Cam'ron PURPLE HAZE (EXP.)

Personnel: Cam'ron (rap vocals); Steven "Opera Steve" Santiago, Jim Jones , Jaconda "Ms" Blunt, Sarah Hinds, Latrice "Grease" Carter, Mike Peters , Dave Irving (vocals); Freekey Zekey, Jahiem, Mona Lisa, Nicole Wray, Psychodrama, Syleena Johnson, Twista, Jim Jones , JR Writer, Unkasa, Juelz Santana.
Audio Mixers: Eric "Ebo" Butler; Carlisle Young; Traxster.
Recording information: Santana's World, New York, NY; Sony Music Studio, New York, NY; The Hit Factory, New York, NY.
Photographer: Oluwaseye Olusa.
PURPLE HAZE, Cam'Ron's fourth album, was practically introduced by the Diplomats two weeks earlier in 2004, as the Harlem, New York City MC showed off his vast empire of diverse and interesting rappers on DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY 2. Besides cementing his position as a key player in NYC hip-hop and giving him a legion of talent to draw from for his records, working with gifted, original minds like Juelz Santana and Jim Jones has sharpened young Cam'Ron's own game. The long-awaited PURPLE HAZE finds him in top form, spicing his smooth delivery with forceful, focused rhymes that flow over some of the most striking beats in the business.
Cam'Ron opens PURPLE HAZE tough as ever, swaggering through an imaginary club with Juelz, boasting fiercely over a dizzying soundtrack on "More Gangsta Music." However, Cam'Ron switches gears abruptly with a sweet (and rather obscure) Marvin Gaye sample on "Get Down." Innovative backdrops abound from the African-reggae blend on "Killa Cam" to the "Theme from Hill Street Blues" loop (used effectively, without a hint of gimmick) on "Harlem Streets." Over it all stands the imperious Cam'Ron and his dry, easy delivery, equal parts charm and brutality, holding sway over PURPLE HAZE, a highly engaging record.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop