The Diplomats aka Dipset defined an era of New York hip hop. Their gangsta rap over soulful samples influenced a generation as they pushed out mixtapes and albums that dominated the culture.

Before we jump into Dipset… first the backstory

The Beginning/Pre-Dipset

Killa Cam has been part of the culture since the early 1990s. Since he was a member of Children of the Corn, founded by Big L, with Mase, McGruff and Bloodshed; all Harlem rappers.

Cam featured on the track “8 iz Enuff” off of Big L’s debut album in 1995. The group had mixtapes but disbanded following Bloodshed’s death in 1997 and Big L’s murder in 1999. Mase famously signed with Bad Boy, Big L was a Columbia artist, and Cam’ron had a record deal with Epic.

Cam’ron’s debut Confessions of Fire dropped in July 1998. The album featured a track “Me, My Moms & Jimmy” debuting a new Harlem rapper and Cam’s best friend Jimmy Jones. Confessions of Fire sold over 107K copies in the first week and debuted at No.6 on the Billboard 200. The album has been certified gold.

Cam’s second album S.D.E. (Sports, Drugs & Entertainment) was set to drop in 1999 but was pushed back until September 2000. The album peaked at No. 14 and sold only 73K copies in the first week despite featuring artists like Destiny’s Child, Noreaga, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Prodigy. This album also had another debut of a young Harlem rapper; the track “Double Up” featured a teenage Juelz Santana. Future Diplomats Freekey Zekey and Jim Jones also make appearances on the track “Why No“.

The hit single from S.D.E. is without a doubt “What Means the World to You” which had a dope remix.

The Diplomats

Cam’ron, his homie Jim Jones and cousin Freekey Zekey, all grew up together in Harlem. Cam and Jimmy formed The Diplomats in 1997 and in 1999, Juelz Santana joined the group.

Following S.D.E. Killa Cam demanded his release from his record label, long story short he got it and signed with his childhood friend and new manager Dame Dash to Roc-A-Fella Records in 2001. The deal reportedly had a $4.5 million advance.

This signing was a big deal for the Roc but would have an even greater impact on hip hop.

Cam’s third album would be his most successful. Come Home with Me was released in May 2002, the album features his Roc label mates Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, and Memphis Bleek, as well as production from Just Blaze, Kanye West, Daz Dillinger and The Heatmakerz.

The album included the classic hip hop hits”Oh Boy” and “Hey Ma“, both featured Juelz Santana. The album achieved platinum status and served as the catalyst for The Diplomats to sign with Roc-A-Fella.

While Jay-Z was away on vacation, Jim Jones announced that Cam had been made Vice President of Roc-A-Fella Records. This move did not sit well with Hova, and friction between Jay and Cam begin to manifest.

Ironically, this was at the height of the Jay-Z/Nas feud and Dipset had released numerous disses to Nas, as well as constantly telling the Queens legend they would “kufi smack” him.

Dipset! Baby, Dipset!

The group’s debut album Diplomatic Immunity dropped in March 2003. By this time Dipset had already flooded the mixtape scene; the hype was real and the album was heavily anticipated.

Diplomatic Immunity debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 selling 92,000 copies in its first week.

The RocAFella/Def Jam/Diplomat Records release would go gold off the singles “Dipset Anthem“, “I Really Mean It“, “Ground Zero“, and “Bout It Bout It…Part III” featuring Master P. Besides the Colonel of the Motherfuckin tank, the album featured rappers Freeway, and DMX, as well as new Diplomat rapper Hell Rell, who was incarcerated at the time of the album release.

Juelz Santana would ride the wave following Diplomatic Immunity and was prevalent on many mixtapes before his debut album, From Me to U, which was released on August 19, 2003, under Diplomat Records, Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam.

The album was more introspective and the young Harlem rapper really introduced himself to a mainstream audience. Santana was the second member of Dipset to release a solo album after Cam’ron.

The 20-track project sold 74K copies in the first week and reached No.8 on Billboard 200 and No.3 on the Top Hip-Hop/Rap Albums, despite not receiving critical acclaim throughout the mainstream music industry. The album has the classic “Dipset (Santana’s Town)” featuring Killa Cam, and bangers like “Okay Okay” and “Monster Music” and “One Day I Smile“.

During this time tensions between Cam’ron and Jay Z started to rise. Dame and Biggs sold their 50% interest in the Roc to Def Jam, and Jay Z was made President of Def Jam. This had created a situation that saw Jim Jones sign with Koch Records to release his debut album, after Dipset had criticized Jay-Z’s role as Def Jam President.

Koch at the time was considered a graveyard for rappers, since many hip hop artists would release albums via Koch once their 15 minutes of fame had ran out. However, the Harlem hustlers viewed Koch as an opportunity to independently distribute Diplomat Records artists.

The Capo, Jim Jones announced his debut album On My Way to Church would drop on August 24, 2004, the same day as the returning, and “reborn christian” Mase would drop his project. Dipset had expressed their frustrations with their fellow Harlem rapper live on air.

Jones’ debut album would sell 44K copies in the first week and debut at No.18 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 4 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

At the time On My Way To Church could have been considered a failure if the album had dropped on Def Jam or another major label following the success of Diplomatic Immunity and From Me To U. However, due to Capo dropping independently on Diplomat Records, being distributed by Koch, he was able to profit off of the indie release in a way a major label artist couldn’t, something around $8 per CD.

On My Way To Church is also noteworthy for featuring the debut verse of the up-and-coming Compton rapper, The Game. Fun fact, the Game’s verse was removed from the album release because 50 Cent did not want his G-Unit artist debuting on a Diplomat release.

Diplomatic Immunity 2 would drop on November 23, 2004. The album was a Diplomat Records release via Koch. By the time of the release, Dipset had added members Hell Rell, 40 Cal., and J.R. Writer. (Hell, even comedian Katt Williams signed to Diplomats at one point)

Diplomatic Immunity 2 also utilized the track “Crunk Muzik” as a single despite also being used for Jones’ debut album. The sophomore group effort had the Hitmakers produced “S.A.N.T.A.N.A.” the Mase diss track “Take ‘Em to Church” and Hell Rell’s street classic “Wouldn’t You Like to Be a Gangsta Too?”

During this time the Dipset movement was in full effect.

Dipset was holding it down for New York and east coast hip hop yet old heads and hip hop purists alike were relatively hit or miss on the gangster rappers with deep connects to the bloods, and how they were saying they were going to “kufi smack” Nas, openly criticizing Jay-Z, and generally not giving a fuck. (Note; as a high school kid at the time Dipset was poppin, only Shady/Aftermath and Lil Wayne were on a level like the Dips)

Cam would drop his classic album Purple Haze in December 2004 after numerous delays since November 2003. The first single “Get Em Girls” was released a year prior to the actual album release.

Purple Haze would sell 123K copies in the first week and debut at No.20 on the Billboard 200, and No. 4 on the hip hop charts. Cam’ron has stated that he believes Purple Haze is his best album, and the project has since gone gold (the album was heavily pirated before the retail release due to it leaking). The album has classics like “Killa Cam” “More Gangsta Muzik” and “Get Down“.

Following the release of Purple Haze, Cam’ron would severe Diplomat Records’ ties with Roc-A-Fella in 2005.

The next official retail Diplomat release would be Jimmy’s sophomore album. During this time Jim Jones began to put on up-and-coming Harlem rapper Max B.

Harlem: Diary of A Summer would be released on August 23, 2005. The album debuted at No.5 on the Billboard 200 with 74K copies sold in the first week of release, making it the rapper’s highest-charted album to date. The official singles of the album were “Baby Girl“, “Summer Wit Miami“, and “What You Been Drankin’ On” but the street classic off the project is without a doubt “G’s Up” featuring Max B.

Prior to the release of his second album, Juelz set the game on fire with his Back Like Cooked Crack mixtape series. Santana dropped his sophomore project, What the Game’s Been Missing! in November 2005 on Diplomat Records and Def Jam. The album featured the hit singles “Mic Check“, “There It Go (The Whistle Song)“, and “Clockwork“.

What the Game’s Been Missing! debuted at No.9 on the Billboard 200 when it sold 141K copies in its first week. The album has since gained platinum status. This album would be the lone Diplomat Records release in 2005.

Dipset vs Everybody

After the split with the Rocafella, Cam’ron signed a deal with Asylum Records for distribution and released his fourth album Killa Season on Diplomat Records in May 2006.

Despite not recieving the critical acclaim of his previous release Purple Haze; Killa Season sold 114K copies in its first week, debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200 and received generally positive reviews.

The album contains the classic “Touch It or Not” featuring Lil Wayne and the Jay-Z diss track “You Gotta Love It” featuring Max B.

During this time J.R. Writer and 40Cal would release their debut albums and Jim Jones formed his Dipset subgroub, The Byrd Gang, with Max B, Mel Matrix and Stack Bundles. The Byrd Gang, fueled by Max B and Stack Bundles would light up the mixtape scene, which included a Gangsta Grillz classic with Jim Jones and DJ Drama named Seven Day Theory.

The first single for Capo’s third album, “We Fly High“, was released October 21, 2006. The single reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Jones’ highest charting single.

Hustler’s P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment), would drop on November 7, 2006, the album sold 106K copies in the first week and debuted at No.6 on the charts. The album peaked at No.1 on both the hip hop and the independent charts.

Koch Records re-released an expanded edition of the album on August 28, 2007, featuring previously unreleased tracks such as the underground hit “Lookin’ at the Game” featuring Stack Bundles.

Dipset was represented well on the album with Cam, Juelz and Hell Rell all contributing but nothing compared to Max B who is featured seven times on the 20-track project.

Jim Jones and Dame Dash would join Cam’ron in the Jay Z beef with the track “Kingdom Done” a play off of Hova’s “return” album Kingdom Come. Jay would respond with “Brooklyn High” a freestyle over the We Fly High beat where he would coin his famous phrase “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.”

Jones would continue the beef when he released a mixtape Harlem’s American Gangster, a response project to Jay Z’s album American Gangster. The original project heavily featured Max B but by the time of the retail release the Harlem hook-man had been replaced as Max and Jim had began beefing between themselves.

More Beef and the Break Up

After the release of Killa Season, Cam would also feud with 50 Cent.

In February 2007, Cam’ron and 50 Cent had a argument live on The Angie Martinez Show on Hot97. 50 Cent commented that he felt Koch Entertainment was a “graveyard”, meaning major record labels would not work with their artists.

Cam’ron took issue with this and then criticized the record sales of G-Unit artists Lloyd Banks and Mobb Deep by pointing out that Jim Jones outsold both of their albums despite not being signed to a major label. Cam then went on to clarify that his Dipset had a distribution deal from several labels.

Both rappers released diss songs with videos, 50 Cent released “Funeral Music“, and suggested in the song that Cam’ron is no longer able to lead Dipset and that Jim Jones should take his place. Cam’ron responded with “Curtis” and the sequel “Curtis Pt. II“, then 50 Cent would respond by releasing “Hold On” featuring Young Buck.

Before this beef, rumors were already going around that Dipset had problems and creative disagreements with each other, specifically between Killa and Capo.

Jimmy and Juelz appeared on stage at a concert with 50 Cent, during the beef with Cam’ron, and it seemed Dipset was done. Especially after Cam’ron revealed that he was no longer speaking to Juelz Santana and Jim Jones, leading to speculation that the group had officially broken up.

Cam would take a three-year hiatus from music after his mother suffered three strokes which left her paralyzed on her left side. Cam moved to Florida with his mom to set up her rehabilitation and therapy, and he stayed there until she had fully recovered.

By 2008, Jimmy was in a heated feud with Max B over money disputes and claims that Biggavel slept with Jones’ fiance. The two sides had a nasty beef throughout 2008, up until Max B’s incarceration in 2009. Byrd Gang member Stack Bundles was shot and killed on June 11, 2007.

In August 2008, Cam said he sold Juelz contract to Def Jam. Santana’s third album, Born to Lose, Built to Win, would face major delays, and his heavily anticipated project with Lil Wayne – I Can’t Feel My Face – was dead with the necessity for both artists’ labels to work together.

In 2009, Jones became Vice President of Urban A&R at Koch Records, which became E1 Music. He signed with Columbia Records and released his fourth album, and first major label project Pray IV Reign. The album sold 42.9K copies in the first week and debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200. The the lead single was the hit “Pop Champagne“, and the album also had the track “Frenemies” which addressed issue with Cam’ron and Max B.

In 2010, Cam and Jones would squash their beef. In 2011 the group signed with Interscope and recorded some song’s for Dr Dre’s Detox album. In 2013, Freekey Zekey said the group was no longer signed to Interscope but had struck a deal with E1 Music, formerly known as Koch.

From 2010 to present the group has sporattically dropped music as Dipset while maintaining their own solo careers, especially on the mixtape scene. Jones has a successful Vampire Life mixtape series and Cam’ron went on to have success with the Harlem rapper Vado as the UN.

In November 2018, The Diplomats released Diplomatic Ties, their first group project in 14 years.

Legacy

Dipset made their mark on hip hop history. In other words, you cannot accurately tell the history of hip hop, especially NY hip hop, without mention of Killa Cam and the Harlem Diplomats.

Whether its rocking pink, yelling ballin, banging blood on the east coast, coming out with a retail Sizzurp drink, or their own skate team DipSkate, or one of their numerous beefs, you can’t knock the Harlem hustle.

Dipset put on so many rappers and influenced exponentially more.

ICYMI:

Follow The DOPE Blog on Instagram and Twitter

DOPE Hip Hop Albums of 2019

Discussing the excellence of Slaughterhouse

XFL 2020 Review: COVID-19 cancels season. XFL MVP, ROY and future

DOPE Radio: Top 50 Rappers, Joe Budden and Top 5 DOAs