40 Cal

by Cyril Cordor
A member of Harlem-based mixtape crew the Diplomats (aka Dipset), 40 Cal (b. Calvin Alan Byrd) made his first appearance with the self-titled theme song "40 Cal" on the Dipset album Diplomatic Immunity, Vol. 2 (2004). However, his reputation is built on his notable rhyme-battling skills, which were captured best on MTV2's Fight Klub MC battles. The competition allowed him to display his street-level approach -- a dose of lethal metaphors mixed into his gangsta braggadocio. With his own solo mixtapes, 40 Cal has made a name for himself separately from his Dipset clique, selling several thousand units on his own. Beginning in 2006, he stepped up his exposure, recording mixtapes for record labels to be sold nationally. Broken Safety (2006) was cut for Cleopatra, and Broken Safety 2 (2007) for Babygrande.