diamond*’s Always Had Star Power. Now, Young Thug Is Making Sure Everyone Sees It.

The letters ØWAY have been everywhere this summer.

Phonetically fronted by a slashed “O” to signal opposition to oppression, the emerging Atlanta rap collective currently circling the underground hip-hop zeitgeist is otherwise led by the hypnotic pair of Tezzus and diamond*. The two rappers are the co-founders of the group, which spawned from earlier ATL collection 4ET (“4ever Thumbin’”), and also consists of Sk8star, Pz’, and Yung Fazo, and further-removed affiliates Southsidesilhouette, Diorvsyou, ShawtyRokk, and billiOn.

Tezzus and diamond* are also the bridge between ØWAY and Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life label, Thugger signing the duo to YSL back in October 2025 after the success of the track “bada bing, bada bØØm” that summer. Since the signing, the pair’s momentum has only expedited, the past year already riddled with career-defining moments including the release of their joint UY SCUTI BØYZ and the infamous eight-minute cypher that began to put the rest of the ØWAY ecosystem on the map. Fueled by their two fearless leaders, ØWAY continued its running start into the summer with no holds barred, nearly the entirety of the group appearing somewhere on the Summer Smash lineup, a pivotal signal of the “who’s who” in the current underground scene. 

Nearly the entirety of the group was also gallivating about France just a few weeks later for Paris Fashion Week, lining the front rows and walking the runways. Tezzus made his runway debut in Guillermo Andrade’s 424 show, with Pz’ strutting the Louis Vuitton runway, and diamond* making a cameo during Bazu 1199’s seasonal showcase. Then, just days after ØWAY returned stateside, the guys announced a one-night-only show at NYC’s Irving Plaza headlined by none other than Young Thug himself. Tickets were $1. 

But don’t get it twisted. diamond* is far beyond a well-dressed, overly-dripped figurehead for the four-letter biome. When he pulls up to the Hypebeast office, he’s wearing what’s grown to become an unofficial uniform of his: a graphic brand tee — today, it’s The Rolling Stones — paired with bright red skinny jeans, HOOD BY AIR footwear, and a massive Goyard bag. He actually got his start selling vintage band merch out of the back of his car, a Grateful Dead shirt the vibrant-hued vessel that introduced him to Tezzus for the first time. 

“He bought it, and as soon as he put it on, some music came on, he started tweaking out, and he ripped it right up,” diamond* recounted of the pair’s first IRL encounter. “But, you know, I wasn’t tripping; he paid me for it, so I ain’t give a fuck. I still wanted that shirt, though. You owe me a Dead shirt, brother.”

diamond*’s summer in particular has been one to note, most recently riding the high of acclaimed new record BLING SLIME VØL 1: HØSTED BY DJ HØLIDAY and the announcement of he and Tezzus’ supporting role on Thug’s comeback headlining run, THE NEW GENERATION WORLD TOUR. In a rare moment of downtime this summer, the fearless, fly-as-ever ØWAY co-founder sat down with Hypebeast to discuss the Atlanta collective’s captivating global come-up, and where his music fits into the landscape.

ØWAY was everywhere this Paris Fashion Week. Tell me more about that.

diamond*: Paris Fashion Week was an ØWAY takeover. We literally had all the prettiest girls; we were at all the parties, we had all the swag going. Shout out 1199, my boy Bazo. Shout out 424. Shout out Louis Vuitton. Shout out Pharrell. We were doing what we do on a daily basis when we were back home in Atlanta, you know? Going shopping, putting that stuff on, and looking great in it. We turned Paris upside down, man. ØWAY was in the building.

Getting to do everything with the same people you came up with has gotta be special. What’s that like?

It’s a great feeling. I’m still with the same ones I started with. We’re doing it for the ones that couldn’t hold on this long. It’s really a blessing. I’m so happy for my bros, my family members. They’re really stepping and doing what they always wanted to do. Major blessing.

Was the Bazo 1199 runway in Paris your first time walking a runway? Were you nervous at all?

Yeah, it was my first show walking. I wasn’t nervous at all, actually. I’ve filled out a lot of places before. I’ve packed out a lot of venues, so walking in that fashion show was just another thing that I was supposed to be doing. It was destined for me; it was written for me. I just kept my chin high, shoulders back, toes straight, and walked with some character.

As one of the flyest rappers at the moment, do you have any fashion advice?

My fashion advice, man, stop wearing those baseball cut extended tees, bro. Cut that out. [laughs] Nah, I’m just playing. Wear whatever the fuck you want to wear, man, just be the best at what you do, and make sure you feel like yourself.

I love this fit. Could you walk me through it?

Today I have on some HBA shoes, some Balmain, and this is a shirt by Alexander Wang.

You love your band merch…

Yeah, man, I love it.

You first met Tezzus over a Grateful Dead shirt, right?

[laughs] Yes! That was the first day we met. I used to sell vintage T-shirts back in 2020. Tezzus, he was very, very, very financially stable at that time. [laughs] I was just kind of finding my way selling clothes every day, and he just saw my hustle and was like, “How much this [Grateful Dead] shirt be?” And I was like, “Shit, like $60.” He bought it, and as soon as he put it on, some music came on, he started tweaking out, and he ripped it right up. But, you know, I wasn’t tripping; he paid me for it, so I ain’t give a fuck. I still wanted that shirt, though. You owe me a Dead shirt, brother.

Could you say more about that time in your life?

I used to sell vintage t-shirts out of the trunk of my car. I’d just hit up random skate parks and places like that. The only people who know that are the people who were there. I had this big bag that I would fill up with vintage tees and then just hit the block. I think during the entire month of August 2020, I made $150 USD every day off T-shirts, and I just saved up and saved up.

When did music become your intended career path?

I always wanted to make music. When I was 16, I first hit a microphone for real. I always wanted this to be my profession, but early on, I wasn’t shooting any videos, and I think that kind of separated me from other artists I was looking at. A lot of other artists I used to see at that time would have their videos out and have their faces on everything they dropped. I started rapping in 2015, but my first official music video didn’t come out until 2020. It’s been a long road.

When did you make your first song?

I made my first song September 26, 2015.

You remember the date? That’s crazy…

Yeah, yeah.

What was that song?

It was called “906 Freestyle.” I literally listened to it a couple of days ago.

Do you listen to it often?

Hell no. I was just going through my email, and I found it. I don’t sound bad. I always had it. Always had it.

If you had to describe your sound in your own words, how would you describe it?

Very elegant. Very lyrical. Peaceful. Uplifting. Nostalgic.

Are there any past eras that you’re nostalgic for?

I’m from the same neighborhood in Atlanta as the Rich Kidz, so I grew up listening to them a lot. When I hear certain beats, I get nostalgic. I go back into that mindset of when I was a kid — being young in Atlanta, riding down Pryor Street listening to the Rich Kidz, Johnny Cinco, Young Thug, Future, you know? But also listening to the Sades, the Erykah Badus, the Chaka Khans, all the greats.

When you’re not making music, where can we find you?

Probably in your closest Gucci store, or a fragrance store. Miami, Atlanta, possibly New York. Watching basketball, laughing with the bros, talking about girls. With a girl, with your girl.

What are your favorite things to do in New York?

I like to shop. A lot of times when I come to New York, I get back with my friends, and we still mob the streets like we used to. Most of us are in good situations now, but we still keep it authentic. Going block to block, hitting up Lucien’s, eating good food, you know what I’m saying? We still kicking it like we ain’t. We just be thuggin’.

What are your favorite stores to shop at here?

I was just at LAAMS before I came here. I like Luke’s in the Lower East Side. I fuck with ESSX, shout out Collin. I often go to my boy @beenslackin’s house. He’s got a lot of archive pieces for me. The Margiela store, the Gucci store, Goyard. Things of that nature.

What are you listening to right now?

Right now, of course, BLING SLIME VØL 1 by diamond* himself. “Never Going Back” by PnB Rock. Still a lot of Michael Jackson. A lot of Young Thug and Future – the old versions of them. The Weeknd. Of course, Sade. A little bit of Whitney Houston.

Where do you get creative inspiration from?

A lot of things. I get inspired by my family. I don’t mean to sound cliché, but Hedi Slimane. I always idolized his swag, you know what I’m saying? The Basquiats and Andy Warhols, and all those types of artists. A lot of my friends are very creative, so I get my inspiration from them as well.

Who is an artist people would be surprised that you listen to a lot?

Um, maybe Adele?

I’m surprised you like Adele…

Yeah, I like Adele a lot.

What’s your favorite Adele song?

I don’t mean to be cliché, but definitely, [singing] “Rolling in the deep / You had my heart and soul in your hands…” I love that song.