Yesterday, The Diplomats rang in Thanksgiving with their first album in a drawn-out minute, Diplomatic Ties. Those who lived through the prominent Dipset run on the early millennium were quick to rejoice, revisiting the voices of Cam'Ron, Jim Jones, and Juelz Santana like they never left. Luckily, such timeless qualities were reflected in the sound; early listens seem to indicate a refreshing blend of nostalgia and new-school acclimation. On the introductory cut "Intro: Stay Down", however, frequent collaborator Heatmakerz rolls through with a refined beat that may have been aging finely since 2004.
"Man, I'm watchin' all you grown men dancin' to the Kiki," spits Jim Jones, utterly disgusted, "shit, up in Harlem we was dancin' on them key keys." The gravitas with which he approaches a track has yet to dissipate, still formidable now as during the "Ballin" era. Juelz holds it down for the second verse, bringing mafioso rap back into the fold with references to Nicky Barnes and Frank Lucas. Yet Cam'Ron may very well have the most scathing approach, as he uses his first verse to plant fangs into Kanye West's jugular.
"He told me he was bipolar, I looked and said Bipolar?," spits Cam'Ron, letting the incredulous ad-libs speak volumes. "Don't be ridiculous, he wasn't in the mix with us, bricks from Hamilton Terrace, he didn't take the risk with us."
Quotable Lyrics
Dame Dash my man, he shootin' then I'm buckin' with him
They shootin' at us? Shit, I'm duckin' with him
But I had to be firm and tell 'em that Kanye only fuck witchu when no one else is fuckin' with him
He told me he was bipolar
I looked and said, "Bipolar?"
Don't be ridiculous, he wasn't in the mix with us
Bricks from Hamilton Terrace, he didn't take the risk with us