DJ Diamond Kuts, the official WNBA Draft DJ, on music, memories and making Draft Night unforgettable
Think back to the biggest moments in your life — graduations, championships, family cookouts. If the music is one of the first things you remember, you’re not alone.
No milestone feels complete without the right soundtrack. And at the WNBA Draft, DJ Diamond Kuts makes sure the moment, like the beat, always hits just right.
WNBA DRAFT PLAYLIST
Listen to DJ Diamond Kuts playlist from the 2025 WNBA Draft
The daughter of Tony “Grand Tone” Dunham — one half of the old-school hip-hop duo Korner Boyz — she grew up surrounded by music, crafting her skills in basements and at block parties across West Philly. Before social media made it easy to blow up, she was grinding her way to success.
It’s that winner’s mindset that took her to Power 99, where she made history as the first woman with her own mix-show slot. From there, she hit the clubs, toured with Nicki Minaj, and started dropping her own music.
We caught up with DJ Diamond Kuts after the Draft to find out what it's like to live at the intersection of music and sports.
Keep reading to find out which year's music DJ Diamond Kuts wouldn’t mind being stuck with, meeting Oprah Winfrey, and which tracks made the cut for the 2025 WNBA Draft.
Inner Circle: Iconic. Speaking of icons, what single night out has been the most memorable for you as a DJ?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Oooh, I had a lot of memorable moments. I'll give you the top three sticking out right now: definitely DJing for Obama, that was huge. Meeting Oprah Winfrey — that was a good one. The concerts too. I think my all-time favorite would have to be the Roots Picnic. Oh my goodness, and then DJing for the Philadelphia Eagles parade, when we won the Super Bowl! There were over a million people out there.
Inner Circle: Where do you think the scene is headed one year from now? Five years from now? Where do you see music and DJing going next?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: As with anything in this entertainment industry, the scene is definitely social media heavy. You have to make sure you stand out in your content. Having a craft and owning your craft — knowing how to DJ, how to rap, how to sing, how to produce — that always comes first. But there’s another side people need to dig into, and that's really having a strong social media presence. That's going to be even more important as the years go on.
Inner Circle: Good point and totally agree. So that's where the scene is headed, but if you could be eternally stuck in one year's music scene, which year would it be?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Early 2000s. Oh, yeah. Give me like 2004 or 2005. You could put me in the 2010s too. I could be stuck in any of those spaces.
Inner Circle: And lastly, we want you to put our readers on. What's one sub-genre you think doesn't get the attention it deserves?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Club music. Jersey Club, Philly Club music. Every once in a while, something might trend on social media. But the dances we created in Philly on club music? People still do them today. I feel like we need more respect out here in these streets.
Inner Circle: The draft last night was super exciting for the Mystics. We picked up a powerhouse group, adding major talent, versatility, and energy to the team for the upcoming season. What was your favorite part of the Draft this year?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: My favorite moment was seeing all of the girls excited to support each other as they were getting drafted. Seeing that type of support amongst us girls is so inspiring.
Inner Circle: That was great to see. As you know, the WNBA is at the intersection of sport and culture, with music playing a big part in games, in events like the Draft, and in the lives of our players and fans. How would you describe the intersection of basketball and music?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Playing music while people are competing in any sport is so important because it brings up the energy in the arena and on the field. The music sets the vibe at any event, so regardless of what it is — basketball, football, soccer, any sport — the music has to be right.
Inner Circle: You’ve said you like to feel out the room and the energy when you DJ. Was there a particular direction you went into the WNBA Draft thinking about?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Yeah, every year it’s about energy for me. What’s tricky is in the beginning you play your music, but during the show, it's just a lot of instrumentals. And during those times, I want to make sure the instrumentals have a lot of energy. That's my motto: never bring the energy down. I like to keep everything upbeat and energized.
Inner Circle: You’ve said before that your father bought you your first set of turntables when you were 16. Who were some of your other early influences?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Definitely DJ Beverly Bond, Coco Chanel, Jazzy. Joyce, Cosmic Kev, and then my dad. He used to rap back in the day, and he rapped with Jazzy Jeff, so I looked up to Jazzy Jeff too. I loved hearing all those stories about when they used to DJ the block parties in Philly. I had a lot of influences coming up for sure.
DJ Diamond Kuts, the official WNBA Draft DJ, on music, memories and making Draft Night unforgettable
Think back to the biggest moments in your life — graduations, championships, family cookouts. If the music is one of the first things you remember, you’re not alone.
No milestone feels complete without the right soundtrack. And at the WNBA Draft, DJ Diamond Kuts makes sure the moment, like the beat, always hits just right.
Inner Circle: The draft last night was super exciting for the Mystics. We picked up a powerhouse group, adding major talent, versatility, and energy to the team for the upcoming season. What was your favorite part of the Draft this year?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: My favorite moment was seeing all of the girls excited to support each other as they were getting drafted. Seeing that type of support amongst us girls is so inspiring.
Inner Circle: That was great to see. As you know, the WNBA is at the intersection of sport and culture, with music playing a big part in games, in events like the Draft, and in the lives of our players and fans. How would you describe the intersection of basketball and music?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Playing music while people are competing in any sport is so important because it brings up the energy in the arena and on the field. The music sets the vibe at any event, so regardless of what it is — basketball, football, soccer, any sport — the music has to be right.
Inner Circle: You’ve said you like to feel out the room and the energy when you DJ. Was there a particular direction you went into the WNBA Draft thinking about?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Yeah, every year it’s about energy for me. What’s tricky is in the beginning you play your music, but during the show, it's just a lot of instrumentals. And during those times, I want to make sure the instrumentals have a lot of energy. That's my motto: never bring the energy down. I like to keep everything upbeat and energized.
Inner Circle: You’ve said before that your father bought you your first set of turntables when you were 16. Who were some of your other early influences?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Definitely DJ Beverly Bond, Coco Chanel, Jazzy. Joyce, Cosmic Kev, and then my dad. He used to rap back in the day, and he rapped with Jazzy Jeff, so I looked up to Jazzy Jeff too. I loved hearing all those stories about when they used to DJ the block parties in Philly. I had a lot of influences coming up for sure.
Inner Circle: Iconic. Speaking of icons, what single night out has been the most memorable for you as a DJ?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Oooh, I had a lot of memorable moments. I'll give you the top three sticking out right now: definitely DJing for Obama, that was huge. Meeting Oprah Winfrey — that was a good one. The concerts too. I think my all-time favorite would have to be the Roots Picnic. Oh my goodness, and then DJing for the Philadelphia Eagles parade, when we won the Super Bowl! There were over a million people out there.
Inner Circle: Where do you think the scene is headed one year from now? Five years from now? Where do you see music and DJing going next?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: As with anything in this entertainment industry, the scene is definitely social media heavy. You have to make sure you stand out in your content. Having a craft and owning your craft — knowing how to DJ, how to rap, how to sing, how to produce — that always comes first. But there’s another side people need to dig into, and that's really having a strong social media presence. That's going to be even more important as the years go on.
Inner Circle: Good point and totally agree. So that's where the scene is headed, but if you could be eternally stuck in one year's music scene, which year would it be?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Early 2000s. Oh, yeah. Give me like 2004 or 2005. You could put me in the 2010s too. I could be stuck in any of those spaces.
Inner Circle: And lastly, we want you to put our readers on. What's one sub-genre you think doesn't get the attention it deserves?
DJ DIAMOND KUTS: Club music. Jersey Club, Philly Club music. Every once in a while, something might trend on social media. But the dances we created in Philly on club music? People still do them today. I feel like we need more respect out here in these streets.
The daughter of Tony “Grand Tone” Dunham — one half of the old-school hip-hop duo Korner Boyz — she grew up surrounded by music, crafting her skills in basements and at block parties across West Philly. Before social media made it easy to blow up, she was grinding her way to success.
It’s that winner’s mindset that took her to Power 99, where she made history as the first woman with her own mix-show slot. From there, she hit the clubs, toured with Nicki Minaj, and started dropping her own music.
We caught up with DJ Diamond Kuts after the Draft to find out what it's like to live at the intersection of music and sports.
Keep reading to find out which year's music DJ Diamond Kuts wouldn’t mind being stuck with, meeting Oprah Winfrey, and which tracks made the cut for the 2025 WNBA Draft.
Listen to DJ Diamond Kuts playlist from the 2025 WNBA Draft
WNBA DRAFT PLAYLIST
