Cam’ron
S.D.E. (Sports, Drugs & Entertainment)
(Epic Records)
Before rapper Mase found Christ, he found time to make the hit single “Horse & Carriage” with fellow Harlem World member Cam’ron. That was the last time most people heard from the duo, as Mase found religion and Cam’ron couldn’t find promotion.
Since then Cam’ron’s been on numerous underground classics, such as Noreaga’s “Banned from TV” and DJ Clue’s “Mix Tape Vol. 1.,” but he’s never really made it big.
With his second album, “S.D.E.,” Cam’ron intends to let the world know what type of person he really is. He claims to be a hustler whose hustle is rap.
He’s outspoken and speaks with authority and confidence. Just to show how confident he is, he begins his album with “F--- You,” in which he calmly expresses his dislikes and ends each dislike with the title of the track.
Cam’ron gets into the album right from the beginning with the second track “That’s Me.” Each lyric is critical to his style and to anyone who dislikes or disregards him as an artist. The loud yet smooth strings, heavy bass, complex high hats and operatic voice of artist Honey make it complete.
The unexpected chorus is the real clincher as Cam’ron calls on people for judging him.
Although the standard that Cam’ron set with “That’s Me,” is hard to match, his album is consistently good.
Each song has a different feel. He has the uncanny ability to make you laugh with a song about “chicken heads clucking” on “All the Chickens” and cry with a song about death and suicide in “What I Gotta Live For.”
The title track, “Sports, Drugs & Entertainment,” is an account of his life as an All-American basketball star, drug pusher and rapper. Cam’ron raps about the trials and tribulations of each field, fields that some believe to be the only way out of the “ghetto” for black youths.
His story weaves in and out of the ups and downs and gets him to where he is.
Cam’ron proves himself with his second album. He reaches out to the world and lets people know who he is - an established hustler, with an exceptional ability to rap.
