In honor of Black History Month, each day here at The Source we’ll be chronicling many of the best moments pertaining to Hip Hop that occurred during the meaningful month of February – celebrating the birthdays of now-legendary MCs; highlighting the most impactful album and single releases; even reminiscing on the most obscure, yet culturally-significant footnotes in the genre’s nearly four decade-spanning history.
Today’s passage takes us on a journey all the way back to February 4, 1976 – the same year that the expansion of Negro History Week to Black History Month was first officially recognized by U.S. government as part of the United States Bicentennial, with President Gerald Ford urging citizens to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
On this day, Cam’ron was born Cameron Ezike Giles in Harlem, New York. Currently working on his seventh and reported final solo album, Purple Haze 2, the highly-respected rapper would go on to earn platinum status with five of his solo records, appear in several films, and co-found the distinguished Diplomat Records with Jim Jones, leaving an unforgettable mark on Hip Hop.
