Wow. Let’s get one thing straight off top: This mixtape is garbage. 

Personally, the biggest challenge in reviewing this project is staying away from trashing the Dipset for stuff they’ve already been trashed for. But this mixtape makes it so easy. 

First of all, there are like 3 songs on Cam'Ron Presents DukeDaGod Dipset: The Movement Moves On that are actually on Cam’s recent solo album, Killa Season. I guess I missed the memo that says that it’s cool for an artist to put out the same song on different discs.

Second, the whole “separate but equal” paradigm didn’t work for the Civil Rights movement, and it isn’t working for the DipSet movement either. Every track is a potpourri of Dipset flavor, a sprinkle of Hell Rell here, a dash of J.R.Writer there, and voila! A movement. Not quite. They all sound the same…literally. Is it 40 Cal, or is it DukeDaGod? Is it Jim Jones or is it Hell Rell? They are all saying the same things… so does it even matter? I do think that there might be some talent there, hidden deep beneath the DipSet banner- but its hard to tell, because every 2 bars there’s a reminder that you’re listening to the DipSet. I get it already.

Third, if there is such a thing as a DipSet movement, it’s a bowel movement. I don’t mean to be negative, but every track features one of the rich, arrogant, belligerent Diplomats berating the listener. I’ve never been called so many names by complete strangers in my life. Of course, the kicker is that I (the consumer) am the reason why they’re so rich in the first place. If not for my monetary contribution to the DipSet campaign, there would be no DipSet – unless, of course, you believe the glorious tales of riches gained by selling kilos and ounces and bricks. Not only that, but 90% of the DipSet gimmick is celebrating their ability to sell music. How’s that for irony? You buy their cd, only to hear to them brag incessantly about the fact that you brought the cd. On top of that, they insult you further by ending virtually each track with a friendly reminder that Killa Season (the album and the movie) are coming out soon.

You may have noticed that I have yet to actually talk about the music. I’ll do that now. The production uniformly consists of hard, droning beats with presidential sounding backgrounds. Very gangsta-sounding indeed. With the exception of Juelz Santana (who’s only on one song: “Losin’ My Love”), all of the other artists seem to blend together;  including DukeDaGod. The Diplomat Records A&R sounds like he needs some R&R, with slow, tired vocals that lack the energy and charisma of Cam and Juelz. Santana actually issues a scathing critique of the industry, questioning his motivation for making music in a game full of fakers and silly party songs. He even calls out 50 Cent.

Ya’ll labels got it all confused, kid/ I’m not at all amused wit/ The boring music, ya’ll improve it/ and its all some bullshit/ Seems like ya’ll amused wit/ everything that has to do wit party music/ Well I ain’t in a damn partying mood/ But we can still party to it… With all this shaking rap/ shaking this you faking that/Homeboy you are faking wack/ so please stop faking, Jackson.

Cam’ron is clearly uncomfortable letting his labelmates handle business on their own, and it shows. His overbearing personality (read: swagger) absolutely stunt the creativity of the DipSet’s supposed new stars. In addition, the bang-bang gangsta theme is stale, and the materialism is downright goofy. Also included on this disc is a track containing an audio clip from Cam’s press conference held in the wake of his Jay-Z diss, (where he discusses his realness and his fashion expertise) followed by an un-edited clip of a recent DipSet “freestyle” on Funkmaster Flex’s radio show on New York’s Hot 97.

To make a long story short, this mixtape is everything that is wrong with Hip Hop rolled into 17 dismal tracks. There is not one original idea; no creativity whatsoever.

Like I said: garbage.