one. Wyclef sings:

Mama I understand your pain / Even the angels cry / There’ll be another day

The song ends with a repeated chorus of “Diallo, Diallo”, invoking Diallo’s name as a symbol of resistance and remembrance. The song became a worldwide hit, reaching the top 10 in several countries and raising awareness about Diallo’s case and the broader issues of racism and violence in America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWK81up-DMY
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Ha!!! I rock this song that year, including the song perfect gentleman from the same album.
In fact " The Ecleftic" album was a bomb.

Many black immigrants still suffering same fate of what Diallo pass through.
This reminds me of George Perry Floyd Jr murder so Patetic.

BLACK LIVES MATTERS .

Nice song

Sad song

Police brutality is far more worse in other countries than in Nigeria... They are not your friend

Great Jam

I used to play that song repeatedly while i roll up my weed back then in college

The same almighty america police officer are the same across the globe

It's so sad listening to the lyrics of the song. 41shots should never be called an error by the cops .
Truly one day every being will be judged.
R. I. P Diallo

One of my best songs of all time

Very emotional and powerful song. I think his parents were later paid some money through court order.

Wow...
My love for this song sha...


Enemy on the borderline
Who'll be the next to fire
Forty-one shots by Diallo's side
You said he reached sir
But he didn't have no piece sir
But now he rest in peace sir
In the belly of the beast sir
You guys are vampires
In the middle of the night
Sucking on human blood
Is that your appetite?
You said he reached sir
But he didn't have no piece sir
But now he rest in peace sir
In the belly of the beast sir
Have you ever been shot
Forty-one times
Have you ever screamed
And no one heard you cryyy
Have you ever died
Only so you can live
Have you ever lived
Only so you can die again, and be born again
From these enemies, on the borderline
Who'll be the next to fire
Forty-one shots by Diallo's side...

I still listened to the song yesterday. It's so sad,especially with American police. So sad

I'll show them I have My ID so them know I am good people

Rastafarian inglish

If not that African leaders keep killing Africa, no African would have had the need to leave Africa, this continent is so blessed that Africans can afford to live comfortably without having to step foot into another continent

God bless Wyclef Jean. He poured out his soul on that song.

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