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Diplomatic Immunity (The Diplomats album)

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Diplomatic Immunity
Studio album by
The Diplomats
ReleasedMarch 25, 2003 (2003-03-25)
Recorded2002–03
Studio
Genre
Length1:47:09
Label
Producer
The Diplomats chronology
Diplomatic Immunity
(2003) 		Diplomatic Immunity 2
(2004)
Singles from Diplomatic Immunity
  1. "Bout It Bout It..., Part III"
    Released: 2002
  2. "Built This City"
    Released: January 14, 2003
  3. "Dipset Anthem"
    Released: July 22, 2003
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
HipHopDX3/5[2]
RapReviews4.5/10[3]
The Guardian[4]

Diplomatic Immunity is the debut studio album by American hip hop group The Diplomats, released via The Island Def Jam Music Group, Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, and Cam'ron's Diplomat Records.

The album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 92,000 copies in its first week in the United States.[5] By May 19, 2003, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 units in the US alone. In 2012, Complex named the album one of the classic albums of its decade.[6]

Background

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After the release of group leader Cam'ron's third studio album Come Home with Me for Roc-A-Fella Records, the collective composed of Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Freekey Zekey teamed up to release their first collaborative effort.

Originally scheduled for a March 4, 2003 release,[7] the album's release date was delayed to March 11, 2003. After the release date was again delayed, the album was ultimately released March 25, 2003. Recording sessions took place at Baseline Studios, Quad Recording Studios, Sony Music Studios and The Hit Factory in New York City, and at Galaxy Studios in Newark, New Jersey. Production was handled by The Heatmakerz, DR Period, Just Blaze, Brian "All Day" Miller, Charlemagne, Hiroshima, Jamahl, Kanye West, KLC, Mafia Boy, Paperchase Inc, Ralph Random, Spike and E-Bass, with Cam'ron and Jim Jones serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from DMX, Freeway, Master P, Monique Chandler, Shaniqua Williams, Toya and Un Kasa. The album spawned three singles: "Bout It Bout It..., Part III", "Built This City" and "Dipset Anthem".

Diplomatic Immunity is the only album by The Diplomats under Island Def Jam, Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella. In 2004, The Diplomats signed to Koch Records for distribution, though the company stayed on Diplomat Records.

Cam'ron described the album as "9/11 music",[8] and it antagonised the country in the attack's aftermath while adopting its imagery. On "Gangsta", Juelz Santana compares himself to Osama bin Laden, and an original version of "I Love You" made references to Mohamed Atta.[9]

Track listing

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Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Un Kasa" (Cam'Ron featuring Un Kasa)
3:38
2."Juelz Santana (Interlude)" (Freekey Zekey & Jimmy Jones)  0:56
3."Who I Am" (Juelz Santana)
The Heatmakerz4:19
4."Ground Zero" (Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana & Jimmy Jones)
  • Spike
  • Jamahl
5:13
5."Real Niggas (Interlude)" (Freekey Zekey featuring Monique Chandler)  1:28
6."Real Niggas" (Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana & Jimmy Jones)
DR Period3:46
7."Have You Seen Juelz Santana (Interlude)" (Freekey Zekey featuring Shaniqua Williams)  0:44
8."More Than Music" (Juelz Santana)
The Heatmakerz4:08
9."Beautiful Noise" (Cam'Ron & Jimmy Jones)
  • Jones
  • Giles
  • Henri Charlemagne
  • Michael Durio
  • Charlemagne
  • E-Bass (co.)
4:39
10."Dipset Anthem" (also known as "Gangsta Music") (Cam'Ron & Juelz Santana)
The Heatmakerz4:09
11."Hey Ma (Remix)" (Cam'Ron & Juelz Santana featuring Toya)
  • DR Period
  • Mafia Boy
5:17
12."Hell Rell (Interlude)" (Cam'Ron, Freekey Zekey & Hell Rell)  2:03
13."This Is What I Do" (Cam'Ron & Hell Rell)
The Heatmakerz4:05
14."Gangsta" (Cam'Ron & Juelz Santana)
  • James
  • Ralph Cheuveret
Ralph Random5:14
15."Hell Rell Freestyle"  1:46
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."I Really Mean It" (Cam'Ron & Jimmy Jones)
Just Blaze4:21
17."My Love" (Juelz Santana featuring Freeway)
The Heatmakerz3:22
18."I Love You" (Cam'Ron & Juelz Santana)
  • The Heatmakerz
  • E-Bass (co.)
4:11
19."Purple Haze" (Cam'Ron)
The Heatmakerz4:38
20."The First" (Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana & Jimmy Jones)
Hiroshima4:55
21."Juelz Santana the Great" (Juelz Santana)
  • James
  • Green
  • Thomas
  • Giles
The Heatmakerz4:57
22."DJ Enuff Freestyle" (Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana & Jimmy Jones)
  • Giles
  • James
  • Jones
  • Green
  • Thomas
  • Earl Randle
  • Renee Kirk
The Heatmakerz5:11
23."What's Really Good" (Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana & Jimmy Jones featuring DMX)
  • Paperchase Inc.
  • E-Bass (co.)
6:02
24."I'm Ready" (Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana & Jimmy Jones)
The Heatmakerz4:41
25."Bout It Bout It..., Part III" (Cam'Ron & Jimmy Jones featuring Master P)
KLC5:20
26."Built This City" (Cam'Ron, Juelz Santana & Jimmy Jones)
Just Blaze6:03
27."Let's Go" (Cam'Ron & Hell Rell)
The Heatmakerz2:03
Total length:1:47:09
Notes
  • Built This City features an uncredited guest appearance from Hell Rell
Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]
  • Cameron "Cam'Ron" Giles – vocals (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 9–11, 13–16, 18–20, 22–27), executive producer, A&R
  • LaRon "Juelz Santana" James – vocals (tracks: 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20–24, 26, 27), A&R
  • Joseph "Jimmy" Jones – vocals (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 9, 15, 16, 20, 21–26), executive producer, A&R, management
  • Ezekiel "Freekey Zekey" Giles – vocals (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 12)
  • Durell "Hell Rell" Mohammed – vocals (tracks: 12, 13, 15, 26)
  • Antonio "Un Kasa" Wilder – vocals (track 1)
  • Monique Chandler – vocals (track 5)
  • Shaniqua Williams – vocals (track 7)
  • LaToya "Toya" Rodriguez – vocals (track 11)
  • Leslie "Freeway" Pridgen – vocals (track 17)
  • Earl "DMX" Simmons – vocals (track 23)
  • Percy "Master P" Miller – vocals (track 25)
  • Brian "All Day" Miller – producer (track 1)
  • Kanye West – producer (track 1)
  • Gregory "Rsonist" Green – producer (tracks: 3, 8, 10, 13, 17–19, 21, 22, 24, 27)
  • Sean "Thrilla" Thomas – producer (tracks: 3, 8, 10, 13, 17–19, 21, 22, 24, 27)
  • Kenneth "Spike" Cunningham – producer (track 4)
  • Jamahl Rashid Rye – producer (track 4)
  • Darryl "DR Period" Pittman – producer (tracks: 6, 11)
  • Henri Charlemagne – producer (track 9)
  • Mafia Boy – producer (track 11)
  • Ralph "Random" Cheuveret – producer (track 14)
  • Justin "Just Blaze" Smith – producer (tracks: 16, 26)
  • DJ HirOshima – producer (track 20)
  • Aquanza "Paperchase Inc." Jones – producer (track 23)
  • Craig "KLC" Lawson – producer (track 25)
  • Eric "E-Bass" Johnson – co-producer (tracks: 1, 9, 18, 23)
  • George "DukeDaGod" Moore – recording (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 8, 13, 21), A&R
  • Shane "Bermuda" Woodley – recording (tracks: 3, 9, 17, 18, 20)
  • Carlisle Young – recording (tracks: 10, 19), mixing (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 18–22, 27)
  • Eric "Ibo" Butler – recording (tracks: 11, 14, 22, 23), mixing (tracks: 4, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 23–25)
  • Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton – recording (tracks: 16, 24–26), mixing (track 26)
  • Tony Dawsey – mastering
  • Akisia Grigsby – art direction
  • Jonathan Mannion – photography
  • Tara Podolsky – A&R
  • Darcell Lawrence – A&R
  • Ramses Francois – A&R assistant
  • Travis Cumming – A&R assistant
  • Jamel George – A&R assistant

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bush, John. "Cam'ron, The Diplomats - Diplomatic Immunity Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Johnson, Sherman (April 1, 2003). "Cam'Ron Presents The Diplomats - Diplomatic Immunity". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (March 25, 2003). "The Diplomats :: Diplomatic Immunity – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (April 11, 2003). "The Diplomats: Diplomatic Immunity". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "Linkin Park's 'Meteora' Crashes Chart At No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  6. ^ Moore, Jacob (December 6, 2012). "25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status". Complex. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  7. ^ Strong, Nolan (December 23, 2002). "Cam'ron Strikes Platinum". AllHipHop.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2006.
  8. ^ Melnick, Jeffrey (September 15, 2011). "Shout-Outs". 9/11 Culture. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-4443-5815-5.
  9. ^ Abdurraqib, Hanif (March 8, 2022). A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance. Random House Publishing Group. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-1-9848-0120-3.
  10. ^ "The Diplomats Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Diplomats Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  12. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "American album certifications – The Diplomats – Diplomatic Immunity". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
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