The Diplomats
Encyclopedia
The Diplomats, also popularly known as Dipset, are a Harlem
-based hip hop
group founded by Cam'ron
and Jim Jones
in 1997. The original members of the group were Cam'ron, Freekey Zekey, and Jim Jones ; who all grew up together in Harlem. Juelz Santana
would later be added to the group in 1999.
's 2000 album S.D.E.
, released on Epic Records
. During this period, various members of the original group consisting of Cam'ron, Jim Jones
, Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey, and others, were first signed together as a group to Roc-A-Fella Records
from 2001 to 2004, though they are now signed to their own label, Diplomat Records
. Each individual artist, however is signed to a different label, including E1 Music, Asylum
, and Def Jam
, among others.
The group came to further popularity in 2002
with the release of Cam'ron's third album, Come Home With Me
. The lead singles were platinum hits "Oh Boy
" and "Hey Ma
", which both featured group mate Juelz Santana. The group followed Cam'ron's solo album shortly after with their debut album Diplomatic Immunity
released in 2003, which featured a remix of "Hey Ma", as well as lead single "Dipset Anthem" which peaked at #64 on the Billboard
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The double-disc album was a success and quickly became certified gold by RIAA under two months after its release. By the time of the release of their 2004 followup, Diplomatic Immunity 2, additional members Hell Rell
, 40 Cal.
, and J. R. Writer had joined the group.
and Jim Jones
. When Jones and Juelz Santana
appeared on stage at a concert with 50 Cent
- whom Cam'ron was engaged in a dispute with at the time- it seemed as if the group had ultimately broken up and gone their separate ways. However, in a later interview, 40 Cal.
hinted that while the dynamic of the group is likely beyond repair, there may be further collaboration.
Juelz Santana
also spoke on a future collaboration, but stated that at the moment, Cam'ron seems to be the only obstacle, while also stating that though his contract was sold to Def Jam
, he has no hard feelings towards his former boss.
In a September 2008 interview, Juelz Santana stated that he no longer has a contractual obligation to Cam'ron or Jim Jones. Within the interview, Juelz also stated that he is still on speaking terms with the members of the group, and didn't feel that they were holding him back, but he did feel the "mainstream" wasn't crediting him as notably as he had hoped. In a later interview, he stated that he felt the other members of the group were not as focused as him, while also stating there was selfishness within the group. He also stated he wanted to focus more on his career.
In 2007, 40 Cal. started "Skeme Team", while Freekey Zekey formed the "730 Dips", started a record label of the same name, "730 Dips Records", while also joining fellow Diplomats' member Jim Jones new group, "ByrdGang".
Before 2009, those cliques started to form into real gangs. In 2008, Juelz Santana
started the "Skull Gang" which, when his contract was sold to Def Jam, also secured a deal that included the solo members. In 2009, Cam'ron started a new group called the U.N and Dipset West. In 2008, Hell Rell started Top Gunnas and J.R started Thundabyrdz.
In 2009, Cam'ron created The U.N. (Us Now), featuring himself and Vado
(Violence and Drugs Only). The group has a debut album coming sometime in 2011, Gunz n' Butta.
will produce on their upcoming album.
Compilation albums
Mixtapes
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
-based hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group founded by Cam'ron
Cam'ron
Cameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
and Jim Jones
Jim Jones (rapper)
Joseph Guillermo Jones II , better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and original member of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is Co-CEO of Diplomat Records...
in 1997. The original members of the group were Cam'ron, Freekey Zekey, and Jim Jones ; who all grew up together in Harlem. Juelz Santana
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James , better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma"...
would later be added to the group in 1999.
Music career
The first commercial appearance of the group was on Cam'ronCam'ron
Cameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
's 2000 album S.D.E.
S.D.E. (album)
S.D.E. is the second studio album by Harlem rapper Cam'ron. It was released on September 19, 2000. It features guest appearances from Destiny Child, Noreaga, Dutch & Spade from the rap group Major Figgas, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Prodigy , and his Diplomats group members Freekey Zekey, Juelz Santana,...
, released on Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. During this period, various members of the original group consisting of Cam'ron, Jim Jones
Jim Jones (rapper)
Joseph Guillermo Jones II , better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and original member of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is Co-CEO of Diplomat Records...
, Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey, and others, were first signed together as a group to Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
from 2001 to 2004, though they are now signed to their own label, Diplomat Records
Diplomat Records
Diplomat Records is an American record label founded by Harlem rappers Cam'ron and Jim Jones. Dipset currently released music under the independent label E1 music. In the early 2000's Dipset was very popular for having star rappers with radio hits like Juelz Santana and Cam'Ron and for their...
. Each individual artist, however is signed to a different label, including E1 Music, Asylum
Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell...
, and Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
, among others.
The group came to further popularity in 2002
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
with the release of Cam'ron's third album, Come Home With Me
Come Home with Me
Come Home with Me is the third studio album by Harlem rapper Cam'ron, it is also his debut on Roc-A-Fella Records. It served as an introduction of the Cam'ron-fronted rap group, The Diplomats, to the general public. There are featured guest appearances from The Diplomats, DJ Kay Slay, Daz...
. The lead singles were platinum hits "Oh Boy
Oh Boy (song)
"Oh Boy" is the title of a number-one, Grammy nominated Hip hop single by rapper Cam'ron from his album Come Home with Me. It features rapper Juelz Santana....
" and "Hey Ma
Hey Ma (song)
"Hey Ma" was the second single released from Cam'ron's third album Come Home with Me. The song featured Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey and Toya and was produced by the Tuneheadz, who used a sample of The Commodores 1977 hit, "Easy"....
", which both featured group mate Juelz Santana. The group followed Cam'ron's solo album shortly after with their debut album Diplomatic Immunity
Diplomatic Immunity (album)
Diplomatic Immunity is the debut album by The Diplomats, released on March 25, 2003. After the release of group leader Cam'ron's third album, Come Home With Me, the quartet teamed up to release their first collaborative effort...
released in 2003, which featured a remix of "Hey Ma", as well as lead single "Dipset Anthem" which peaked at #64 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The double-disc album was a success and quickly became certified gold by RIAA under two months after its release. By the time of the release of their 2004 followup, Diplomatic Immunity 2, additional members Hell Rell
Hell Rell
Durrell Mohammad, also known as Hell Rell, is anAmerican rapper, and a member of rap group The Diplomats.In 2007, he signed with Koch Records and began working on his debut album, For the Hell of It...
, 40 Cal.
40 Cal.
Calvin Alan Byrd is an American rapper better known as 40 Cal. He is a member of Harlem based Hip-Hop group The Diplomats.40 Cal made his first appearance on the self titled theme song, "40 Cal" for the Dipset album Diplomatic Immunity 2...
, and J. R. Writer had joined the group.
Artistic disagreements (2007–2009)
In mid-2007 rumors began to spread that the Diplomats have had many rifts and disagreements amongst each other, specifically Cam'ronCam'ron
Cameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
and Jim Jones
Jim Jones (rapper)
Joseph Guillermo Jones II , better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and original member of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is Co-CEO of Diplomat Records...
. When Jones and Juelz Santana
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James , better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma"...
appeared on stage at a concert with 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
- whom Cam'ron was engaged in a dispute with at the time- it seemed as if the group had ultimately broken up and gone their separate ways. However, in a later interview, 40 Cal.
40 Cal.
Calvin Alan Byrd is an American rapper better known as 40 Cal. He is a member of Harlem based Hip-Hop group The Diplomats.40 Cal made his first appearance on the self titled theme song, "40 Cal" for the Dipset album Diplomatic Immunity 2...
hinted that while the dynamic of the group is likely beyond repair, there may be further collaboration.
Juelz Santana
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James , better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma"...
also spoke on a future collaboration, but stated that at the moment, Cam'ron seems to be the only obstacle, while also stating that though his contract was sold to Def Jam
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
, he has no hard feelings towards his former boss.
In a September 2008 interview, Juelz Santana stated that he no longer has a contractual obligation to Cam'ron or Jim Jones. Within the interview, Juelz also stated that he is still on speaking terms with the members of the group, and didn't feel that they were holding him back, but he did feel the "mainstream" wasn't crediting him as notably as he had hoped. In a later interview, he stated that he felt the other members of the group were not as focused as him, while also stating there was selfishness within the group. He also stated he wanted to focus more on his career.
In 2007, 40 Cal. started "Skeme Team", while Freekey Zekey formed the "730 Dips", started a record label of the same name, "730 Dips Records", while also joining fellow Diplomats' member Jim Jones new group, "ByrdGang".
Before 2009, those cliques started to form into real gangs. In 2008, Juelz Santana
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James , better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma"...
started the "Skull Gang" which, when his contract was sold to Def Jam, also secured a deal that included the solo members. In 2009, Cam'ron started a new group called the U.N and Dipset West. In 2008, Hell Rell started Top Gunnas and J.R started Thundabyrdz.
In 2009, Cam'ron created The U.N. (Us Now), featuring himself and Vado
Vado
Teeyon Winfree, or best known as Vado, born on March 13, 1985, is an American rapper from Harlem, New York City. Vado is of Jamaican, St.Vincent and African American descent.-Career:...
(Violence and Drugs Only). The group has a debut album coming sometime in 2011, Gunz n' Butta.
Diplomats Reunion (2010–present)
In April 2010, Cam'ron and Jim Jones announced the end of their feud. In June 2010, the Dipset reunion began with a teaser titled "Under Construction" and a street single, "Salute" produced by Araabmuzik. The song features Jim Jones, Cam'ron,and Juelz Santana. The remix features new Diplomat artist Vado with a verse added. Dr. DreDr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
will produce on their upcoming album.
Discography
Studio albums- 2003: Diplomatic ImmunityDiplomatic Immunity (album)Diplomatic Immunity is the debut album by The Diplomats, released on March 25, 2003. After the release of group leader Cam'ron's third album, Come Home With Me, the quartet teamed up to release their first collaborative effort...
- 2004: Diplomatic Immunity 2Diplomatic Immunity 2-Charts:...
- TBA: Diplomatic Immunity 3
Compilation albums
- 2005: More Than Music Vol. 1
- 2006: The Movement Moves On
- 2007: More Than Music Vol. 2
Mixtapes
- 2001: Diplomats Volume 1
- 2002: Diplomats Volume 2
- 2003: Diplomats Volume 3
- 2004: Diplomats Volume 4
- 2005: Diplomats Volume 5
Filmography
- The Original Harlem Diplomats
- Sippin' On Sizzurp Bonus DVD
- A Day in the Fast Life
- Killa Season
- Eye Of The Eagle
- State Property 2State Property 2State Property 2 is a 2005 American crime film directed by Damon Dash and produced and distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment. A sequel to 2002's State Property, the film stars rap artists and other musicians such as Cam'ron, The Diplomats, Beanie Sigel, N.O.R.E., Kanye West, Mariah Carey and...
External links
- Official website
- The Diplomats at MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....