Confessions of Fire is the debut studio album by American rapper Cam'ron. It was released through Epic Records on July 21, 1998.[1] Originally titled "Who Is Cam'ron?"[2] The production on the album was mostly handled by Darrell "Digga" Branch, along with Swizz Beatz, Trackmasters, Jermaine Dupri, and among others. The album also features guest appearances by Mase, Usher, Kelly Price, Noreaga, and more.
| Confessions of Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 21, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 75:03 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| Cam'ron chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Confessions of Fire | ||||
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Confessions of Fire was supported by three singles: "Horse & Carriage," featuring Mase, "357" and "Feels Good" featuring Usher. The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics and received commercial success. The album debuted and peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200, selling over 107,000 copies in its first week of release[3] and was certified gold by the RIAA with over 500,000 copies sold.[4]
Singles
editThe album was supported by three singles. The first single, "Horse & Carriage" was released on April 13, 1998. The song features a guest appearance by Mase. It received moderate chart success. On the chart dated August 29, 1998, the single peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, narrowly missing the top 40.[5] In addition, it managed to reach the top ten on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number nine.[6]
The second single, "357" was released on June 2, 1998. The single missed the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But managed to peaked at number 88 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[7]
The third single, "Feels Good" was released on December 8, 1998. The single features a guest appearance by Usher. The song also missed the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But managed to peaked at number 54 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Robert Christgau |  [10] |
Confessions of Fire received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic spoke on Cam'ron following in the footsteps of Sean "Puffy" Combs, calling his music polished and melodic while still maintaining the East Coast gangsta aesthetic like Puffy. He also claimed that Cam'ron is a better rapper than Puffy but lacks the pop flair that he's used to create big hits. Erlewine then spoke about Cam'ron potential as a charismatic rapper. Ultimately, Erlewine thinks Cam'ron showed promise on his debut and managed to create "an accessible fusion of rap and pop that manage to keep some sort of street edge". He gave the album 3 stars.
Commercial performance
editConfessions of Fire debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 107,000 copies in its first week.[3] This became Cam'ron's first US top-ten debut on the chart.[3] On October 27, 1998, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States.[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" |
|
| 3:41 |
| 2. | "Glory" (featuring Noreaga) |
| Swizz Beatz | 4:11 |
| 3. | "357" |
|
| 3:26 |
| 4. | "Rockin' and Rollin'" |
|
| 3:30 |
| 5. | "Wrong Ones" (featuring Tichina Arnold) |
|
| 4:21 |
| 6. | "Death" |
|
| 4:15 |
| 7. | "Horse & Carriage" (featuring Mase) | Giles | Tone & Poke | 4:03 |
| 8. | "Me, My Moms & Jimmy" (featuring Kenny Greene, Jimmy Jones & Fredericka) |
| Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool | 3:56 |
| 9. | "Prophecy" (featuring Kelly Price) |
|
| 4:30 |
| 10. | "We Got It" (featuring Mase) |
|
| 3:43 |
| 11. | "D Rugs" (featuring Brotha) |
| 4:21 | |
| 12. | "Feels Good" (featuring Usher) |
|
| 3:53 |
| 13. | "Phone Interlude" | Darrell "Digga" Branch | 1:08 | |
| 14. | "A Pimp's a Pimp" (featuring Jermaine Dupri) |
|
| 4:35 |
| 15. | "Confessions" (featuring Jacob York) |
|
| 5:55 |
| 16. | "Fuck You" (featuring Mase) |
|
| 2:36 |
| 17. | "Me & My Boo" (featuring Charli Baltimore) |
| Damon "Dai" Miller | 4:20 |
| 18. | "Shanghai" |
| Swizz Beatz | 4:22 |
| 19. | "Who's Nice" |
|
| 4:17 |
Leftover tracks
- "Pull It" (featuring DMX)
Sample credits
- "357" contains a sample of "Magnum P.I. Theme" by Mike Post.
- "A Pimp's A Pimp" contains a sample of "Don't Turn the Lights Off" by The Originals.
- "D Rugs" contains a sample of "Mother's Theme (Mama)" by Willie Hutch and "I'm Your Pusherman" by Curtis Mayfield.
- "Feels Good" contains a sample of "When Somebody Loves You Back" by Teddy Pendergrass.
- "Fuck You" contains a sample of "Phuck U Symphony" by Millie Jackson.
- "Me & My Boo" contains a sample of "Being With You" by Smokey Robinson.
- "Prophecy" contains a sample of "Fragile" by Sting.
- "Me, My Moms & Jimmy" contains samples of "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club and "Mama Used to Say" by Junior.
- "Wrong Ones" contains a sample of "As We Lay" by Shirley Murdock.
- "Horse & Carriage" contains samples of "Cuban Cabby" by Desi Arnaz and "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" by Bill Withers.
- "Death" contains a sample of "Suicidal Thoughts" by The Notorious B.I.G.
- "We Got it" contains a sample of "Say What" by Idris Muhammad
Charts
edit| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[12] | 6 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] | 2 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Artist Biography by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Cam'ron - Who is Cam'ron?". Discogs.
- ^ a b c "Rap Reigns On The Chart". Rolling Stone. 29 July 1998. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ Copeland, Corey (July 21, 2018). "Camron's 'Confessions Of Fire' Turns 20 Years Old Today". The Source.
...the album would sell over 500,000 copies and achieve gold certification.
- ^ "Hot 100 Chart History - Cam'ron". Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart History - Cam'ron". Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart History - Cam'ron". Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart History - Cam'ron". Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (1998-07-14). "Confessions of Fire - Cam'ron". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Confessions of Fire Review".
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Cam'ron – Confessions of Fire". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "Cam'ron Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
- ^ "Cam'ron Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2014.