Purple Haze, Sunny

I love any album that welcomes me [1]. So Purple Haze, who welcomes you at least twice, is playing with loaded dice from the start. I should welcome people more too. Welcome!!

This album is packed—the length itself gave me sticker shock on Sunday. The album is longer than several Disney Movies [2]. Yet I'm on the nth relisten this week. The album doesn't ask a lot—you can listen closely and get a lot out, or you can just kick back and pick up what you pick up, and what you pick up will inevitably be fun.

That's what the album is first and foremost yes? Fun? Cam'ron himself seems like a fun guy, combined with the full braggadocio pride of a ganster rapper. This combination makes a master troll, and as such we cannot continue without mentioning Cam'ron's master trolling 'U Mad' Bill O'Reilly interview [3]. The internet was a simpler time back then, but I remember this really making a splash. My poisoned brain still thinks about it once every other day or so.

I mean, I'm not surprising anyone saying rappers aren't on Fox News a whole lot, right? Even Geraldo said it without Kendrick in the room [4]. How did Killa's little 'U Mad' punch above its weight (other than just being funny on it's face)? Bill doesn't argue in good faith, never does, as he's paid to be on a show on a network of bad faith. Arguing in good faith rationally against bad faith is like wrestling with a pig. You need a troll.

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That was in 2003, over a year before this album.

Anyway, back to the music. Welcome again.

The massive length lends itself to a pretty varied range of song. "Shake" and "Get 'Em Girls" towards the end are the core sort of Dipset you might be here for in the first place. They're still with their light sides, references to the Goonies et al. "Get 'Em Girls" even ends with a little skit, good ol' Mizzle getting clean. Love to see it.

So what about the skits? There are five skits in the tracks, and that's not including all the half skits baked into songs like "Roll That Skit." I mean, this is an absurd amount of skits. It says something both to the album's length and age. Nowadays you'd be tough to find one skit in a popular rap album, and even then you'd call it an interlude or something. I think it takes some courage and/or braggadocio to have skits, when they're usually so cringe worthy. What's it say to have this many skits?

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"Harlem Streets" sounds very pre-millenia. "Girls" is the pop song single so on the nose it's eyeroll-worthy guilty fun. "Down and Out" is wonderful and an easy standout. The production change up is marked and mixes with Cam's style in a delightful way.
 
(ALWAYS confusing to look back at Kanye over 15+ years)

Turn of the century had a lot of juggernauts of rap music. It's interesting how Cam'ron carved out this little niche where he could best show off his talents. Probably how he's maintained some legacy, other than, you know, fox news.

Purple Haze 2 came out recently yes? I saw a comment on google calling it "old man rap." That might be technically correct, but is hardly diminishing. Pink to purple, royalty then and forever.

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P.S. Mix of orange and deep purple hues speckle the mature crowns. Berries and asian spices pervade the nose and tongue. Known for highly cerebral stimulation with dreamy euphoria harkening back to the song it's popularized by. May cause dis-ease in neophytes, but aids nausea and appetite for veterans. 4/5 unpukes.

P.P.S. I dont have any friends named Cameron, but several acquaintances, and it says something about my relationship to my acquaintances v my relationship to Dipset (, Dipset) that my brain automatically reads their name "Cam'ron"

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