Even though I'm ultimately disappointed if not flat out bitter that this battle didn't turn out the way it should (basically because Jay being a bytch) I really applaud the tactics, work ethic, unity, skill etc that they used.
I distinctly remember various websites similar to the coli discussing who they thought Jay was going come at for his I declare war concert and Cam getting shot coincidentally days before the concert. I remember feeling like Jay was possibly the greatest rapper alive and Takeover in its own right being one of the best diss tracks ever...but also the other various tracks at Nas proving he could go in over and over again. I felt like Jay was going to body whoever he was going to get at and that he was going to make history and shake up the industry.
When all Jay did was make peace with Nas and have Beans and the Lox come out (he didn't even sign them as D Block revealed to be originally planned) I thought it was gay, false advertising, and the absolute epitome of selling wolf tickets.
I thought that the notion of any hip hop battle was put to rest until months later THIS DROPPED:
As someone who never heard Harlem Diary of a summer as I always thought Jim was fukking garbage this song was the first time I ever heard Max B. That beat by info which I would later find out had a basic instinct sample was so hard. I felt my self having the shyt on repeat which is not usual for a mixtape track. I also remember thinking it was way harder than Cam's disses to Nas and Mase. I died laughing at Cam calling Jay Alf, saying that Un said Jay looked like fraggle rock, and saying Jay was ugly repeatedly.
I get that YGLI is criticized as being an ether knockoff but I feel the personals on YGLI were better distributed throughout, the instrunental was distinctly superior, and Cam's adlibs, the sample of "do it again", Cam's intro and outro talking...gave it a humor that ether was lacking. When Cam was ready to come to bat and then he was going to Grand Slam Jay I was shocked and excited (no homo) that his team were going to jump in and he was going to come even harder in the future (pause).
He didn't just drop a diss track...he bundled it with:
I'll be honest. I already heard the original "I'm not a writer I'm a biter" before Cam touched it but his dialogue added perspective and him merely putting out gave it a lot more attention.
Then next thing I know....there are all types of shots being taken from other dipset artists
Writer calling out Jay stealing Diamond Dallas Page's diamond hand signal and mocking Bleek
Hell Rell making fun of the Roc's sales declining
40 Cal talking about putting holes in Roc a wear
Cam had HIS team going at Jay the way Jay used the Roc to go at others and for months they had nothing to say about it.
But it wasn't like Dipset was some nobodies trying to make a name from dissing like KRS or Tim dog...Cam had already had 4 albums. Jim had already had 2. Dipset was pretty much the most successful Roc act besides Jay and Ye. Dipset pretty much started the whole New York mixtape street album thing and their only competition in that area at that time being G unit and D block wity Roc a fella being almost dead with the exception of a couple reggaton releases on Roc La Familia. Not only that but Cam had his movie out (with the Jay diss playing in the intro), Writer had his debut (which did 100,000 which was huge for an independent artist's first album), Jim Jones had the biggest hit of his life, 40 cal had a retail mixtape...everyone was doing well. Dipset had the shine/buzz/attention of major label artists combined with the freedom and financial success that came with being independent at the same time.
So when Jay responded with weak subliminals over an established hit he had nothing to do with....
Cam quickly matched Jay
It was such a chess move. He deliberately stole a couple of Jay lines which in a sense giving Jay a taste of his own medicine after a full career of stealing lines. He's also showed Jay was doing the type of things he accused LL and Mase of years earlier. He called Jay Jordan on the wizards. He told Jay to sign someone from Brooklyn and to stop dikkriding those southern artists.
So when Jay BLATANTLY pulls the publicity stunt of dissing Dipset days before his album came out (unlike Cam whose album was months away)
Dipset responded with several disses in a few days
Then when Tru life dropped the Tru York mixtape
they were back at him again
But here's the thing...Writer is a talented punchline artist we see on Smack dvd trading bars with Jae Millz. 40 cal was killing on fight klub. Writer, Rell, and 40 were all making independent money and had a good thing going...while Bleek and Tru were stuck on the mixtape circuit getting no help from Jay. Cam ethered that whole camp when he said Jay was the only one eating the rest of them were broke as fukk. Within a year Jay dropped everyone aside from Kanye.
Dipset lowkey essentially killed Rocafella. Then Dipset killed itself.
I distinctly remember various websites similar to the coli discussing who they thought Jay was going come at for his I declare war concert and Cam getting shot coincidentally days before the concert. I remember feeling like Jay was possibly the greatest rapper alive and Takeover in its own right being one of the best diss tracks ever...but also the other various tracks at Nas proving he could go in over and over again. I felt like Jay was going to body whoever he was going to get at and that he was going to make history and shake up the industry.
When all Jay did was make peace with Nas and have Beans and the Lox come out (he didn't even sign them as D Block revealed to be originally planned) I thought it was gay, false advertising, and the absolute epitome of selling wolf tickets.
I thought that the notion of any hip hop battle was put to rest until months later THIS DROPPED:
As someone who never heard Harlem Diary of a summer as I always thought Jim was fukking garbage this song was the first time I ever heard Max B. That beat by info which I would later find out had a basic instinct sample was so hard. I felt my self having the shyt on repeat which is not usual for a mixtape track. I also remember thinking it was way harder than Cam's disses to Nas and Mase. I died laughing at Cam calling Jay Alf, saying that Un said Jay looked like fraggle rock, and saying Jay was ugly repeatedly.
I get that YGLI is criticized as being an ether knockoff but I feel the personals on YGLI were better distributed throughout, the instrunental was distinctly superior, and Cam's adlibs, the sample of "do it again", Cam's intro and outro talking...gave it a humor that ether was lacking. When Cam was ready to come to bat and then he was going to Grand Slam Jay I was shocked and excited (no homo) that his team were going to jump in and he was going to come even harder in the future (pause).
He didn't just drop a diss track...he bundled it with:
I'll be honest. I already heard the original "I'm not a writer I'm a biter" before Cam touched it but his dialogue added perspective and him merely putting out gave it a lot more attention.
Then next thing I know....there are all types of shots being taken from other dipset artists
Writer calling out Jay stealing Diamond Dallas Page's diamond hand signal and mocking Bleek
Hell Rell making fun of the Roc's sales declining
40 Cal talking about putting holes in Roc a wear
Cam had HIS team going at Jay the way Jay used the Roc to go at others and for months they had nothing to say about it.
But it wasn't like Dipset was some nobodies trying to make a name from dissing like KRS or Tim dog...Cam had already had 4 albums. Jim had already had 2. Dipset was pretty much the most successful Roc act besides Jay and Ye. Dipset pretty much started the whole New York mixtape street album thing and their only competition in that area at that time being G unit and D block wity Roc a fella being almost dead with the exception of a couple reggaton releases on Roc La Familia. Not only that but Cam had his movie out (with the Jay diss playing in the intro), Writer had his debut (which did 100,000 which was huge for an independent artist's first album), Jim Jones had the biggest hit of his life, 40 cal had a retail mixtape...everyone was doing well. Dipset had the shine/buzz/attention of major label artists combined with the freedom and financial success that came with being independent at the same time.
So when Jay responded with weak subliminals over an established hit he had nothing to do with....
Cam quickly matched Jay
It was such a chess move. He deliberately stole a couple of Jay lines which in a sense giving Jay a taste of his own medicine after a full career of stealing lines. He's also showed Jay was doing the type of things he accused LL and Mase of years earlier. He called Jay Jordan on the wizards. He told Jay to sign someone from Brooklyn and to stop dikkriding those southern artists.
So when Jay BLATANTLY pulls the publicity stunt of dissing Dipset days before his album came out (unlike Cam whose album was months away)
Dipset responded with several disses in a few days
Then when Tru life dropped the Tru York mixtape
they were back at him again
But here's the thing...Writer is a talented punchline artist we see on Smack dvd trading bars with Jae Millz. 40 cal was killing on fight klub. Writer, Rell, and 40 were all making independent money and had a good thing going...while Bleek and Tru were stuck on the mixtape circuit getting no help from Jay. Cam ethered that whole camp when he said Jay was the only one eating the rest of them were broke as fukk. Within a year Jay dropped everyone aside from Kanye.
Dipset lowkey essentially killed Rocafella. Then Dipset killed itself.