Cam'ron accepted the Legacy Leader award in Harlem on Saturday night at the second annual Black Independence Awards. During his speech, Cam reflected on his upbringing and his relationship with his late mother as well as the beginning of his career in music.
“My mom moved to Harlem from Atlantic City in 1963 and I always wondered, ‘What if I grew up in Atlantic City?’ Then I was like, ‘Thank God I didn’t grow up in Atlantic City.’ … Growing up in the late 70’s and early 80’s in Harlem, it was violence-ridden, drug-infested and I lived smack-dab in the middle of it," Cam began.
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Cam'ron With His Mother At His Birthday Party
Cam continued: “By the time I was 13 years old, I was a top 50 basketball player in the United States… As I was getting older, this thing called Hip Hop was getting older. Whether it was break dancing, graffiti or rapping, I liked putting words together.”
From there, he recalled meeting Ma$e in college and getting more serious about hip-hop after seeing his fellow Harlem native, Big L, land a record deal. He also took a moment to thank Dame Dash, who helped him get out of a record deal and assisted him at Roc-A-Fella. Check out Cam'ron's full speech at the awards ceremony below.
Cam'ron At The Black Independence Awards
“Everywhere I go, I take Harlem with me,” Cam'ron further said in his speech. “I represent Harlem everywhere I go. Next year about this time hopefully my documentary is out and y’all could see much more.” Until then, fans can catch Cam'ron on his new sports show, It Is What It Is, which he hosts alongside Ma$e. The two have made headlines for comments on the show numerous times and interviewed multiple noteworthy guests, including Stephen A. Smith.
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[Via]
