It's been a long time since Cam'ron dropped new music. The New York rapper has rebranded himself as a podcaster on the popular series It Is What It Is, but fans are still waiting for him to pick the mic back up. Fans can rejoice, because he finally did. Cam'ron decided to give fans a taste of new music on April 22, with a freestyle meant to commemorate the release of It Is What It Is season 4. Rather than get fans buzzing about new episodes, however, it fueled the desire to see Cam get back in the studio.
Cam proved that he hasn't lost a step on the untitled freestyle. “Heck my shoes before I put them on, I don’t trust a soul," he raps over Hitmakerz-esque production. Cam credited the beat to Goddams, who's worked with Masta Ace, Mobb Deep, and the "Purple Haze" wordsmith himself among countless others. The freestyle drew rave reviews from users, who pleaded with Cam'ron to put pen to paper and bless the world with more Dipset music.
Cam'ron has comfortably settled into his role as podcaster, but he like to tease fans every once in a while. During a February episode of It Is What It Is, Cam claimed he and co-host Mase have multiple collabs in the vault. "It's up to Mase to decide when to drop them," he added.
Cam'ron Teased New Music With Pod Co-Host Mase
Cam'ron didn't have the prodigious output of a Lil Wayne, but he was one of the most consistent rappers of the 2000s. He dropped five solo albums and a ton of Dipset mixtapes/compilations. He's slowed down his output, however, over the last decade and a half. He waited ten years to follow up Crime Pays (2009) with Purple Haze 2 (2019), which remains his last official release.
Cam talked about the decision to stop recording during an interview with Complex. He claimed that he wanted to pursue different ventures like podcasting and screenwriting, and urged others to do the same. "Rappers who came out in the ’90s or early 2000s, [rapping] shouldn't be the main thing you're doing," he noted. "Like when you say Jay-Z is a billionaire, it's not all for music."
Cam'ron has officially come back around to rapping. He dropped the mixtape The Lost Files, Vol. 1 in 2023, and dropped a guest verse on J. Cole's "Ready '24." There's no project title or release date in sight, but it's nice to know the NYC legend has still got it.