Cam’ron, the Harlem-based rapper, has departed Island Def Jam after the sale of Roc-A-Fella Records was made final and Jay-Z was appointed president of the label.
The rapper recently made the announcement on New York Radio revealing that LA Reid, the current head of Island Def Jam, granted the Diplomat Records CEO a release from his contract. He’s delivered a pair of albums to Def Jam, but contractually owed three more.
Radio/ television personality Miss Info said that Cam’ron personally told her that he left the label and was looking for a new deal.
“Cam called me up for [Hot 97’s] "Celebrity Drama" and told me that he had met up with LA Reid, and man to man, they worked out an agreement for his release from Def Jam,” Info revealed to AllHipHop.com. “According to Cam, he didn’t feel his project Purple Haze got the push that it deserved, and he was in the process of fielding other offers.”
A Roc-A-Fella source spoke under the condition on anonymity and offered an opinion on the matter. “I heard something about that but I don’t really know if it’s true or just talk. It makes sense though, doesn’t it? I can’t see Cam reporting to Jay like that,” the source said.
At press time Def Jam publicity had no formal comment and other source were not aware of the matter.
Jay-Z and Cam have had a less-than-familial relationship in the past. While they haven’t had beef in the traditional sense of Hip-Hop, they haven’t been friendly either, Cam said in previous interviews.
Still in a recent interview, the Dip Set rapper reiterated that there was no friction with Jay-Z, but still had a conversation with chairman LA Reid that would avoid him reporting directly to the new Def Jam president.
Last month Cam’ron told AllHipHop, “I have it written on [my renegotiated contract] that what he does, has nothing to do with my project. Well, I can say this: on LA’s behalf, that’s a very smart move getting Jay. He did a lot of things for the business, and accomplished a lot of over-achievements, and I don’t have a beef with him. We just don’t have a personal relationship, and at the end of the day I need people who I working with to have that kind of relationship with me. And I don’t think me and Jay will have that.”
Cam recently released Purple Haze, his fourth solo album, on Dec. 7 and also a group effort with the Diplomats on Koch. Co-CEO Jim Jones also released a solo album via Koch earlier this year and both have suggested that the independent deal is more profitable business-wise.
Cam’ron is among Roc-A-Fella’s elite, being one of the only artists to go platinum like Jay-Z, DJ Clue and Kanye West. He joined in 2001 and his subsequent album, Come How With Me was certified platinum.
Cam made a similar flight away from Epic Record, who delivered his Confessions Of Fire and S.D.E. [Sex, Drugs and Entertainment] after he was unhappy with his sales at the time of his exit.
In related news, Dame Dash is in the process of starting a new label deal called Roc4Life. Dash hasn’t revealed a home for the new venture.