Cam'ron

Cam'ron has recently found the platinum-level success he's long coveted, but he's no overnight sen-sation. The Harlem native started rapping with neighborhood cronies Mase (who would later find fame with P. Diddy and the Bad Boy family) and Big L (the legendary late MC of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew). After a brief association with Bad Boy, Cam dropped his first album in 1998, Confessions of Fire. His debut and its followup, 2000's S.D.E. (which stands for sports, drugs, and entertainment and gives you an idea of Cam's priorities), contain several rap radio hits, such as "Horse & Carriage" and "What Means the World to You," as well as some workmanlike uptown crime rap, but his popularity remained regional, a New York radio celebrity.

After a two-year break due to label disputes, Cam'ron found himself under the patronage of fellow Harlem rap entrepreneur Dame Dash and his Roc-A-Fella records imprint. Come Home With Me featured the hits "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma." Cam's flow evolved into a brutally simple conversational style, eschewing lyricism for easily understood boasts and threats. While he may not be the most thought-provoking MC in the world, Cam's style has a charm all its own due mostly to his unapologetically controversial sense of humor. The production on Come Home With Me is exceptional, with beats provided by Roc-A-Fella in-house beatmakers Just Blaze and Kanye West. That disc was quickly followed by the solid if overlong Diplomatic Immunity, a group album by Cam'ron and his uptown crew, the Diplomats. (CHRIS RYAN)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide