Purple Haze [PA]

Performer: Cam'Ron
Artist: Juelz Santana
Producer: Heatmakerz; Kanye West; Just Blaze; Chad Wes Hamilton; Nasty Beat Makers
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Cam'Ron (rap vocals); Freekey Zekey, Jahiem, Mona Lisa, Nicole Wray, Psychodrama, Syleena Johnson, Twista, Jim Jones, J.R. Writer, Unkasa, Juelz Santana. Recording information: 2004. PURPLE HAZE, Cam'Ron's fourth album, was practically introduced by the Diplomats two weeks earlier in 2004, as the Harlem, New York City MC showed off his vast empire of diverse and interesting rappers on DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY 2. Besides cementing his position as a key player in NYC hip-hop and giving him a legion of talent to draw from for his records, working with gifted, original minds like Juelz Santana and Jim Jones has sharpened young Cam'Ron's own game. The long-awaited PURPLE HAZE finds him in top form, spicing his smooth delivery with forceful, focused rhymes that flow over some of the most striking beats in the business. Cam'Ron opens PURPLE HAZE tough as ever, swaggering through an imaginary club with Juelz, boasting fiercely over a dizzying soundtrack on "More Gangsta Music." However, Cam'Ron switches gears abruptly with a sweet (and rather obscure) Marvin Gaye sample on "Get Down." Innovative backdrops abound from the African-reggae blend on "Killa Cam" to the "Theme from Hill Street Blues" loop (used effectively, without a hint of gimmick) on "Harlem Streets." Over it all stands the imperious Cam'Ron and his dry, easy delivery, equal parts charm and brutality, holding sway over PURPLE HAZE, a highly engaging record.

Spin (pp.100-1) - "On PURPLE HAZE, he tightens the infectiously casual flow he's always displayed on mix tapes. His selection of beats is top-notch and risky..." - Grade: B+ Entertainment Weekly (p.84) - "The beats are as hyperkinetic as the humor is twisted....Once again, Cam proves why he is hip-hop's best guilty pleasure." - Grade: B+ Vibe (p.82) - 3 discs out of 5 - "Cam will continue to add color to his coarse style of rap until you clearly see things his way."

The leader of Harlem crew the Diplomats (aka Dipset), Cam'Ron first made a name for himself as a member of Children of the Corn, also featuring his cousin Bloodshed, Ma$e, and the late great Big L. Killer Cam began a lucrative partnership with Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella label in the early 2000s that culminated in the commercial and stylistic landmark, PURPLE HAZE. Both a colorful rapper and a pop figure in general, Cam'Ron has been involved in multiple feuds (with, among others, his own former colleague Jay-Z), a shooting, and some rough-and-tumble business practices. All of which have helped make him one of the largest personalities in hip-hop's new millennium.

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