As the major force behind Dipset’s mixtape hustle, the Harlem collective’s A&R DukeDaGod landed a deal with Koch in ’05 despite the fact that he doesn’t even rap. The resulting compilation, More Than Music, Vol. 1, simultaneously showcased Duke’s business acumen and the Diplomat’s lyrical prowess. Less than a year later, Duke and Cam’ron team up to unleash the aptly titled compilation The Movement Moves On.
Killa sets the tone with the Beat Firm–produced “White Girls,” where he uses his relationship with a Caucasian woman as a metaphor for drug dealing. Hell Rell picks up the baton from there with “War,” as he boldly proclaims, “Holla if you need some grams/I’m poppin’ off myself, I don’t need no Cam.” Rell proceeds to back up his boasts by taking shots at the Roc on “I’m Laughin’,” spittin’, “Duke, let me see some SoundScan/What did Memphis Bleek sell?/Teairra Mari?/What that lil’ freak sell?/All them niggas went wood, and I’m laughin’ at ’em/Got my wrists in the air waving karats at ’em.”
For this go round, Juelz Santana and Jim Jones are relegated to background players, but the Dipset stars make sure both of their brief appearances count. Juelz uses a captivating Spinners sample to voice his displeasure with the industry’s formulaic ways on “Losin’ My Love,” while Jones goes at fellow Harlemite Loon on the ThumpCity-produced “Frustrated.” However, the rest of the Set doesn’t always deliver the same excellence of execution. The usually sharp J.R. Writer struggles to hone his New York state of mind on the Southern-inspired “Getting Money,” and 40 Cal. does little to raise the bar on the generic antisnitchin’ anthem “Quiet Sound.”
While The Movement Moves On doesn’t tarnish the Dipset brand, it doesn’t necessarily bolster the crew’s standing either. The album is packed with solid production and standard lyrics about street life, but it’s hard to tell where the movement’s moving on to if it all sounds the same.—ROB MARKMAN
