Classic Day – Third Time Charm

Coming out as the third studio release from Harlem’s own Cam’ron, Come Home With Me still continues to be his most successful commercial record and embeds itself among the 2000 Mount Rushmore of sound.

Opening with the simply titled “Intro,” Come Home With Me is a march through the upper 100’s streets of New York City with the strongest narrator from Uptown. Cam’ron rips the top off the verse describing, “Yo, I advise you to step son, ‘fore I fuck your moms, make you my stepson. Y’all be calling me daddy, cause the Rag Muffin, y’all soon say.” As the orchestral stings continue to stir up the tension, timpani drums reveal another line coming in hotter than a pot of powder.

He illustrates, “Y’all fuck around with my brother Num-say, y’all gonna see doomsday. I’m a savage but colder, now I rock karats that I’m older.” The beauty of Come Home With Me is the era before Purple Haze drops in 2004 but still has some of the most iconic hip-hop tracks of any artist.

Tracks like “Oh Boy” or “Hey Ma” were engrained into the radio waves at the time and still to this current day can boost a crowd to stir some movement. No matter the age, “Oh Boy” is able to invoke a smile as soon the chiming and chirping beat slides into the frame.

Verses from Cam’ron and Juelz Santana trade back and forth like a prizefight between Frazier and Ali. Inspiring a generation to start rocking more yellow diamonds, this was a time before the pink mink. The sample of the high-pitched woman’s vocals that describe, “Boy!” as an ad-lib becomes the ending to many lines here between Cam’ron and Santana.

Cam’ron illustrates on the third verse, “Eight or nine on the (boy), holla at your boy, Killa, holla, listen. It’s the D-I-P (boy), plus the R-O-C (boy), you’ll be D-O-A (boy), your moms will say (oh boy).” As Santana dips behind Cam’ron into the fourth verse of the track, the iron fist punches through the audience’s ears and snatches them by the collar. He illustrates, “When they see Cam and his (boy), they say damn (oh boy). Santana’s that (boy) that squeeze hammers (oh boy).”

Later pieces feature production from Kanye West on “Dead Or Alive” where the production is a formidable Diddy-Bop being able to slide back and forth to conquer speakers. While the production is uplifting, Cam’ron is invasive and intimidating behind the mic. He describes, “My nigga hopped out the van real quick, cocked that thang. Reversed the situation, popped his chain, be happy we ain’t pop his brain.”

As Cam’ron’s albums continue to be revisited as time marches on, he could perfectly execute a 3-4 track ending to his records. Purple Haze, Killa Season, and Come Home With Me all end beautifully covered in Canary’s and Pearls, making the audience feel important for a moment in time.

Listen To Come Home With Me Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes