Rapper, entrepreneur, and sports talk show host Cam’ron has never been shy to boast of his love for New York City, the place that birthed his career and molded his identity. But on a recent episode of his popular show, It Is What It Is, the Harlem native stunned fans with a surprise revelation: he turned down an offer to receive the prestigious Key to the City of New York.
While that would be a great honor for anyone else, Cam’ron, also known as Killa Cam, had his reasons for declining it. Characteristically uncompromising, the rapper explained that with all said and done, he just could not turn a blind eye to the worsening rat and sanitation problems, mostly with dear love for the city.
Cam’ron caught his utter frustration about the streets of New York when he said he could not stand the sanitation issues of the city anymore:
“I love New York. It’s my city. But the rats, the trash, it’s out of control,”
he lamented on his show. A trip to the city which was supposed to be an act of reflecting on his achievements and the possible conferral of the ceremonial key inured into a moment for souring.
Cam’ron said he went to the city and shortened his stay just because the infestation of the rats had gotten so bad that he couldn’t take it. His decision to decline the key wasn’t just about the city’s trash and rodents, but it was being true to himself also by just not taking an honor if it wasn’t going to be worth who he would be at that time.
He said,
“I cannot accept a key to a city where I cannot even walk down the street without seeing trash piled up and rats running around. I got too much love for this city to just look at that,”
voicing what many long-time residents and visitors alike have always complained about. His refusal now emphasizes the ongoing struggle of the city to cope with its sanitation crisis, which has indeed worsened with each passing year.
Despite his grievances, Cam’ron made clear that the decision wasn’t stemming from any lack of love for New York-if anything, his frustrations are born from a great love and ideas of what he envisions for the city.
“New York raised me. I am who I am because of this city. But sometimes you gotta call it how it is,”
he explained.
By declining the Key to the City, he is turning down high honor due to how disenchanted he is with the place that gave him his career. His candor has raised conversation, with many New Yorkers voicing agreement with his concerns over the continued sanitation issues in the city.
Recently, Cam’ron was also in controversy when he appeared on CNN discussing the cases filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs. In this, Cam’ron spoke boldly and criticized Combs’s moves, particularly when news broke regarding Diddy’s alleged assault of Cassie Ventura.
During the interview, Cam’ron was asked to give his thoughts on the allegations, and he held nothing back.
“I’m not here to defend him. “What he did is wrong, and I don’t associate with that kind of behavior,”
he said of the allegations of sexual assault and mistreatment. Cam’ron continued by making it known that, even though he may have respect for Diddy’s past contributions to the music industry, the relationship between himself and Combs was a distant one, and he doesn’t consider Combs a personal friend.
His candid response caught some viewers off guard, but it served as a nice reminder that Cam’ron is going to have the last word on just about anything.
Not only has Cam’ron spoken out on everything from social justice to, well, just about everything, but his career keeps going strong and in new directions. It Is What It Is, his sports talk show co-manned alongside fellow rapper Ma$e, was an instant hit. From sharp sports commentary to New York swagger, the internet has taken a complete storm, and fans have come to love the show.
Most recently, the show landed an 8-figure deal with sports betting platform Underdog Fantasy-proof that the show’s popularity is on the rise, as is Cam’ron’s business acumen. What’s arguably more impressive, though, is Cam’ron’s choice to turn down a $13 million offer for the show for the sake of creative control.
“I don’t want to be bought out. This is my show, and I gotta keep it real with my fans,”
he said, showing why authenticity means everything in the world to him. It’s a reason Cam’ron will never sell out, whether it comes in the form of a city honor or as some sort of multi-million dollar deal, a reason indicative of his loyalty to not only New York but to his own principles.
