Dipset’s smoking barrel, Hell Rell is aiming to survive in this fickle industry where yesterday is referred to as back in the day. The inner turmoil that plague the once triumphant Harlem Diplomats has bared its ugly head resulting in a reported two million dollar sale of Juelz Santana to Def Jam, amidst Jim Jones’ interest in his own Byrd Gang movement that is taking flight this year. It is clear that Dipset offshoots have to fend for themselves without the constant support of Cam’ron or Jones. But Hell Rell still has his hustler instinct and is able to maneuver through the storm. Rell has been a staple on online blogs and Hip-Hop sites as of late to keep his name fresh in support of his new project, Black Mask, Black Gloves on Babygrande Records.Ruger never is one to keep his supporters waiting; he has too much to offer with his own music imprint the Top Gunnas, which he is planning to release in the near future. He insist that the beefing is bad for business, and bad business does’t make good sense. So what is “The Hardest Out ” suppose to do but to keep killin’ them.AllHipHop.com: You have your sophomore release Black Mask, BlackGloves out now. How are you feeling?Hell Rell: I haven’t put out an album since August of last year. So I said [to myself] ‘you to the people.’ I actually took a pay cut because [what] I was asking for, they didn’t give it to me. But I was like f**k it; I [was] tired of people running up on me asking when I have something new coming out. So I had to put it out to the streets.AllHipHop.com: What was the motivation on this album?Hell Rell: Basically [to] separate myself as an artist. At the end of the day groups come and go, artists are here forever. It’s not like we can be The Temptations where we can do shows at [Las] Vegas, you know what I’m saying. That’s very rare for Hip-Hop.Hell Rell “Ruga Stories Pt. 1”AllHipHop.com: Production wise, who is on the album?Hell Rell: I got my homeboy A.Raab, he remind me of a young Swizz Beatz. He just graduated from high school, he done alot of joints with Cam’ron [for] Killa Season …he did three or four joints for my last [album]. He just an animal, he can play the MPC like its live drums, the kid is a monster. That’s the same thing they were saying about Swizz, he was 17 years old doing “Ruff Ryders Anthem.”
“At the end of the day Diplomat Records pretty much is at a standstill. Everybody as an individual artist is doing what they are doing, but as far as a group there [is] nothing popping.”
AllHipHop.com: What’s the situation with Diplomat Records right now?Hell Rell: At the end of the day Diplomat Records pretty much is at a standstill. Everybody as an individual artist is doing what they are doing, but as far as a group there [is] nothing popping. No one is doing songs which each other; everyone is in their old little world doing what they got to do. Which is f**ked up because it’s bad for money and bad for business.AllHipHop.com: Why do you think everyone is doing their own thing right now?Hell Rell: It’s pride and egos, man. I’m a grown man, if you my n***a… I should feel like a [can] call you. I would put my pride to the side; I ain’t the type of person likem “I ain’t going to call that [man].” There is too much money on the table. I’m not going to cut off my nose to spite the face. Pride is a motherf**cker, it’s like cancer.AllHipHop.com: What is your current relationship with the Diplomat members?Hell Rell: Nobody is beefing. The business is not right, when you don’t communicate with someone on an everyday basis, it just doesn’t [work] right.AllHipHop.com: You have been heavy on the Internet in the past couple of months. What is the reason behind “Ruga Stories”?Hell Rell: I need to talk to the people for a minute. I wanted them to see what Ruga was getting into; I been off the scene. At the end of the day, I feel a lot of rappers took something from me; like i said in “Get Ready” if you came in the game after Ruga, I inspired you. I made you wear your hat to the side, [or] I made you diddy-bop a little harder. You got something from Ruga, everybody gets something from somebody.
Hell Rell “Get Ready” VideoAllHipHop.com: Are there any particular artist that you feel took something from you?Hell Rell: Nah, I’m just saying…it’s the quality of the music. You can just tell there is a influence; certain words I felt I started [and] introduced to the game. A lot of rappers use them, things like that. We all contribute but you have some n****s that don’t contribute and come in the game and sit around. I [feel] I have contributed to Hip-Hop.AllHipHop.com: In what way do you feel you contributed?Hell Rell: I feel I brought that grimy edge. Like “Oh, this n***a go hard.” but that lane was always there since N.W.A debuted with gangster Hip-Hop. It was always there [but] everyone had their lane; Eminem was in that Redman lane but he just stepped it up. Ludacris was in that Busta Rhymes lane, he always had that radio record. [They] didn’t really spill their life into [their] music. And it’s always the ones that sell their life through the music that win. I tell my story [through] the music and people relate to me.
“When you mention Dipset it’s Jimmy, Juelz and Cam, how can you forget Ruga? I done put in a lot of work and at the end of the day, you can’t name one record that I was on that had radio presence. I [wasn’t] on [any] Diplomat hit records but you know who Ruga Rell is.”
AllHipHop.com: It seems that the rest of the Dipset members are doing their own thing within the realm of business and getting their music out to the people. Do you feel your approach to the industry is more business minded now?Hell Rell: Yeah, I came in the game on good faith, meaning that, if you told me the sky was blue [then] it was blue. If you said you going up I was prepared to go up…at the end of the day, anything told to me I ran with it. As you go along you learn the business, certain business transactions [because] other parties didn’t have you in their best interest. A lot people capitalize and exploit other people talents if they are not in the know. This is Hip-Hop, this s**t has nothing to do with you being a gangster or [being] tougher than you. If a n***a know he can find a way to make more money off of you, and throw you a little something to keep you happy at that present moment; he’s going to do it. And deal with the consequences later.Hell Rell “Ruga Stories Pt. 3”AllHipHop.com: Do you feel Hell Rell has been exploited?Hell Rell: I’m not going to say I got exploited in any way but as far as the accolades; when they mention Dipset I don’t get mentioned a lot. When you mention Dipset it’s Jimmy, Juelz and Cam, how can you forget Ruga? I done put in a lot of work and at the end of the day, you can’t name one record that I was on that had radio presence. I [wasn’t] on [any] Diplomat hit records but you know who Ruga Rell is. I wasn’t [on] “Oh Boy”, I wasn’t on “Santana’s Town,” I wasn’t on “Suck it or Not”…but I have a following. As much as you try to block a shining star; he’s going to shine.Hell Rell “Ruga Stories Pt. 6”