Cam'ron is from hip-hop's Mecca. He grew up in Harlem, and spearheaded New York's last great run in the 00s. Cam isn't a lyrical miracle by any stretch of the imagination, but we assumed that he would've claimed NY when asked where the best rappers come from. No such luck. The rapper talked about the concept of lyricism during a recent episode of It Is What It Is. Instead of showing the East Coast some love, Cam decided to single out Chicago and Louisiana. He did, however, back up his claim.
Cam'ron and Mase were talking about the Windy City, and the former took the opportunity to praise the city's artists. "They may have the best lyricists," he posited. "Them and Louisiana. I'm talking about, like as far as lyricism." It was a hot take, but Cam was confident in what he said, and proceeded to point to the elitism the NY practiced back in the 80s and 90s. "New York used to call people country," he stated, before citing Weezy as an example. "Even thinking about Lil Wayne. You get on a record with Lil Wayne, you gotta be careful," Cam'ron asserted. "You get on a record with Eminem, you gotta be careful."
Cam'ron Cites Lil Wayne And Eminem As Prime "Lyricists"
Lil Wayne hails from Louisiana, and Em comes from Detroit. The former supports Cam'ron's thesis, the latter not so much. Still, the rapper doubled down. "These n**gas are really lyricists." Cam'ron's affinity for Weezy and Chicago artists makes sense given his track record. Dipset was early to the party when it came to recognizing Lil Wayne's talent, and the group collaborated with him multiple times during pre-Tha Carter III days. Cam also worked with Kanye West when the Windy City producer was trying to establish himself as a rapper. He appeared on West's second album, and West produced two stellar tracks on 2004's Purple Haze.
Cam'ron has also been critical of New York in recent years. The rapper recently moved to Las Vegas, and cited the rat problem in NY as a major factor. "I just left New York. That sh*t was disgusting," he told fans on Instagram Live. "I can’t do this sh*t... I’m not apologizing for it neither. I ain’t even gonna act like I’m sorry for it a little bit." Cam'ron seems to be loving the desert, though. He attended a Vegas Fourth of July party, and turned heads by dressing up like his former podcast guest, OJ Simpson.