sad state of Dipset 2009 (a rant)
 

I know there's at least one other Dipset fan here. So...

1. Cam'ron - Crime Pays
Cam... you used to be THEE head/heart of Dipset. PURPLE HAZE is the epitome of what a Dipset solo album should/could be. It creates its own world, and makes the listener want to inhabit that world. But this. What is this? Granted there's some good tracks, such as "My Job" which had premiered or leaked or whatever they called it before the album came out. That's a good one. And the one that samples "Blinded By The Light" is good. And that skit where you talking about crapping in the backseat of that girl's car is funny. And y'know, a handful of good tracks. But c'mon man. This is an album. A full album. And we've been waiting for a new album since KILLA SEASON. This album is just okay. It's mediocre. It's not BAD. But it doesn't make me want to listen to it again either. Yawn.

2. Jim Jones - Pray IV Rain
Jimmy, last year's HARLEM'S AMERICAN GANGSTER was in my year-end Top 10 list. That was a great album. Y'know why? Because it took the approach of the sprawling Dipset mixtapes, and then refined it. Instead of 30 tracks, there was a managable 15 or so. The beats were good. And there was focus. This new album is long (as usual for Dipset), but too much sounds the same. I understand that a major label is expecting something specific from you. And "Pop Champagne" is a good club track. But this is disappointing to me. It doesn't sound like a Jim Jones LP. I hate to say that Koch brought out the best in you.

3. Juelz Santana ....
Juelz you f'ing KILLED IT last year with yr verse on Wayne's CARTER III. So here we are waiting for a proper album, and what do we get? A Skull Gang album. Dude. We want to hear a Juelz record. I didn't even get the Skull Gang record. I don't even know if it's good. But...

4. Dipset ...
The rest of you (40 Cal, Dukedagod, JR Writer, Hell Rell, etc) are doing what you should be. Dropping indie albums and finding a voice. So yr dismissed. BUT let's be frank with the Big Three above. We need you all to make up and put out a new Dipset album. No more Skull Gang. No more Byrd Gang. None of that. We need DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY 3. Trust me. And maybe do it on Koch. For some reason that worked for all of you.

Cam'ron's problem is production. I don't know what happened to the Heatmakerz, but he needs them badly. He's still one of the most
entertaining lyricists alive when he really wants to be.

Jim Jones needs to be tight with Cam again, so Cam can ghostwrite for him like in the Diplomatic Immunity days. He's got great ad-libs, but unless he's riding a great beat, I'm not interested in his lyrics. Flow way too choppy. And you had Dame Dash talking about Pray IV Reign like it was the new Reasonable Doubt.

I have said this on here before...Skull Gang is trash. Album is trash. Being around Li'l Wayne inspires Juelz to be, well, other than trash. When the hell is I Can't Feel My Face coming out?

JR Writer is the only of the more "minor" players I seek stuff from. "Throw It Up" is on my workout Zen. He's like a younger, fiestier Cam.

I understand your frustration. This year's Summer Jam had a Dipset reunion onstage! Without Cam'ron! What? That's like reuniting Helium and
forgetting Mary Timony. That is not that okey-dokey, and it certainly does not keep computers putin'.

although this stuff really isn't my bag, I love it when jenn waxes rap.

total fucking authority.

it's funny, she is to me an absolute authority on it in my book, yet some guy on a hip hop forum found her old story about cannibal ox from her blog, and just berated her over the thing, granted blog comments aren't always the most constructive ways of critisism, but damn they ended up sounding just damn ignorant trying to debate the point

I'm a firm believer that if somebody somewhere doesn't hate you, then yr doing something wrong.

I knew you would comment, jenn! Thank you!!

I dont understand the I CAN"T FEEL MY FACE holdup either. They've dropped a couple of good mixtapes together... but I want the album. Enough freestyles and appropriated tracks. Let's get serious here when you guys are still young. haha.

can someone post some links (youtube or whatever) to good stuff by any of these people because i've never really liked anything i've heard but enough people with taste in hiphop seem to like them to make me want to keep trying?
thanks

Both Wayne and Juelz have made comments about it coming out soon.. but I think the suits keep holding it back over money disputes.
They should kind of get over it though, before someone just leaks the whole thing and no one makes any money.

Here's some Cam'ron...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilTQJ6vUkE0
^this one isn't a real video. It's a stupid video. But I love the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HzcOG6yY9k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eKbJ...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VbAKrd0zEY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh79atSxjt0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYdgct7PrmA

more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QanePHutk6E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywOCKYCB7Vg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyyDKv_tMV0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSbydRjCe4Q
^no idea why that's footage from 30 DAYS OF NIGHT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcRinfpfOPE

don't fool with the dips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7YJpkvlbNA
jim jones+hell rell-penitentiary chances
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66ACIwyDLSU
juelz santana-red bandana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HAUyK2bEB4
juelz santana-kill yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHE8sZ04cWA
Juelz Santana,cam'ron, sizzla-shottas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzupC0c9Pug
juelz santana-clockwork
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl0Ih2ibJwQ
jim jones,cam'ron,juelz-crunk muzik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_85gIjUC_Q
jim jones,juelz santana,latiff,jr.writer-honey dip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqm6ZdcEXVM
jim jones-summer with miami
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imWzXDZUZ9c
Purple City and Jim Jones-purple city byrd gang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx56JkSdcfU

OMG! I forgot "Crunk Music"! Good call, Wellcharge!

lol, i just saw a movie called "jules and jim" on the tv listings

Weird. Another that I'm surprised none of posted was "We Fly High," I mean that's probably the most well-known Dip-related track, huh?

I couldn't find "Ground Zero" on Youtube, maybe my favorite Dipset song.

You saw that I posted it, right? It is amazing. I think I had to put Diplomats Ground Zero, since it was on the first DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY album when they still went by Diplomats.

Two of the vids wouldn't come up for me 'cause my Firefox is futzy with
Youtube, and that must have been one of them, haha. And yes, I was
searching "Dipset Ground Zero".

See, now after 5 minutes it's playing for me.

I still can't believe they sampled fucking Winger.

Was it Winger??? My God. It's always been one of my favorite Dipset beats ever.

that's a really famous french film from the 60s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_and_Jim

ok i've listened to about 8 of the tracks posted and i just don't get it, to me this stuff sounds like the hiphop equivalent of limp bizkit, papa roach, etc

Yeah, they sped up "Headed For a Heartbreak".

...

it takes time to warm to them for some people, a certain local rapper who used to write for a popular music site gave juelz a very harsh review, but 6 months later was listening to him on a daily basis

i think if you like NY rap music there has to be at least one track on this album you'll like

that's not the post pressing recommendation for an album that i've ever come across.

well seriously, explain to me how this stuff is in anyway different or better than limp biscuit... recently i've been giving repeated relistens to Divine Styler's Wordpower Vol.2 and coming to this stuff after that... it just sounds derivative & weak, both lyricwise and beatwise.

It's not really my job to prove to you that something's good. Like you said, you don't get it. That's fine. I'm sure there's no shortage of music you like. And I don't feel the need to validate my taste to with you.

i'm not asking you to validate your taste, i'm asking you (or anyone) to articulate what it is that is good about this stuff, because i can't see it.

yes it is, there's a large variety of different styles done well by a rapper who has managed to carve out of his own identity, which is a large accomplishment in a world where there's literally thousands and thousands of rapper with nothing to distinguish themself from the next guy. Whether reading his lyrics on paper or listening to his flow on a recording it takes about 2 seconds to realise it's juelz, and the same thing goes for cam'ron(although i don't think he's as good)

hows this for a recommendation, this album has interesting and banging production from beginning to end, and it sounds really cool when he says EH

I like when Juelz says "ya dig?"