Cam’ron & Juelz Santana - “Damn” Rap City Freestyle (2003?)

Cam’s seminal “Dreams” freestyle that Chris Ryan wrote about for Grantland today remains untouchable, but this “Damn” freestyle remains a close second for me. There’s a lot of stuff to love:

• Cam and Tigger two-stepping to the beat
• Cam’s growing glee as Juelz shreds the beat
• Juelz slowly realizing as he raps that he’s shredding the beat
• Cam regaining composure then slyly delivering his first line: Everybody out at the Rock the Mic Tour / we back in the kitchen, rocking the white raw
• Cam painting a small masterpiece out of the syllable “-ink”, highlighted by, Girls they stare and wink / how I flare the mink
• The couplet that’s so Cam, it hurts: Seen “Paid in Full”, now I’m up in Blockbuster / And I’m paid in full, still on the block, buster

Long live.