Vado Talks "Large In The Streets" And The Diplomats Reunion

Complex: I know it started off as Movado, then you shortened it to Vado. When did you pick up your rap name?

Vado: I think around 17. Money Out of Violence And Drugs Only. It was originally Cree. I made up a meaning. [Laughs.] The meaning was Cute Real and Everything Else. It was just a tag name I had. I would spray it up on walls in junior high. Me and Millz did graffiti and used to tag up whatever. We was on some 'hood shit. We tried to, but we didn't have the heart to go everywhere and tag up and go on trains. But we wanted fame, so we had fame in our area. I was just taggin' that up and Millz was taggin' his up. One day when we was rhymin' and making up names and his name I think was Jarvis Milli-on and he said put "Movado on the end of that, Cree Movado." I thought it sounded cool so I started runnin' with it. Then I just took the Cree off and kept the Movado and then people just started callin' me Vado for short.

Complex: Given that you're thought of as a flashy Harlem dude, it's interesting how you've mentioned not being into wearing jewelry.

Vado: Yeah, I don't do the jewelry. Probably a nice little chain. Nothing big or crazy. Maybe a little diamond necklace and a good watch. I'm more into watches, I love watches. I started off wearin' G-Shocks and toy watches, but now I'm into Rolexes, Cartiers, Audemars. I'm just a watch fanatic. Right now my level is just icing out G-Shocks, toy watches, and all that, but in a minute I should be in the Cartiers and Franck Mullers.

Complex: What is your dream watch?

Vado: A Rolex GMT.

Complex: You went to school with Juelz?

Vado: Yeah, junior high. We knew each other. We were cool, had a couple classes together. I wasn't rappin' at all, he was.

Complex: When did you actually link up with Cam'ron?

Vado: Last year. By the time I came up, he was already established. We know the same people in the 'hood so I reached out to that mutual friend and he gave some music to Cam. He passed him my demo, just a few tracks I had laid. I was working with the same people I work with now, my in-house crew Factory Media. On my birthday, March 13th, he invited me into the studio. I went to the studio, he was pulling out wild beats, and I asked if I could jump on 'em. I jumped on 'em, and he was feeling it. We was just recording and gettin' it in and it's been history ever since. I'm signed to Cam.

Complex: Were you a little unsure talking about business with Cam after hearing all the issues he had with Jim Jones and Juelz Santana?

Vado: Not at all. One of the first things that Cam told me was when I got down with him was, "I'ma help get you some money." We from the same area and we know the same people, so we got tight quick. He was already schooling me to the game.

Complex: Being around Cam, you see a lot of crazy shit. What are some things you've seen him do?

Vado: The craziest. We be sleeping in the studio and he gets the cap gun and he starts bustin' off shots tryin' to wake niggas up. It's like five or six in the morning and you wake up quick 'cause it sounds like gunshots.

Complex: You shout out Dip Set and U.N. Are you a part of both?

Vado: Yeah, you can say that. The [U.N.] album will be out in August called Gunz 'N' Butta.

Complex: Why do you call yourself the most hated Diplomat?

Vado: Because before I got with U.N., I already had a team called Most Hated. It was something me and Millz invented. We were always reppin' Most Hated regardless. So I just brought that to the table with me.

Complex: What's your label situation?

Vado: I got offers on the table and everything, just waiting for things to take place. Trying to make the buzz bigger and the check bigger.

Complex: What was the turning point when people really started noticing you and record labels started approaching you about deals?

Vado: I think when we started putting out the Drama mixtapes, they started loving us crazy. Cam already knew what flea could do, so it gave me an opportunity to show my ass. He gave me the opportunity to go off and he set it up right. He gave me the opportunity to record with Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, Kid Cudi, and producers like Alchemist, so it's definitely a blessing.

Complex: How did you find out about the reunion with Cam and Jim?

Vado: Cam sat me down, he told me what's going on and what's about to happen and I felt it was a great look for Harlem. Then to top it off, you're adding a new artist to it, you feel me? So I told Cam it sounded like a great look and we about to take over. I'm behind whatever Cam do, no homo, 'cause if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here.

Complex: When did he sit you down and talk to you?

Vado: Like a week before Miss Info had put it out. I was hearing it through the grapevine but me and him never spoke on it. One day he asked me to come to his house because he lives down the road from me in Edgewater. So I went to his crib, we sat and he asked me how I felt about it and I said that's a good look. I mean me being from Harlem, I want to do this music right. I want to big up my borough. I want to be with cats from my town that could solidify me. That's why I wanted to come up with Millz but when it didn't happen with Millz. I didn't really take it serious. But then I was like, "You know what? I'm nice." To keep it 100 with you, I was like that dude in the 'hood that was nice on the court, but never played in the league, never played college ball, but everybody in the streets knows he's nice and they pump him up.

Complex: Did Cam say what changed his mind? For a while Cam said he wasn't going to reunite with Jim again.

Vado: Nah, and I didn't ask. I just figured it was family.

Complex: Now that Dip Set is coming back together, have you been building with Jim Jones or Juelz at all?

Vado: Nah, I haven't kicked it with Juelz. I've seen Jim a couple times and we've said "What up" and everybody's cool. Hell Rell, I've seen him; I mean, niggas fuck with me. There is no bad blood.

Complex: When they do the Diplomatic Immunity 3, you'll be a part of that, right?

Vado: Yeah most likely. [Vado stops the interview to holler at some chicks] I want to take y'all out. I'm not from here, this is new to me. Y'all pretty so that's good enough. [Back to Complex] Hello? [Laughs.] My fault, slime. [He goes back to talking to the girls.] I'm with Cam, y'all can introduce yourselves.

Chicks: We're kind of in a rush.

Vado: Well, just give me your number.

Chicks: [Laughs.] Gimme yours.

Vado: 917... the name is Vado. V-A-D-O.

Complex: Tell her what it stands for.

Vado: [Laughs.]

Vado's friend in the background: Her ass was fat!

Vado: I know, that's the one I wanted.

Vado's friend in the background: Why you ain't holla at her?

Vado: Because I'm on the phone; they thirsty, though, so I'ma set it up. Hello? My fault, little shorty was bad. I mean we doin' a U.N. project first. His album, my album, my mixtape, so we still workin' on the U.N. the same way Byrd Gang and Skull Gang are all workin' but at the end of the day everybody's back at the round table. It's like the Mafia. The five families are back sitting together.

• CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE COMPLEX MUSIC POSTS...