Cam’ron: The Rugged Individual

Cam’ron’s past is often overlooked. For instance, people don’t care to recollect that The Notorious B.I.G. wanted to sign the rookie. He also once spit bars with a shiney-suitless Murder Mase, McGruff and Big L (RIP) as a member of the Children of the Corn. Through his ever-changing career, Cam has shown many faces, all of which have exemplified his individualism. From the quick flippant lyrics of “Confessions” to the bouncy drawl of “Oh Boy!,” Cam’s never been a follower. He’ll certainly continue with his rugged individualism with Purple Haze, which is on the way – love it or not.

AllHipHop.com: Biggie “discovered” you through Ma$e. How did Ma$e introduce you to the legend?

Cam: Big was doing his second album, Mase took me to his crib after he signed to Bad Boy and he just threw on a bunch of beats and I just rapped for him. Every beat he threw on I had rhymes, I had mad rhymes back then and he said he wanted to sign me.

AllHipHop: What went wrong?

Cam: Nothing really went wrong they just was busy and then I caught up running around in the streets. That day he had called his partner Un up like I want to mess with dude Cam he nice. So after Big passed away I went to the video shoot for Big Poppa and I seen Un there and I told him who I was, he said I want to sign you ‘cause Big said we was going to do that. That’s how that went down.

AllHipHop: What happened when you got in trouble in college [in Texas]?

Cam: I got caught with some guns and drugs in my room.

AllHipHop: You were on the team?

Cam: Yeah, I was playing basketball.

AllHipHop: I never forget the promotion was real big like “Who is Camron” and “Who is Charlie Baltimore,” [when C.B. was with Untertainment] how was this?

Cam: Over there it was cool, we didn’t always see eye to eye creatively. No discredit to him, I can’t blame him but he was to caught up in the Biggie era. You got to do this like Big, you got to do that like Big, I’m not from Brooklyn and I’m not Big you got to let a n#### do his own thing. We didn’t see eye to eye creatively but Un’s a great guy he was working hard trying to get it poppin’, but we didn’t see eye to eye creatively.

AllHipHop: Early on your image was a little different from now, was that part of it?

Cam: Yeah Un was commercial, he want that one hit to get you out of that tight situation. Me I rather have longevity where I do 500 [thousand], 500, 500 then start doing millions, I rather get it at the end of the career. Not to discredit him ‘cause he did give me a shot and a opportunity but it’s just that he always want that commercial, he didn’t know sometimes that grimey leads to commercial…

AllHipHop: Y’all helped revolutionized the mix tapes; can you speak on that approach?

Cam: It’s been going on about a couple years, we made a tape ‘cause we always had music. We would put all the songs on a CD and put them out on the streets for free. We started selling them for $5 just to get our money back. So I did it then after I did it other artists started doing it too.

AllHipHop: So did that lead to your deal?

Cam: Yeah definitely. Def Jam wanted to take the deal, but Dame took the first rights and refusal and brought it over to Roc-a-Fella.

AllHipHop: Word is Dip Set lives like real Diplomats

Cam: [For one trip] I asked for a $100,000 airplane and come get a n####, fly him there and get everything I want. Like I was a###### about it, I don’t go out to countries and a war about to go on. Listen, if I go I need a world jet that means no passengers just me and my n#####, smoking flight there, five star hotel when we get there, American food, American chef, this all for 2 days. When you’re on a private jet, world jet or G-4 it aint no searching just get on the plane.

AllHipHop: Do you still have ill feelings toward Nas for callin’ you out? Jim Jones says stuff on the regular.

Cam: I don’t even pay that no mind anymore, you say my name I’m going to come at you it don’t matter who you are or what’s going on, leave me the f*ck alone. I did apologize about his daughter and his mom ‘cause at that time I didn’t know his moms passed away when I said what I said. So I apologized about that, but realistically like you said dude came at me for nothing. I used to like his stuff but I don’t even listen no more.

AllHipHop: Did you mean the apology, people felt like it was damage control to keep things peaceful?

Cam: What happened with me was when I heard it I went in the studio 20 minutes later and recorded the song. I don’t really take back nothing I say but I sat there and thought about it like his daughter aint got nothing to do with it. It aint got nothing to do with what his baby mother said or what he said, that’s jus me apologizing ‘cause I was dead wrong for that. Second, I didn’t know his mother died so that really made me f*cked up like damn I’m not that type of dude. I would say that if your moms is alive.

AllHipHop: What do you think about rap beef, personally I think it’s getting kind of played out?

Cam: I never did like it, I never like when you have to use somebody else name to get fame. What happens then is people’s feelings get involved and get hurt. Most of these people that do music don’t just do music, so it may turn into something else. Everybody should just do music and keep their opinions about other people to their self. Like I said you don’t know what’s going on in another artists mind.

AllHipHop: So you try to stay pretty cool with everybody?

Cam: Yeah that’s what I’m saying, with me even if I didn’t feel your music you wouldn’t know it because I act like I do. You’re your own artist, you do what you do to eat. Even like with Hammer, I aint f*ck with Hammer but his sh*t was poppin’. Hammer may not have like what Hammer was doing but he knew what he had to do to get that paper.

AllHipHop: You seem to be close to your own family…

Cam: My son goes to school out of state. He’s young I don’t want to say where [he lives] but when I got a few days off I like to spend it with him. Basically, any free time I get I like to spend it with him.

AllHipHop: Can you talk about being a pop star? Do you consider yourself that?

Cam: Nah, I’m no pop star, that’s what people say but that’s their opinion.

AllHipHop: You sold a million copies, that puts you in another level.

Cam: I love the love, but that’s what the people say, I keep it straight urban. Pop fans are not loyal, pop means they like what’s poppin’. They like you today and tomorrow they hate you. I love the ghetto.

AllHipHop: I saw you the other day when you left the office, you didn’t have any bodyguard or anything.

Cam: I don’t have any bodyguards.

AllHipHop: Any reason why? It’s kind of standard for a star to have one.

Cam: I don’t feel the need for it; I always keep one of my friends with me. If I aint got my jewelry on or dressed all flamboyant then, I’m not a big dude and I’m not real small so I kind of blend in. The only time it really get crazy, one person will see me and if they get the heart everybody else would come over, but most of the time I fit in. They rush me, but not like that. One time in Walmart we was shopping and …

AllHipHop: At Walmart?

Cam: We was in Georgia on tour, they [fans] just was rushing. I’m trying to get frozen meat, the produce managers and all that, they was bugging. At times like that it’s just like you know I’m trying to grocery shop, it’s cool ‘cause they buy your music.

AllHipHop: You don’t seem the type to shop at a Walmart?

Cam: When you in the middle of Georgia on promo where else you’re going to get food?

AllHipHop: You have a unique style that attracts hate. Do you take your stylist everywhere you go?

Cam: When it’s something important. I take her anywhere I got T.V. or photo shoots. Also, [as] far as me wearing pink, I do what I want. Period.