(AllHipHop News) Dipset/Byrd Gang member NOE recently launched Merlot Heights Entertainment and is planning to introduce a new crop of Baltimore rap artists to the Hip-Hop game. NOE, who has been featured on several high profile Dip related projects, including Jim Jones’ Pray IV Reign and MOB – The Byrdgang Album, has also worked with major artists like Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ludacris and Busta Rhymes. “This is a monumental happening for not only my business portfolio, but for the Hip-Hop community of Baltimore City as a whole,” NOE told AllHipHop.com. While Merlot Heights Entertainment has secured major distribution, the NOE opted to keep the details under wraps, until the “ink dries.” He thanked Byrdgang leader Jim Jones teaching him the ins and outs of the music business. “I give a lot of credit to Capo (Jim Jones). He threw me in the mix and basically gave me the platform I needed,” NOE told AllHipHop.com. “He had to believe in me to a large extent in order to place his name and reputation on the line. He taught me to how to fish. This game is tricky. You can blink and you’re done.”NOE’S highly anticipated debut album NOE Heat, NOE Hot Water, is slated to hit stores in mid-2011. In addition to new solo music, NOE is planning to release his own squad of rappers named The Baltimore Bangahz, that features group members Huli, Shallone, Lano, Big Chuck Da Hustla, D’Nero, Ryda Rook & Rico. “Signing these artists wasn’t a decision based on talent and gimmicks,” NOE revealed. “I signed them based on their tenacity and grind. They don’t stop.”Merlot Heights Entertainment’s first release is titled The Guntouchables Vol. 1. The free mixtape available for download now and features the label’s entire roster.