Duke Da God: Rocafella's Loss

As the long standing VP of A&R for Diplomat Records, Duke Da God is much more comfortable laying in the cut negotiating deals and overseeing albums than he is as the latest emerging star of the Diplomat camp. Although hes not a lyricist, a point abundantly made clear by his habit of sporting an oversized black shirt that reads, I AM NOT A RAPPER in bold white letters, he is releasing his debut CD Dipset: More Than Music Vol.1 (Koch).

Its June 23 and Duke Da God is getting ready to launch the premiere show of Dip Sets latest venture, Dip Set Radio on Sirius Satellite. Flanked by Hell Rell and other Dip Set affiliates, Duke sat down for a minute pre-show to speak with HHDX. With a stacked roster of artists, a new situation at Atlantic and scores of mixtapes and full-length CDs flooding the streets, theres no rest for a Dip Set soldier. But thats exactly how they like it.

Down with Dip Set since day one, Duke was instrumental in putting together Children of the Corn with Cam, Mase, Big L and Bloodshed. Unfortunately, both Big L and Bloodshed have passed on, but not without remembrance. Bloodsheds vocals appear on the album on Bloodshed R.I.P.

The VP of A&R for Diplomat Records talks about Dip Sets new compilation, Dip Set Radio and why Harlem is back.

Whats going on tonight?
Dip Set radio. Were going to launch it tonight. I got Jim Jones coming through. Hell Rell. Were going to introduce it like that.

Whats your situation like with Sirius Satellite?
Were starting off every two weeks and after the first two months, we hope to go every week. Like a regular routine.

How did the show come about?
We were interested in having a radio show. We do the mixtapes. We got the streets. We do the Internet thing. We just dont have no radio presence. They gave us a nice little spot here so we thankful for that.

Talk about your compilation, More Than Music.
Its a Diplomat compilation featuring all the Diplomats. I dont rap. Im an A&R. I put the music together. I put the collaborations together.

How did you get involved with the Diplomats?
I started off, me and Cam from the same block. Im from the East side of Harlem. Cams grandmother from the East Side of Harlem. We came up together. I was never an artist. Cam told me he didnt want me to rap. He wanted me to do something else. Be the road manager. I was always part of the group though. When he signed his deal in 1997, we always been together ever since. And now I get to executive produce the new Diplomat album.

What makes you such a key player?
I play for the team. I believe in teamwork. I work hard and treat everyone genuine. I put all my energy into it. I got a nice little staff. Everybody works real hard to lead the movement, lead the path. We keep it going hard.

Are you active with the street teams?
I do street team too. The mixtapes, I do that real hard. I distribute 1,000s throughout the country. I do that on a real high level. I take care of that. I do the Internet. I manage the site. I try to do the streets as well as the A&R, as far as taking care of the projects. I move with the movement. I take care of my man J.R. Writer, Hell Rell. Im a fan of theirs. I like what theyre doing. My man 40 Cal. Im trying to make sure their projects are good. Cam, Jim, Juelz. I do a lot of little things on the side. Its too much to keep up with. I have to just keep focused.

Now that Jim Jones is an executive at Warner Brothers, are you there too?
Im over there right now with Jim. My office is where Jims is at. Its Dipset/Atlantic right now. Im up there and helping him out. We trouble hoot, get at each other with projects. We got a big line-up. Lots of artists. Lot of work to do. I try to stay focused. Keep it Dip Set.

What does it mean to represent Harlem?
To be from Harlem means you got to have style. Another word for that is swagger. You got to have that hustler mentality. Harlem means hustling. Were known for getting money. You got to have that swag. Dress fly. Be sharp. Make sure everything is right.

What is one thing you have learned over the years about this business?
If you believe in something, go all the way with it. Just go all out. Also, listen to side talk and then you make a decision. Its a lot of dos and donts in this game. But just be confident.