Today marks the 10th anniversary of Diplomatic Immunity, the opus of Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Freeky Zekey—collectively known as The Diplomats.
It's interesting to see the nostalgia and acclaim the group receives in retrospect; at the time, they were controversial, immoral, and divisive. The group's music was mercilessly lowbrow, but absurdist, artful, and hilarious.
They were a true grassroots movement, perhaps the last New York has seen. The crew's success was built on a combination of mixtape grind, hit singles, street DVDs, and a unique aesthetic vision. Coming up at a time when Atlanta was ascendant, the crew managed to keep New York City a hub of street rap into the new decade.
Before the crew reunites tonight for their concert at B.B. Kings in NYC, here's a look at the 10 Ways Dipset Changed Hip-Hop.
RELATED: The 50 Greatest Dipset Songs
RELATED: 25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status
RELATED: The 50 Greatest Rapper Mixtapes