Cam'ron

Cameron Giles (born February 4, 1976), better known as Cam'ron, is American rapper from Harlem in New York City. Cam'ron is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats, commonly known as Dipset.

Biography
Cameron Giles was born in Harlem, New York in 145th Street Lenox Avenue. He began his musical career in the mid 1990s, rapping alongside Big L, Mase and his cousin Bloodshed in a group called Children Of The Corn. The group dissolved after Bloodshed's death in a car accident in 1997 and Big L's death in 1999. However, Giles continued to rap, and he eventually was introduced to Notorious B.I.G. by Mase,who was so impressed with his skills that Biggie introduced him to his manager, Lance "Un" Rivera.

Early Career
Cam'ron signed to Rivera's Untertainment label distributed by Epic/Sony, releasing his first solo album, Confessions Of Fire, in July 1998. The album featured songs like "357" and "Horse And Carriage," featuring Mase. Untertainment folded in 1999, and Cam'ron was absorbed into Epic Records (his distribution label). Cam'ron achieved notoriety for his 2001 release from Sony Records under Tommy Mottola. Reportedly using unconventional methods such as physically assaulting and threatening numerous Sony Records employees, Cam'ron sought an end to his contract for his second album released in 2000, entitled S.D.E. (short for Sports, Drugs, and Entertainment). It featured songs such as "Let Me Know" and "What Means the World to You," which featured an all-star line-up of Southern rappers such as U.G.K., Trina, and Ludacris, in addition to Cam'ron's Dipset protege, Juelz Santana.

With Roc-A-Fella
With his release from Sony Records, Cam'ron moved on to sign with his childhood friend Damon Dash in 2001, who had already been managing him and Roc-A-Fella Records. In 2002, he released his third and most successful album, Come Home With Me, along with the biggest hits of his career, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma," both featuring Juelz Santana. Cam'ron catapulted to a Platinum album. He went on to star in the Damon Dash produced film, Paid In Full in 2002. Cam'ron then teamed up with his fellow Diplomats: Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Freekey Zeeky to release the Diplomats' debut, Diplomatic Immunity, in 2003 which was quickly certified platinum by the RIAA. A year latter the Diplomats released there second album Diplomatic Immunity 2 it was released on November 23, 2004. Although not as successful as The Diplomats first album as a group, it still was boosted to Gold status. Cam'ron's fourth album, Purple Haze, was released on December 7, 2004 on Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella Records. It reached gold status. In December 2004, Cam'ron requested his release from Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella Records, feeling his projects weren't receiving the attention they deserved.

Later Music Projects
As of April 28, 2005, Cam'ron joined the Warner Music Group under the Asylum Records imprint. Cam'ron began work on what would be his first project for Asylum, shooting a direct to video movie titled Killa Season. The film would mark both Cam'ron's screenwriting and directorial debuts, as well as his return to acting. Killa season was released on DVD April 25, 2006 after a special two-day theatrical release. Cam'ron's fifth studio album, also titled Killa Season was released on May 16, 2006. Selling 114,000 units his first week and debuting at #2 on the charts, Killa Season failed to have the same staying power as his previous releases, making it the lowest selling album of his career despite still reaching Gold status. as of November 1, 2007 Cam'ron officaley stated that he was released from Asylum Records

On November 7, 2007, Cam'ron released a mixtape called Public Enemy # 1 and now is looking for a new record label to release his sixth studio album.

Shooting
Cam'ron was leaving a popular nightclub after performing earlier Saturday at Howard University and stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Kenyon and Warder streets in Northwest D.C. Shortly after midnight, a passenger of a nearby car threatened Cam'ron to "give up" his 2006 Lamborghini. Cam'ron resisted and the gunman then shot him. Cam'ron was struck at least once as he was holding the steering wheel, but he was able to drive himself around going the wrong way on streets and flashing his lights, trying to get a police officer's attention because he didn't know where he was or how to get to the hospital, until a fan finally drove him to Howard University Hospital for treatment. He caught a plane back home the next day. The gunman and passenger sped off and crashed into a parked car and a home and then fled the scene. D.C. Metro Police also recovered a cell phone from the scene of the crash, which they are trying to use to trace the suspects. On April 22, 2007 he was interviewed on CBS-TV's "60 Minutes" about this, he stated that he does not know who shot him. He also stated that he would "not help the police" try to locate the shooter saying he is "not a snitch" and trying to help the police would probably hurt his record sales. However, according to The Smoking Gun, he has come across police before regarding 15 African American males attacking him at a basketball court in Harlem, New York. Cam'ron did not give a description of any of the 15 black males involved in the altercation.

Stop Snitching
Cam'ron was featured on the April 22, 2007 edition of news show 60 Minutes, and was interviewed by Anderson Cooper about the "Stop Snitching" campaign. When asked if he would tell the police if a serial killer was living next to him, Giles replied "I would probably move," but he wouldn't inform the police. Cam'ron was a victim of a shooting that revealed no leads or clues because he refused to give police information about the suspect claiming it would hurt his business and violate his "code of ethics."[9] However, Cam'ron has come across the police in the past.[10] Although, in the standard police report, Cam'ron did not give a description of any one of the fifteen black males that he was involved with in the physical altercation.[11]

Controversy

Mase
In 2004, Cam'ron came into headlines after a dispute with his former friend Mase. After returning to the music industry after a five year religious hiatus, Mase conducted an interview on the New York City radio station Hot 97 where he described his falling out with Cam'ron and the current status of their relationship. Mase claimed that confusion over $50,000 he asked to receive for an appearance in the "Horse and Carriage" music video caused the demise of their relationship. This fueled a heated on-air debate between Cam'ron's right-hand man Jim Jones and Mase. Jim Jones declared that Mase was "fabricating" in the autobiography he wrote in 2001. Also, Jim Jones was upset that Mase used people's real names in his book, thereby exposing them. Furthermore, Jones said "you wasn't giving us no money, so we went out and got money" when Jim Jones (rapper) and Cam'ron went on tour with Mase, and that now they don't need Ma$e anymore because they are the "Sizzurp boys, quarter billion, ya ain't heard?", in reference to The Diplomats Purple Sizzurp liquor business. Jim Jones went on to reveal that Mase actually left Harlem not because he was answering a higher calling to become a reverend, but because he was scared out of town by the murder of his two friends, Pop Lotti and Baby Mane. Jones claimed Mase was "ran up out of Harlem" because there was "money on him," meaning someone had put a bounty on Mase's head. Jones goes on to tell Mase that "you need to be nervous to be in Harlem still, cause I'm here" and threatens that Mase better "have them boys with the badges on them" (police) with him when he next encounters him, because "I Jim Jones will do it to you, [Mase] Duke." Jim Jones informs the audience that he never liked Mase, as he crudely refers to him as "Betha," Mase's last name.

Jay-Z
In 2006, Cam'ron released a diss track called "You Gotta Love It", in which Cam accused Jay-Z of stealing Roc-A-Fella records, Rocawear clothing, and Kanye West from Damon Dash. In addition to this, he claims he saw someone put a Roc-A-Fella hand sign up before he was shot. He also ridicules Jay-Z for wearing chancletas with jeans and laughs at him for stabbing Lance "Un" Riverra because he was in love with female rapper Charli Baltimore. Released simultaneously with "You Gotta Love It" was a second track, "Swagger Jacker." In this track created originally by DJ DAT of the Bronx, Cam'ron outlines numerous instances where Jay-Z has performed lyrics originally recorded by a bevy of other rappers, most notably Notorious B.I.G. In 2006, Cam'ron held a press conference to discuss his possible jail term and addressed the Jay-Z beef. Since he was convicted on a weapons possession in 2002, he needed permission to leave the state, which he failed to do. Cam stated that he always gets permission, however his trip to D.C. was a last minute decision. When asked about the reason behind the whole Jay-Z beef, he said the final straw was the Jay-Z "I Declare War" concert in which Jay-Z ultimately declared peace not war. The concert was seen by most as a positive step towards stopping the violence in hip-hop. However, Cam'ron went on to accuse Jay-Z of attempting to find Jim Jones's Catholic school pictures and footage of Cam and Jones getting robbed. It is said that Jay-Z responded to Cam'ron, although he never mentions his name, in the remix of the Rick Ross' song "Hustlin", which also features Young Jeezy. In the "Hustlin" remix, Jay-Z refers to his style of dress on island resorts as well as mentioning the circumstances in which Cam'ron was injured in the car jacking. Cam'ron responded with a verse from an unofficial remix of Yung Joc's "It's Goin' Down".

Lil Cease and Junior Mafia
In 1998, Cam'ron and Jim Jones were involved in an altercation with associates of Brooklyn emcee Lil' Cease, cousin of Notorious BIG, and members of his crew at the Rucker Basketball Park in Harlem, NY. This was documented on a TNT televised basketball game. In 2005, Lil' Cease later released the video footage of the altercation, narrating and naming the people he knows in the video. This video was also named in XXL magazine as one of the twenty best street DVDs in the October issue. Although there is no visual indication that either Jim Jones or Cam'ron were the actual people in the video, due to amateur videotaping.

50 Cent
On February 1, 2007, Cam'ron and 50 Cent were involved in a heated argument on Hot 97, due to the remarks that 50 Cent had made about Koch Records referring to it as an "artist graveyard" due to the fact that many artists sign there after being released from major company record deals. Cam'ron responded by insulting the recent record sales of G-unit member Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent's friends Mobb Deep, and by stating how Jim Jones was selling really well on Koch Records and how The Diplomats had a distribution deal from several labels at the same time. Soon after 50 Cent released "Funeral Music",The song references Cam'ron's deal with Koch as being indicative of Cam's rap career ending.[12] Cam'ron has since recorded a response called "Curtis" which aired on Hot 97 on Friday the 9th. In the song, Cam states that 50 snitched on him to his parole officer. Cam'ron discredits the name 50 Cent borrowed by Curtis Jackson in reference to the original 50 Cent Kelvin Martin. He also makes fun of his appearance and teeth calling him "A gorilla with rabbit teeth" and "Bugs Monkey". The video was released on February 15th. Cam'ron has made a follow up record video dissing 50 Cent entitled CURTIS Part II.

On the May 17, 2007 edition of 106 & Park, 50 Cent appeared as a guest. When asked about his beef with cam he stated "I haven't heard anything from Cam'ron since he got punched in the eye, I haven't heard one word!" afterwards he says "Has anyone seen Tru Life?" he scoffed. "We should ask him about Cam'ron." A day later Cam'ron fired back on video camera with the following statement: "It's 7:40, May 17th. I just got a 2 way talking about Curtis is talking about I don't come outside. We in my vacation home because it's gonna be a real fucking hot summer for everybody," the rapper threatened. "Probation is officially over. Curtis you wanna get involved? Holla at me, I'm right here."[13]

On August,2007 50 Cent leaked a new diss track aimed at Cam'ron, Fat Joe, and Czar Entertainment. The name of the track is called "We On Some Shit," and features Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. Cam'ron responded by makin fun of him on his 6 minute intro to his mixtape Public Enemy #1 by sayin that he needs the police just to walk the New York streets and how he named his album Curtis.

Jim Jones
Rumors have begun to spread that fellow Dipset member Jim Jones has been in many rifts and disagreements with Cam'ron.[14] On May 7, 2007, Jones was to appear on the "Funkmaster Flex radio show", but due to unknown reasons Jones was a no show which bloggers and listeners began to wonder if this statement of a possible break up within the group was indeed true[15] However, Radio-Personality Miss Info caught up with Jones and interviewed him in which he describe the situation with him and Cam'ron. He said:

“ "Me and Cam'ron haven't spoken to each other in a year...I kept quiet out of loyalty, I felt like if we can't be friends then at least we can do business together," Jones explained to Miss Info. "But now I can't be next to you...I'm through with being in hot water because of you...We still the Diplomats. We worked too hard to achieve our own success and now we're gonna do something new."[16] ”

On the September 12, 2007 edition of Rap City, rapper 50 Cent was the special host in which he stated that he may have a new signee for his G-Unit label. At this point, Jones appeared on the scene. He then began to talk about his possibly new record deal in which he stated that he was offered a lot of money to join the label. But, this situation was no further discussed in which 50 cut him off quickly. [17]. After the interview many people began to think Jim Jones was going to sign with G-unit however Jim Jones has denied going to the label. Many loyal Cam'ron and dipset fans have began to ridicule Jim Jones for being with 50 Cent on Rap City.Even Hell Rell has attacked Jim Jones and G-Unit on a radio interview."[18]

When Cam'ron was available for an interview with Miss Info he talked about his relationship with Jim Jones He Said:

“ "I still haven’t spoken to Jim. But Jim ran with me for over 10 yrs, he worked hard, and I wish him the best of luck. Everybody thinks I’m mad at Jim. Why am I mad? I told people for years that Jimmy was gonna be a star. So its better on my resume…I wish him the best. The only thing is, him being with 50, I can’t really run with that. Hang out with who you want to hang out…but me, I can’t really do nothing like that."[19]
Wikipedia - Cam'ron