Boasting production predominantly handled by longtime Diplomats collaborator The Heatmakerz, Juelz Santana's debut album arrived during an era sure to spark nostalgia in older hip-hop fans. The year was 2003 -- 50 Cent had dropped off his debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin. Jay-Z had staged his retirement with The Black Album. OutKast took home the Grammy for Album Of The Year. And all the while, Juelz Santana had been making a name for himself with a standout mixtape presence, building anticipation for his first full-length studio release. And on this day, seventeen years ago, that time came with From Me To U.
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Today, Juelz took to Instagram to celebrate the album's seventeen-year anniversary with a few words. "17 Years Ago 2Day I Drop this Project," he writes, letting the work's reputation speak for itself. On that note, the project remains an essential chapter of the Diplomats canon, with features from Cam'ron, Jim Jones, and Freekey Zekey found throughout. While there are plenty of gems that have withstood the test of time, none have reached such iconic heights as "Dipset (Santana's Town)," an anthem that found Juelz and Cam'ron putting on for the steadily-rising crew.
While the project as a whole was not initially met with critical acclaim, time has since been kind to it, with nostalgia for the early millennium rap era having had time to settle in. After all, seventeen years is a long time, and revisiting From Me To U after all that feels like a breath of fresh air. It's no wonder that many fans rallied on Juelz's page to pay homage to the album, with some even going so far as to label it a classic. And seeing as it's the seventeenth anniversary and all, perhaps it's time to really revisit Santana's debut and give it the respect it deserves.
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