Diamond Johnson: The Drummer Behind Beyoncé, Tems and The Kid LAROI

Diamond Johnson has been the drummer for some of the biggest names in music right now. He's toured with musical legends like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Tems and Gunna and brought his drumming to the big screen on soundtracks like Moana 2 and Sing 2. But what makes Diamond stand out isn't just his astounding credits, it's his innate energy he brings to every room he’s in. He’s charismatic, full of life and deeply rooted in the music he grew up with. He learned to play at the Evangelistic Centre in Kansas City, where he watched George “Spanky” McCurdy tear through Tye Tribbett & G.A.'s “No Way (The G.A. Chant)”, which ultimately became the spark that ignited his drumming obsession. He walks us through some of his biggest career milestones: playing "My House" in huge arena tours with Beyoncé, becoming the musical director for The Kid LAROI and playing his first ever Tiny Desk with Tems. He also gives us a behind-the-scenes look into his “unconventional” pre-show warmup routine, shares what he'd tell every drummer at any stage of their learning journey and leaves us with a poignant yet beautiful statement on what being a drummer means to him. If you loved this video, don't forget to like and subscribe and let us know what drummer we should interview next! 🤘 --- 0:00 Introduction 00:41 No Way (The G.A. Chant) by Tye Tribbett & G.A. (Gospel) 01:50 Diamond on his signature look 2:28 My House by Beyonce (Rap/House/Trap + beginner friendly) 4:00 Diamond’s pre-show practice routine 5:17 Let’s Go Crazy (from Sing 2) by Prince (Funk + beginner friendly) 6:00 How he learned to play drums 7:17 STAY by The Kid LAROI ft. Justin Bieber (Pop/Rap + beginner friendly) 8:06 His advice to aspiring drummers 8:17 What challenges him musically 8:49 Me & U by Tems (Afrobeats/Amapiano) 10:02 What being a drummer means to him