Of course when you think of the name Dipset in your mind, what first comes together is mostly Cam’ron, Jim Jones, and Juelz Santana. Though those dudes was the three-headed monster forefront of the Dipset movement, the Harlemites had enough ammo to shoot their way to the top with their loyal soldiers. Hell Rell, JR Writer, and 40 Cal all through the times when the Dips were in full command with their strong presence in the New York rap game always was prepared for battle. With the hottest mixtapes in the streets, branding a style that was swagger jacked at the highest level, Dipset was indeed in the streets and gained the respect from many. But as they say nothing last forever and slowly, but surely it seems the once strong band of brothers is now disbanding.

Always riding with the Dips, but still managing to grind heavy in his own way 40 Cal keeps it coming. If you followed the series of mixtapes such as Broken Safety and Trigger Happy the fierce spitting metaphorical lyricist can make sure he keeps it coming. Just now releasing the new project Mooga, 40 comes out this time around to show he can give it to you all in every style possible.

HipHopDX: 40 Cal what’s good it’s been a minute since we talked and I think the last time was when you dropped Broken Safety 2, right?
40 Cal: Yeah.

DX: So what’s been going on since that whole time, because that was back in September?
40 Cal: You know just staying afloat dropping mixtapes. You know after I dropped Broken Safety 2, I dropped Trigger Happy and a joint called The Yellow Tape.

DX: So how have you maintained your grind to keep coming with the successful mixtapes to keep your name out?
40 Cal: I’m a studio junkie, so I stay in the studio making tracks. So instead of releasing everything for free, I do little deals for them and get it to the public.

DX: So let me ask you, how is your current situation with a label as an artist right now?
40 Cal: It’s all good, everything is cool. The market is not as good as it used to be a year ago, because you know how the climate changes. Everything is cool, it could be better, I’m a say.

DX: So are you still down with Koch Records?
40 Cal: I’m not, I just did a one offer deal with them. A lot of people don’t know a one offer is just like one album. One project and you done, that’s it.

DX: So when you put out that last project with Koch, was it a test-market to see how far it could go as an artist?
40 Cal: Nah, cause all my deals I do is what you call “one offer.” I don’t like to be obligated to no one. I just want to do whatever we do and if it works out I would take the opportunity to put out a project on the same label. I just do a lot of one offers like I did one with Koch, then maybe next could be Aftermath, or whatever. As opposed to a three-to-five year deal, my chances are better with these little mixtape deals I do.

DX: A lot of artist that sign major label deals would sign for some longevity with let’s say the two, three, four, album deals. Like you said you do “one offer” where you put out something to see how it go, then you fall back then jump somewhere else. What is the big advantage doing what you do?
40 Cal: The biggest advantage is not being obligated. Look at Diplomat Records, what makes us different from everyone else is we on the only crew that got different labels up under us and everybody got their own lane. Like Juelz [Santana] [click to read] is at Def Jam, Hell Rell and JR Writer [click to read] is at Babygrande, [Cam'ron] is with Asylum. Look at another label… let’s say G-Unit. They are all on the same label, they are all under Interscope right?

DX: Right.
40 Cal: They would have to wait behind each other before all of them drop. Like they just dropped the G-Unit [click to read] [T.O.S.] [click to read] album then maybe Lloyd Banks [click to read] comes out next. Then after Banks comes out, someone else on the label is next, but they would have to wait. They space is like two or three months apart. As opposed to us we all on different labels so we don’t have the same marketing from the same label. We could drop a Cam today, then next week JR Writer would be dropping a joint, then Hell Rell and so on and so on. We at different labels with leverage so we drop when we feel like it. If we was all on the same label it wouldn’t be like that, because they might tell us, “Nah this album just came out, fall back, let us do some promotions,” Me doing these one-offs, I’m in a situation where I can do whatever I want. Continued on page 2 »