50CENTtheGAME

On the eve marking the release of his latest solo project More Than Music Vol. 2, Diplomats Records' VP of A&R Duke Da God spoke exclusively to SOHH about the new album, his boss Cam'ron's beef with 50 Cent and why the DipSet movement won't be denied.

"It's something fresh and new. It's the same classic DipSet feel, the same recipe, but updated," said the Harlem native of his latest project. "The first album introduced a lot of people, some that the public may have not been familiar with. Now, we're just gelling together like a championship team. We're much better now. If you liked the old DipSet, you'll love this."

The album, which hit shelves on May 8, picks up where 2006's The Movement Moves On left off. It features appearances by the entire Diplomat collective including Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, Hell Rell, 40 Cal, JR Writer, Freeky Zeeky, Max B and Jim Jones. [Watch Jim Jones 60 Seconds Video Here] The disc will also feature the clique's newest addition, comedian Katt Williams, who's featured on the song "Gotta Get That Money." But if anyone is thinking that the comedian's presence in the crew is simply a novelty act, think again.

"He's a big part of our puzzle," Duke explains about the funny man's role. " He takes us into the comedy world, he brigs us there. Plus he can rhyme on top of that so, ya'll are going to have to look out for my man Katt."

Devout to his Diplomats family, Duke also addressed the ongoing feud between Cam'ron and current rival 50 Cent. As the extended members of both the Diplomats and G-Unit camps fell back, Duke broke down the reason behind his side's neutral approach to the ongoing war of words.

"Cam [basically] told niggas to fall back, he's got it. There's nobody from their side getting out of line and we never said anything back. Some of these beefs in rap now are wack but their's is kind of interesting. You got two bosses, two heads of their crew going at it and it's kind of cool for hip-hop. It was getting boring for a minute."

Besides giving attention to his own upcoming project, the executive is pulling double duty, lending his A&R skills to several projects which are currently in the making, including Cam'ron's next solo endeavor entitled Courtesy Cutis and the much anticipated duet album between Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne titled I Can't Feel My Face. And while some believe that in this new era of the music business that the traditional A&R is becoming obsolete, Duke begs to differ.

"I don't buy into that at all," he says. "Artists are still always going to need somebody there for leadership and guidance, someone who knows and understands the need for these things and how to make a project sound hotter. There are certain things that may go unrecognized, but there is a definite need. I hope that I'm bringing some light to the position."

With the industry still licking its wounds from the incident in which both DJ Drama and DJ Cannon were arrested for their involvement in selling mixtapes, Duke says that he and his DipSet affiliates will not be switching up their formula and will continue to put out their wildly popular mixtapes.

"We're not compromising on the music. We do it as a form of promotion, not everything is to be sold. We don't look t it as a come up," he explains. "People like [DJ] Drama and the stores that get raided by the RIAA, I write letters in support of them. I don't know the specifics of Drama's case and all that, but we're not going to stop putting out our mixtapes. Our movement is picking up steam everyday. I think we're the dopest group of all time. I like to display what we do and all of our weapons."

More Than Music Vol. 2 hits stores on May 8 on Diplomat/Koch Records.

_RottenApple_

Smh..........

CHOSEN ONE

stripset the dopest group of all time.

em50achilles

niggas out of his mind..everyone knows g unit is becoming he biggest group of all time..they got over 20 million records sold with the combination of all artisits..no hate on the set but who the fuck has heard of duke the god..how u gonna name ur self duke the god..lol.lame ass niggas

hasan

I think the're the wackest group of all time

Lil Def

Bloodaholic

I'D RATHER LISTEN TO BLACK WALL STREET........WAIT A MINUTE THEY DONT EXSIST YET LOL WELL DIPSET AINT THE DOPEST GROUP RIGHT NOW I MEAN HOW MANY PEOPLE ON DA LABEL SELLS RECORDS OR EVER SOLD RECORDS :s i wouldnt even say g unit is da dopes t right now an they sold alot more records than dipset even if tony, mobb an lloyd flop an who is Dike the Geek ?

LadyValentine

WTF

So There Doper Than P.E?

Wu Tang?
Gangstarr?
State Property?
D-Block?

There Not Even Hotter Than G-Unit..Duke Is Out His Mind..And Don't Cam's Toy Soldiers All Sound The Same..."Two Bosses...It Ain't Nuffin To Do With Us.."

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Why In The Hell Would You Let Your Fingers Type Such Absurdity? - Me

muthaphukkka

gunit was the dopest group of all in hip hop history
and prolly for enternity



WAS bieing the keyword as gunit is irrelevent nowadays

MaSon

Roflmao!!!

johnnyblaze420

nothin beats the WU

Rascit

lol idiot

Wu Tang is greatest group ever - Group/solo albums both consistently good

Ballllllllllllin'

hahahahah is that an april fools ?

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myspace.com/lilpyeah

bigga

is dis nigga out his mind,,,,,dipset da dopest???i mean i give dem der respect but fuck nah g unit is da biggest everyone know g unit is da most respected,successfull group of all time,,,,da figures show 4 da last 4 years.........................word....none on dem dipset niggas cud b on da level of buck and banks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!gunit

Otis Beats

Duke da Broad is an idiot

Speak

50 ONLY SOLD BOUT 20MILL AND AM NOT DICK RIDING ...BUT DIPSET CLICK IS LOYAL AM GOANNA GIVE EM THAT ...BUT DIPSET MUSIC IS DOPE THOUGH ...

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I'll Smack Who You Act Like/Put Fear In The Heart OF The Nigga That Won Your Last Fight-Head Ice

Smithilberry

LMAO... the best part of this thread is that all Gunit Groupies are gunna come in here and be like, "NO! Gunit is the best group ever!!!! Fuck Dipset! etc"

IMO, WuTang Clan is the best group or NWA... i laugh at anyone who says gunit... lol

if you say gunit, and never listened to the wutang clan, than you dont know what your missin

BTW, who gives a shit what gunit sold!? how does that affect their music!? if he didnt sell that much, yall wouldnt like him no more!?

JohnnieRed

of course they loyal, they got nothing to fight over

dipset sucks
gunit was good for about a year there (the rest was 50)
best group of all time is a tie between wutang and NWA
nobody fucked with nwa, niggas still rep the wu

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No propz for you!!

JohnnieRed

just because the hannah montana album sold 50 bajillion copies, doesnt mean its the greatest album ever

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No propz for you!!

Ms. Coffey123

He must mean the wackest group of all time.

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" Yall are life sized pawns, this is chess not checkers". - 50 Cent

Thestormy

JAJA THAT'S THE SECOND APRIL JOKE JEJE
DIPSET BETTER THAN G UNIT JAAJAJA

NEVER MOTHAFUCKER DIPSET IS WACK AS HELL
STARTING 4 JIM JONES

Smithilberry

thats what i ment by what i said........

_widen

The name 50 Cent is just as, if not more, lame as DukeDaGod.

Anyway, DukeDaGod is the A&R of Diplomat Records, and More Than Music Vol.1 was ill! Can't wait to hear Vol.2.

And I don't expect to hear positive comments from G Unit groupies. You guys don't always have to bash on other cliques. Seriously ya'll loved Dipset before the 50 vs. Cam beef. And you don't have to come with negative comments because:

1. Nobody cares, and it makes you look like a little kid.
2. If you have a 50 Cent/G Unit avatar/sig you don't have to say anything because we know you'll say something negative about Dipset.

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U.S. Sales: Creepin On A Come Up 2,766,000/ E. 1999 Eternal 6,120,000/ The Art Of War 1,600,000/ The Collection V.1 1,250,000/ BTNHResurrection 1,515,000/Thug World Order 440,000/ Greatest Hits 880,673/ Thug Stories 95,000/ Strength & Loyalty 465,123

LawrenceSouljah

So I guess Wu Tang, Gangstarr, Blackmoon, Heltah Skeltah, The Juice Crew and a whole generations of groups never existed...

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I see you using an old style, I wondered where you had learned it from. You know very well, it's yours too

InfamousQBC

WTF Is Wrong With This Nigga?

There's About 10 To 15 Groups Betta Then Dipset

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