In other words, vibe-setting music, if you’re seeking a vibe that includes one-liners like this: “This cat think he sling / Cause he got a pinky ring / Rinky-dink diamonds / They don’t even make your pinky bling.” That’s Cam’ron on the Jefferson Starship-sampling “Built This City,” and his dizzying verbal dexterousness is in pure abundance on Diplomatic Immunity. Anyone with even a passing interest in hip-hop that roamed the streets of Manhattan in the 2000s surely remembers picking up a cheaply-printed Diplomats mixtape from a street vendor (DJ Kay Slay’s Volume 5 from 2005 was a personal favorite), and Diplomatic Immunity was the practical street-legal version of this approach.Īs a whole, the record’s not so much the kind of thing you sit around and listen to in one go as it’s something to keep in your car’s CD changer (if it still has one), or in the background at a party. This largesse harks back to an era in which rap records ran long and languid, but its rambling feel also speaks to the Diplomats’ effectiveness when working in the mixtape format. Their lyrical legacy has been deeply felt through the 2010s, from Das Racist’s smartly stupid hipsterisms to the tricky wordplay of Long Island spitter Roc Marciano and Action Bronson’s pure WTF-worthy audaciousness – but there’s never been a group quite like the Diplomats since, either.ĭiplomatic Immunity was very similarly a product of its time as well: even by today’s stream-busting standards, the collection is large and in charge, spanning two theoretical CDs (remember those?), 27 tracks, and a run time that’s just 15 minutes or so shy of The Shape of Water. A practical showcase for the versatile and at-times dizzying rhymes of Juelz, Cam’ron, Freekey Zekey, Jim Jones, and the then-incarcerated Hell Rell (who still manages to turn a memorable appearance over the prison phone on the beatless “Hell Rell (Interlude)”), Diplomatic Immunity arrived at the perfect time to cement the Diplomats as NYC’s tough-talking court jesters, a quintet effortlessly switching between barbed bars and punchlines so sharp they still draw blood. He has since appeared on reality television, seen as himself on "Love & Hip-Hop".Indeed, irreverence – the willingness to say anything, make any joke or turn any phrase, regardless of how profane, potentially offensive, or perplexing it might be – defines Diplomatic Immunity as a whole. He released his solo debut, "From Me to U" , in 2003. Dipset), which includes Cam'ron and Jim Jones. They said, 'We gon' get him, he can get high bail.' Whether the charges stick or not, they gon' get their money.'"Īs a rapper, Juelz Santana rose to fame with the Harlem rap group The Diplomats (a.k.a. They don't care about the criminals, they want that money. "I'm definitely a target out here just because of who I am," he told MTV News. He claimed that he was being targeted by authorities because of his high profile. The publication noted that the rapper was believed to have affiliations with the Bloods gang. He was charged with possession of a weapon without a permit, and other charges, after authorities searched his recording studio. James was charged with four counts of weapons and drugs offenses in February 2011 following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Gang Unit, Billboard reported at the time. North reported him as still behind bars as of Monday. Neither James nor Port Authority police spoke to People when asked for comment. The rapper was also booked on an “unspecified federal warrant," according to TMZ. James turned himself in on Monday to authorities, reported People. He was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a weapon on an aircraft, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of drugs. Authorities were searching for him Sunday evening, reported North. James allegedly escaped and hopped into a taxi. 38-caliber handgun during a security screening of the 36-year-old member of Dipset Friday night. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents found loaded Derringer. The rapper (real name LaRon James) allegedly brought the weapon into the airport and fled once the weapon was found in his carry-on luggage, reports North. Juelz Santana has been arrested for bringing a loaded gun to Newark Liberty International Airport.
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