It’s no secret that Dipset is in a transition period. Once one of the strongest movements in hip-hop, all eyes are on them to see what moves will be made next. While most are cheering them on, hoping they regain their past glory, the truth is that a lot of people are curious to see if they are going to be able to weather the storm. While details were few and far apart at first, facts have slowly been coming to the light regarding the turbulence amongst the once tight knit collective.

Juelz Santana has publicly spoken on contractual obligations he was unhappy with and Cam’ron has largely remained unseen and unheard. Jim Jones also let it be known that he and Cam haven’t spoken in over a year. One man who has stayed pretty tight lipped throughout the whole ordeal is Dipset’s president, Freekey Zekey.

Recently home from a three-year prison bid, Freekey is now the driving force behind the Dipset brand. Formerly serving as just as an executive, Zeke is now a full-fledged artist and is getting ready to launch Dipset South. Zeke has more weight on his shoulders than ever before but insists that Dipset will be all right and he holds no ill will towards Killa Cam.

Sixshot.Com caught up with Freek ey Zekey to discuss exactly what the status of Dipset is, his new deal with Big Cat Records, who’s running the show now that Cam’ron is gone, and his upcoming album, Loyalty Is Everything.

Sixshot.Com: Zeke I know you started at Dipset as the president of the company and you were known to kind of stay in the background. Has it been a big transition going from executive to full-fledged artist?

Freekey Zekey: I would say yes and no but more towards no because being an executive for me consisted of doing hooks and doing skits so I also stayed on the artist side of things. Being that we were an up and coming company I had to have my hands in everything so I was in the studio and I was always in the office. The two kind of went together. The conversion was there but now I have to go through the difficulties that the artist goes through as well. It was good and bad at the same time.

Sixshot.Com: What made you make the decision to become an artist to the extent where you’re putting out full-length solo projects?

Freekey Zekey: Well in 2003 at the time I got incarcerated and that was also around the same time that I got shot I was looking around me and I was seeing that a lot of things were changing. I was in the streets at the time. So not only was I talking with these corporate people and in the studio but I was in the streets hard body too. That street income was a big income for me because as a start up business you’re not getting that real money until you’re very successful.

That was the main reason that made me get into being an artist. As a true hustler when you see one thing go down you hop onto the next. If you sellin’ forks and people stop buyin’ forks you better start learnin’ how to sell napkins. It wasn’t too hard either because I was already doin’ hooks which are eight bars so all I had to do was put another eight bars on the situation and there you had a verse. That’s how it all started.

Sixshot.Com: All right Zeke; give us the real deal on what’s going on with Dipset. You know I had to ask.

Freekey Zekey: I mean it has changed but it hasn’t changed. The main difference is that Cam started Dipset. I wanna give a shout out to Cam because without him there wouldn’t be no Diplomats. Shout out to Killa. As far as business went there was a lot of things that Jim and Juelz didn’t agree with. I was locked down at the time but I found out there was a lot of stuff they just didn’t agree with. Jim and Juelz basically detached themselves from Cam’ron. As far as business goes it’s not the same and that’s the change Dipset went through. As far and Juelz and Jim go they just feel like they can’t do business with Cam no more.

Sixshot.Com: So who’s officially running Dipset?

Freekey Zekey: Jim and myself but Cam is a Diplomat for life. I’m actually working on a situation to put out Diplomatic Immunity 3 so everybody can expect to see that. Freekey said it. It’s gonna be a situation between Jim, Dame Dash, and myself.

Sixshot.Com: And your new album is coming out on Big Cat Records right?

Freekey Zekey: I did sign with Big Cat Records. It’s more so a joint venture because they’re an indie label so what I’m doin’ and you gotta understand it is what a true president or true hustler would do. It’s a co-venture so I could launch my Dipset South. Big Cat is based out of Atlanta and their movement is stronger than any other region right now.

I stepped to him and he’s a dude who's in my zone like a street savvy cat with a corporate business sense. You got the million that you made and we got the million that we made so we might as well collaborate. Me signing there also brings Jim and Juelz, the whole Dipset basically.

Sixshot.Com: It sounds like an interesting situation. So what can we expect to hear on this album?

Freekey Zekey: Well first and foremost, let me school ya’ll. (Laughs) I got Blame It On The Henny out now. That’s the first mixtape I came out with when I first came home. That’s in local stores right now and I put that together dolo with my own money. I also got another mixtape that’s out right now called Henny And A Cigarette, you know what I’m sayin’? That was done by DJ Scream. Shout out to Scream. I got another mixtape coming out and I wanna get one of the Aphilliates on there, hopefully Drama but definitely one of the Aphilliates. It’s all family with us, shout out to Drama.

All that is gonna lead up to my album which is called Loyalty Is Everything. I named it that because if you take the first letter of each word it spells lie and a lot of times in life when you with family or people who you consider family they’ll be the ones to stab you in the back. As far as what you can expect on this album, it’s gonna be a whole lot of Freekeyism and when I say Freekeyism I say a whole lot of fun.

I’m a real serious dude but I don’t think you gotta walk around with a ice grill your whole life, you know what I mean? You might as well enjoy it while you can. Anything that could be a problem is gonna be addressed on there but we’re gonna flip it around and have fun too. I’m just tryna tell niggas that I know it’s fucked up out there but don’t be jumpin’ off the cliff.

Sixshot.Com: You also have the single with Jim Jones and Lil Wayne.

Freekey Zekey: Whaaaaaaaaat? Whooooooooooooo! That’s what you gonna say when that song come son in the club. I originally had that joint all by myself. I did three verses. We all been working so we ain’t really have a chance to listen to each other’s shit but when Jim heard it he started buggin’ out so he jumped on and he laid a verse down. Jim and me were at the studio one day and Jim told me that Weezy was over there. I approached Lil Wayne. You know he’s Dipset affiliated. I asked him to jump on the track. He told me if it was wack he couldn’t do it and I was like no doubt.

He came back with the shit like twelve minutes later and I thought he didn’t like it but he was finished, he had laid his shit down already. I been testin’ the waters with it and everybody is feelin’ it so everything is lovely. That shit is hard body right now but I’m not leanin’ on that one right there. I got another one with Gucci and that shit is crazy.

Sixshot.Com: So Zeke what’s the plans for Dipset South?

Freekey Zekey: Dipset South is of course me so that’s the plan, me. Nah, Dipset South is gonna be a record label and that’s where I’m gonna be based out of for the time being. If you got that music I got my manager and A&R to check out credentials so come on down. They don’t understand this movement right now. A lot of people really don’t understand it.

People are talking about Dipset is over and Dipset is going down. It’s not like that man. We got a whole movement ready to pop off now man. Jim Jones got “Pop Champagne” with Ron Browz and Juelz that’s killin’ it right now. His album is dropping soon. Juelz has his Skull Gang thing goin’ and they signed with Koch Records right now. All this is goin’ down right now, in the coming months, not a year from now. Top of the year the DVD documentary of Jim Jones is coming out.

After that we got an actual movie coming out which is gonna be hot. Freekey is involved in all of this man. It’s actual life. Like it’s gonna be documentary style and as we’re talking you’re going to see actual things going on around us. That’s goin’ on and of course Freekey is in that. By the time June comes around I think it’s gonna be at the peak and I’m just gonna come in and scoop up all that energy and hype, you know?

Sixshot.Com: Anything else we should know about or did you get everything?

Freekey Zekey: Ummmmmmmmm, nah that’s it. Yeah that’s everything that’s going down.

Sixshot.Com: Alright Zeke, what do you want to say to all those Dipset fans out there?

Freekey Zekey: I just wanna tell ya’ll to stay tuned. I know there was a little speed bump in the situation and it flattened the tire but we got AAA roadside service. We about to go right back where we were and everything is about to pop off. Freekey is here with ya'll and for ya’ll all day and we got a whole lot of music coming out. Get your Ipods, get your computers. We all over the place. We on interview, blogs, and all that. It’s about to pop for real so everybody get ready.

www.myspace.com/freekeyzekey