Jimmy & Camron - Reversal Of Fortunes

shotta76 · #1 01-02-07, 01:44 AM

Article ripped from www.writeonpoint.co.uk

"Never in a million f**kin years did I see this s**t coming! I mean how in the f**k did this happen? That n**ga can't even rap, I'm the f**kin rapper!!!! Jim went from being my f**kin hype man –HYPE MAN!!! He never even wanted to rap but now he has become a top selling independent act in his own right and one of the most talked about "rappers" in the game right now. What the f**k??? His job was to take care of business… to stay in the F**KIN BACKGROUND!!!

And to make matters worse – everybody's talking about this n**ga… they…they… love this n**ga!!! How in the f**k did this s**t happen????"

Thoughts that I imagine ran through Camron's head throughout 2006.

It has been a monumental year for Mr Joseph Guillermo Jones, a man that never even considered embarking on a rap career, who preferred to stay in the background, "handling business" whilst Camron his partner and flagship artist on their joint owned label Diplomat Records basked in the spotlight draped out in glorious pink.

Since signing to Koch Records Jim has proven many a naysayer wrong. First there was the release of his debut album in 2004 entitled, 'On My Way To Church', an album that was mercilessly slated by critics, namely number one shock blogger Byron Crawford. In his review of the album Crawford refused to hold back and went straight for the jugular.

He wrote:

"Basically, eight years ago, Jim Jones wouldn't have been qualified to pump the s**t from Biggie's tour bus, but now he's got an album out. If there's ever been a persuasive argument that a rapper's weed carrier's weed carrier shouldn't be allowed to release an album, then this is certainly it. Jim Jones may have the worse delivery of any MC that I've heard since the 1985 Chicago Bears. Combine that with the typical Dipset lyrics and beats which already suck, and what you get is an all around travesty. Even Dame Dash himself knew better than to put this garbage out on Roc-A-Fella".

But with scathing criticism such as this coming quick and fast, enough to destroy the toughest emcee's self esteem Jim like the energizer bunny just kept it moving and hasn't stopped. In less than a year after releasing 'On My Way To Church', his sophomore effort "Harlem: Diary Of A Summer' dropped. The album ultimately helped to open him up to a wider audience as did the self made DVD documentary 'A Day In The Fast Life', the highly infectious summer smash 'Ballin' and his third and most successful album to date 'Hustler's P.O.M.E (Product Of My Environment).

At this point in time Jim's often dishevelled yet strangely attractive face can be seen more or less everywhere - on TV, in magazines, online and at every Hip Hop Action Summit conference.

In some quarters he is a despised and loathed individual who is constantly criticized for not being the most lyrical and stylized rapper in the game, but in others he is liked for his off the wall jibes, I don't give a f**k attitude, his approachability, honesty and vulnerability.

It is perhaps these attributes along with catchy hooks that has helped him become Koch's biggest selling independent act and bumped him up in to becoming the face of Diplomat Records, flying the flag for the label and his entire crew.

However since his unexpected dissent in to the dizzying heights of Hip Hop stardom and notoriety many are now questioning his relationship with Camron. Jim insists that everything is just dandy within the camp, that there is absolutely no jealously to speak of and we are given the impression that Cam is content, busy as ever, taking care of business behind the scenes.

The first half of 2006 had indeed been a busy time for Camron. On January 25th he held a press conference addressing so-called beef with Jay-Z, hinting that he was ready to go fifteen rounds with the living rap legend on wax. If he did in fact have fifteen diss tracks at the ready for Jay then the time and energy spent creating each individual track had been wasted. All attempts to ignite beef were met with scorn and disbelief.

Jay's only response was:

"I feel like I would be stupid to even pay that any attention, because it's such a ploy. We'll see what happens. Maybe on my time we'll deal with it, but I'm not really pressed. I'm inspired by good artistic sh--. Cam's sh-- is not artistic. There's nothing good about it. Everything about it is an obvious ploy to get attention. Nobody wants to get used. You're just using me. Of course he had to go that far."

Standing in a room surrounded by the press with his sour faced Dipset brethren looking on in the background (Jim Jones mysteriously missing on the day), Camron never looked nor sounded so desperate for attention. There he stood a pitiful sight solemnly recounting his past problems with Jay, whilst taking the opportunity to promote future projects.

Two of those projects included the now universally panned DVD film 'Killa Season' and his fifth album going by the same title. An album, described at the time as being "too insular, too weird, lacking a hit single", and it was true, there was no hit single to be heard and the album, as expected, flopped spectacularly. Not even the Jay-Z diss track 'You Gotta Luv It' that left many (my self included) scratching their heads could save him.

The man who started a trend by ushering in the God awful pink era, and whose unusual wordplay gave birth to a devoted fan base had now become an object of fun, ridiculed on countless message boards and blogs, whilst Jim sat back revelling in his new found success and ever increasing popularity.

Whether he cares to admit it or not Camron has been relegated to the trunk of his atrocious purple Lamborghini and Jim is now in the driving seat. With non-existent sales, lack of interest in his projects, and photographs of him sat next to a suspect looking female circulating the internet, things don't look too good for the cocky, often described as rude and standoffish rapper, known for keeping his fans at arms length (which perhaps explains the position he currently finds himself in).

The situation as it stands cannot sit well with Camron. Like I said earlier Jim insists that everything is just dandy within the camp, that there is absolutely no jealously to speak of and we are given the impression that Cam is content, busy as ever, taking care of business behind the scenes.

Now more than ever the world of Hip Hop is an extremely competitive arena to be in. Every rapper worth their salt in the game wants to be number one - top dog. They are hungry - hungry to retain the same level of success and popularity that they might have once enjoyed, and Camron is no different. Sitting in the background making important decisions and negotiating major deals is all well and good, but this isn't really where he wants to be. First and foremost he is an entertainer and as an entertainer he knows that his purpose is to remain relevant by making good music, keeping the fans happy, and basking in the glory of it all. It isn't about being in the background shifting paper.

If he says any different then he is lying to himself.

Having to sit and watch his former hype man and business partner up front instead of him, glowing under the spotlight, enjoying the type of success that nobody in a million years thought possible must cut so deep. And to add salt in to an already festering wound Jay-Z himself brought Jim even more media attention, raising to the bait by recording a diss record aimed at him, yet refused to even piss on Camron's efforts to incite beef.

Not being considered worthy enough to be acknowledged by Jay for his efforts must have been a hard pill to swallow, and even harder when he first heard Jay's diss track, dedicated not to him, but to his former hype man. Camron had banked on Jay responding to 'You Gotta Luv It', he desperately needed the publicity, but Jay chose to go after Jim instead months down the line, just before the release of his "out of retirement" album 'Kingdom Come', and it all worked in Jim's favour.

Yep! Capo in a strange way had reaped the benefits from this war of words. Hustler's P.O.M.E debuted at number one in the rap album chart, kids shouted "Ballliiiin" at every given opportunity, and Hov acknowledged him. Life could not have been sweeter.

As well as being a competitive sport Hip Hop also has the ability to breed bitterness, jealously and envy and from what I have heard Camron's personality embodies all three of these traits.

The dynamics within their business relationship has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. Changes, that have no doubt forced Camron to sit alone most nights, in his luxurious New Jersey based abode, rocking back and forth, mumbling incoherently to him self. Cursing the day he encouraged Jim to jump on the mic.

Backstabbing runs rampant within the world of Hip Hop….. Let's just hope Jim senses the giant steak knife hurtling towards his back coming from close quarters in 2007… before it is too late….