Cam’Ron- Purple Haze (17 years and still smoking)
Cam’Ron been one of my favorite artist for years and with his movement back in the 2000’s with the whole Diplomats, Cam proved he is more than just a rapper. He is a CEO, ambassador, along with a Harlem Legend. Dropping 2 albums on Rocafella Records, Cam managed to hold his own. Running a team, Cam knew how to coach them and in 2004, Cam’Ron released Purple Haze on 12/7/2004.
This album was monumental because Cam’Ron has a vision that only a few can see. His visionary attitude along with his grit to put out the hardest street anthems composed of hard work, fashion, and trending topics. During this era, he is also labeled a fashion icon getting the whole hood to wear pink. Note that Cam has been into fashion coming from Harlem, the home of the most prettiest thugs and grimiest fashion icons. The home of Rich Porter, Alpo, and Azie along with those who go into town to visit Dapper Dan, a fashion stylist who tapered everybody’s style.
This album has 24 tracks but they are all classics. As I dig deep into the album, I will describe how each track made an impact and how it is the best thang cooking coming from Stove Top Media.
- Intro- Cam’Ron flips Ja Rule’s Dial M For Murder and makes it horrific as he tells a tale about his birth. This intro is memorable because of how Cam wanted to present himself as a provider for his town of Harlem. Shouting out his diseased cousin, Blood Shed and getting his cousin Freaky Zekey situated; Cam is a visionary who has plans to put his homies on and he did that by starting Diplomat Records
- More Gangsta Music Pt. 2 Feat. Juelz Santana- Dipset Anthem part 2. This song has that Jamaican vibe sampled Sizza who is a talented dance hall recording artist. Like Juelz said, “2 more for Cam for taking over the Roc”,(Cam’Ron, 2021).
- Get Down- This is Cam’s goal to get his people on and with that being said, he vows to get Jimmy out of 5H, his apartment complex he was staying at.
- Welcome To Purple Haze (Skit)- Cam is known for them funny skits and the man is making sense to get to that high.
- Killa Cam- The theme song to life where Cam is giving a shout out to his Harlem home letting the world know who Killa Cam is.
- Leave me alone pt. 2- The sequel to the first Leave Me Alone. This time, the sample sounds like a soundtrack to a movie which makes this track more gut trembling than the last. Cam does it with no hook so you hear straight bars coming from this man.
- Down And Out Feat. Kanye West and Syleena Johnson- This sample made this track so hard. Him riding sake with Suzuki shows the world that Cam’Ron has culture inside of him and knew how to present himself.
- Harlem Streets- From selling that China White to selling records, Cam is paying homage to his home and giving us more tales of the young Harlem wizard rapping in the game.
- Rude Boy (Skit)- Cam delivers more funny skits to his albums. Bitches giving Cam problems let it be know.
- Girls Feat. Mona Lisa- A clever remake of Girls wanna have fun by Cyndi Lauper
- I’m a Chicken Head (Skit)- Cam is dropping of more funny skits.
- Soap Opera- A smooth funky soul sample rapping about drama that goes on with a hustler. This song is pretty funny talking about the woman he met in the hustle game that give him issues.
- O.T. (Skit)- Overtime for a hustler
- Bubble Music- Bubble music is that crack music. Cam is known for doing that. He raps about properties he owns and how he manages to hold himself in the song shows that hustlers got that strong muscle.
- More Reasons Feat. Jaheim- The Earth, Wind, & Fire sample where Cam raps, “ I didn’t know how break dance or electric boogie”, (Cam’Ron, 2004). Cam is being clever on these samples and I love it
- The Block (Skit)- Another skit for Cam
- The Dopeman Feat. Jim Jones- A west coast inspired song where he name drops Romeo from Steve Harvey and Serena and Venus Williams sister who was killed in Compton. Didn’t Big tell you that the west ain’t nothing to play with.
- Family Ties Feat. Nicole Wray- This is an anthem to hold your crew together
- Adrenaline Rush Feat. Twista and Psychodrama- A remake of Adrenaline Rush by Twista where Buk kills the whole song. Twista did sign to the Roc for a short period of time so it is only right he redid a classic.
- Hey Lady Feat. Freaky Zekey- Cam is talking crap to some woman’s man making this a braggadocios track to show out in front of your woman if you want to impress her.
- Shake Feat. JR Writer- A dance song where JR Writer showcases his skills as an underground artist making a name for himself with his Dipset crew
- Get Em Girls- “I Got the Computers Computin”, (Cam’Ron, 2004). What more can I say?
- Dip-Set Forever- A national anthem for the Diplomats
- Take Em To Church Feat. Un Kasa and Juelz Santana- A bonus track where Cam’Ron disses Pastor Mase for betraying him. Well that is what Cam says, but this track is questioning and dissing him at the same time
Overall
Out of all 24 tracks, each song is for the hustlers and the tracks on there brings me back to a place. Bumping this CD from late 2004 to 2005, Cam made this a classic. This album was getting played for my summer of 2005 and it is one of them good feel CD’s.
Cam’Ron is consistent when it comes to dropping projects because he has a formula he stands by and with that being said, he managed to bring Harlem to where it belongs and that is on the top of Hip Hop.
Fashion and style also makes this album because of how lavish these rhymes are. Every hustler has to get fresh and Cam made a point that Purple Haze is one of the best albums smoking in 2004 and 17 years later, it is still burning like a Backwood.
Live From The Stove Top,
Andrew Kenekham AKA Druski Dru
IG: ThisIsDruskiDru
