Cam'ron's records command admiration from a wide spectrum of hip-hoppers: conscious to crunk to gangsta. Cam and his Dipset stick to the same production formula (on "Get Down," for example) that graced his previous monster... more » hit, "Oh Boy": sped-up samples and lots of hooks. Therefore, it seems only natural that he would team up with Kanye West--another rap duke who's taken this style to the bank--and on "Dip-Set Forever" and "Down and Out" they share sped-up samples together. But if drugs (using, selling, or importing) and sexploits aren't your thing, Purple Haze may come off a bit lyrically linear. Cam'ron also plunders pop-culture samples ranging from the Hill Street Blues TV theme ("Harlem Streets") to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Fun" ("Girls"), often to questionable effect. "Adrenaline," however, teams two MCs with the freakiest flows on the planet, Twista and Psycho Drama, to produce menacing, low-BPM G-funk at its finest. --Dalton Higgins« less
Cam'ron's records command admiration from a wide spectrum of hip-hoppers: conscious to crunk to gangsta. Cam and his Dipset stick to the same production formula (on "Get Down," for example) that graced his previous monster hit, "Oh Boy": sped-up samples and lots of hooks. Therefore, it seems only natural that he would team up with Kanye West--another rap duke who's taken this style to the bank--and on "Dip-Set Forever" and "Down and Out" they share sped-up samples together. But if drugs (using, selling, or importing) and sexploits aren't your thing, Purple Haze may come off a bit lyrically linear. Cam'ron also plunders pop-culture samples ranging from the Hill Street Blues TV theme ("Harlem Streets") to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Fun" ("Girls"), often to questionable effect. "Adrenaline," however, teams two MCs with the freakiest flows on the planet, Twista and Psycho Drama, to produce menacing, low-BPM G-funk at its finest. --Dalton Higgins
"This album is like candy for hip-hop lovers in a good way: sweet, unsubstantial, and satisfying. Over infections, 80's pop tunes Killa Cam makes the most of each beat. Hip-hop does not always need to address the wrongs in society - sometimes it is enough just to have fun. Cam's off-the-cuff tales of womanizing and drug-selling are of course present, but they are secondary to his amazing alliterative wordplay. On some songs it seems like he is determined to test the English language's boundaries, and go just beyond them. This cd will not change your life, but it is a decent album to bump in the car. Personal favorites are Killa Cam (with a chorus that will stay in your head for days), Hey Lady (infectious beat), and Girls. Check this cd out if for you sometimes the music can be more important than the message. DipSET!"
Wow. A Pleseant Surprise.
HearingDeafOne | Bronx, NY | 02/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not a Cam'ron fan at all. However, I heard good things about this disc, and went out and bought it. I was surprised by the fact that I couldn't stop listening to this disc. It's that good. Rap is boring nowadays, but there are certain things this disc has that makes it really good:
Cam'ron's flow. At first, it's nothing but him talking. But as I listened, I realized that Cam has a style like no other. He rhymes many words in 2 bars, using multi's and wordplay as much as possible. It's a lazy, chill flow that reminds me of MF Doom. However, he lives in a delusional world where drugs, cash, and sex get you what you want- all of his rhymes are typical hood glory tales, but nothing realistic at all.
Second, the beats. The beats. These beats are among the best of 2004. They are that good. My favorite tracks are Bubble Music, Down and Out, Take Em To Church, More Gangsta Music, Soap Opera... in fact, there are no bad tracks on this album. Even though the lyrical content is nothing special.
The way to listen to this album is just throw it in, lay back, and let Cam's flow and the amazing beats drown out the rest of the world. This is easily one of the most fun CD's I've ever listened to. I won't call it classic, but I will say it's damn good. If you like this, check out Madvillainy, too."
Worth The Wait!!!!!!
Shawn McAlpine | Westbrook, ME USA | 01/23/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I had never heard Camron or any of the diplomats before this year. But they are sick mc's. Especially Camron and Juelz Santana. This cd is well put together. Most songs are good to listen to. Some even over and over. If oyur a fan of the bird gang the go pick this cd up.
Tracks:
1.Intro - 7/10 Better than most intros ive heard.
2.More Gangsta Music - 10/10 Great beat and lyrics.
3.Get Down - 8/10 A slower song, but great.
4.Welcome To Purple Haze - SKIT
5.Killa Cam - 5/10 Background gets annoying.
6.Leave Me Alone Pt.2 - 8/10 Great lyrics and rhyming.
7.Down And Out - 9/10 Kanye is great on the chorus.
8.Harlem Streets - 8/10 Another slower song, but great again.
9.Rude Boy - SKIT
10.Girls - 9/10 Killa is sick, but chorus is weak.
11.Im A Chicken Head - SKIT
12.Soap Opera - 4/10 I skip over it.
13.O.T. - SKIT
14.Bubble Music - 5/10 Chorus is okay, but skip this track.
15.More Reasons - 5/10 Okay, but pretty good lyrics.
16.The Block - SKIT
17.The Dope Man - 7/10 One of the average tracks.
18.Familt Ties - 8/10 Great beat.
19.Adrenaline - 8/10 Psycho Drama is pretty sick. Twista brings it as well.
20.Hey Lady - 10/10 Great beat and rhymes. One of my favs.
21.Shake - 7/10 Verses are good, but chorus is stupid.
22.Get Em Girls - 10/10 Sick beat and lyrics. Another one of my favs.
23.Dip-Set Forever - 6/10 Average track.
24.Take Em To Church - 9/10 Great Song. Also on diplomatic immunity 2."
Cam'ron goo goo ga ga!!!
LT Twalo | Johannesburg, South Africa | 02/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I first heard "Confessions of Fire" six years ago I was shocked at how an album that tight didn't blow up. The intro is still one of my favourites intro's of all time. Plus Kam was flowing like no other. Rapping on topics other MCs would not touch except maybe ODB ("confessions"). He never tried to murda the mic like say a KRS or M.O.P. Just that butta flow, funny ass lyrics, completely original.
But something happened after Dash signed Kam. I bought "Come Home With Me" expecting to hear Kam and instead I got a Juelz Santana's album. I was very disappointed, not only the guests but it seemed that Killa Kam had traded verses for nursery rhymes. "Oh boy", "Boy Boy", "Hey Ma" what a vocab! Forget pass the dutch, try pass the pacifier. Plus album too long, too many interludes and even hot beats could not save the album.
Fast forward to 2004 and "Purple Haze" is finally here after many delays. No chart topping single and definitely no critical acclaim. I am disappointed to report that the lyrics are still childish, the album is too long and the guests this time are too few. Fortunately that is all that is wrong with "Purple Haze" as this is undoubtedly the most fun album I've bought in years. Its Déjà vu time again as I find myself baffled by the fact that this album did not blow up.
Lyrically Kam is at his worst ever, you wish those annoying guests from his last album would return. The few guests only make things worse: Juelz murders Kam on "More Gangsta Music" and Twista & Psycho Drama are unbelievable on "Adrenaline."
But the beats, oh my goodness those beats... Heatmakerz, Kanye and gang are all on top form. Charlamange even makes the lazy "Girls" listenable. "Get `em Girls" is HOT. "Down and Out" is Kanye at his best and f*** critics "Harlem streets" makes good use of the theme to Hill Street Blues.
The beats are so good, I've got this CD on heavy rotation. In fact its getting more spins than that Game CD which is also killa with the beats and is better lyrically. The beats are so hot that Kam's nursery rhymes don't even annoy me anymore. In fact I catch myself rapping along with some of the nonsensical sh*t he says.
...I'm out mingling/Heard that I Blingi bling/But I run the circus like ring a ling/I'm the king of things/and your man he a homo like ching a ling, ching a ling/ that's right hit `em with the pow ping/ pow pow/45 loud thing/ look wild thing/I do wild things/make china stretch like Yao Minh...
I mean pick a track, any track, its all the same. It's amazing how he gets away with that sh*t.
Buy this CD if you like good beats, don't worry about Kam, he grows on you. Now, I Think I'll go give "Come Home With Me" another listen."
Killa Cam Did It With This One
Young Flame | Raleigh, NC | 12/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Killa did his thing with this installment "Purple Haze". Everyone knows that this album was supposed to come out damn near a year ago and got put on tha back-burner. But even though I heard majority of these tracks on the Diplomat mixtapes, I have enjoyed this album pretty much the whole way thru. With many samples that you are used to hearing from the DipSet crew, Cam comes with some of the hottest beats ever heard. Tha joint featuring Kanye & Syleena Johnson "Down and Out" is a very nice track that they put together. You still got ya old as hell tracks but still hot "Killa Cam", "Shake ft. JR Writer (another up and coming artist), "Hey Lady" ft. Freekey Zeekey, and "Get Em Girls". This is a must have to add to your collection. Make sure you go cop this."