Cam’ron Compares Just Blaze To Russell Wilson: “He’s Ivy League”
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Cam’ron has called out Just Blaze for his reaction to the rapper hijacking the instrumental to his 2002 hit single “Oh Boy” without his permission.
On Monday (Oct. 9), during a recent episode of It Is What It Is, the Harlem native and co-host Ma$e were discussing Marshawn Lynch’s relationship with Russell Wilson and their lack of camaraderie while teammates on the Seattle Seahawks. Cam’ron compared the dynamic between Lynch and Wilson to his dealings with Just Blaze, accusing him of being a company man and pining for the approval of Roc-A-Fella Records CEO JAY-Z.
“Just Blaze is not a ni**a ni**a. He’s a Black man and he’ll say ‘ni**a,’” the Come Home With Me rapper began, alluding to the New Jersey native’s awkward interactions with Black men of his ilk. Cam points to a conversation he had following the release of “Oh Boy,” which he admits to “stealing,” but argues that the beat had been dormant and hadn’t been chosen by any other artists on the label.
“The ‘Oh Boy’ beat is sitting in the f**king studio for two months. Nobody uses it. Juelz convinced me to steal the song. We do the f**king song, whatever. After we put it out, he comes up to me and he’s like, ‘You, know, um, Cam, we’re gonna absolutely get killed on the publishing. We didn’t clear the sample before we put it out, and we’re gonna lose bad.’”
While Cam’ron felt the opportunity to capitalize on a big hit was worth the risk, given the record’s success, Just Blaze also voiced his concern with disappointing JAY-Z, who wanted the beat for himself.
“‘And by the way, Jay was mad at me behind that because he didn’t understand why I gave you that beat and I didn’t give him the beat,'” the 45-year-old told Cam, according to the rapper.
The producer also noted that due to the Rolls Royce sample on the song being uncleared prior to its release, both Cam and himself would likely have to relinquish the majority, if not all, of the publishing rights to the creators of the sample. Yet, the 47-year-old contended that a similar scenario occurred with JAY-Z’s 1998 single “Hard Knock Life,” which many credit with propelling him to stardom.
“So I say, ‘Yo Just, f**k it, it’s a hit. Sometimes you gotta give up the publishing.’ JAY-Z gave up 100 percent of the publishing for ‘Hard Knock Life’ which made him who he is today.”
According to Cam, Just Blaze was unmoved by the comparison, mockingly imitating the beatsmith’s dry response. “‘I get that, Cam, but if we would have done things correctly, we could have quadrupled what we were gonna make,'” he recalls the producer debating.
The Diplomat turned sports show host continued to mimic Just Blaze when he recounted inquiring about whether he was eager to elevate his profile and become known as a “hit producer” in Hip-Hop. “Not actually,” he says of Just Blaze’s response. “My dream is Wall Street and to have restaurants.”
At one point during the conversation, Ma$e asks if Just Blaze is “Ivy League,” alluding to his lack of street credibility and seemingly “square” personality, with Cam confirming the assertion. He also says that he was the first to shout out Just Blaze prior to JAY-Z and that he appeared overly enthusiastic upon hearing JAY-Z’s mention him on The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse cut “Hovi Baby” months later.
Cam’ron and Just Blaze worked together on several occasions during the rapper’s tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records during the early ’00s. In addition to “Oh Boy,” Just Blaze produced multiple songs on Cam’s third studio album Come Home With Me, including “Losing Weight, Pt. 2” featuring Juelz Santana, “The ROC (Just Fire)” featuring Memphis Bleek & Beanie Sigel, and the epic JAY-Z collaboration “Welcome to New York City.”
Watch Cam’ron speak on his relationship with Just Blaze on It Is What It Is below.
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