Looks like back peddling is becoming a very popular move right now

Rapper Cam'ron Explains 60 Minutes Interview; Issues An Apology For Comments
By Chris Richburg
Date: 4/26/2007 9:50 am


Rapper Cam’ron has come forward to clarify statements he made during a controversial episode of 60 Minutes.

During the interview, which aired Sunday (Apr. 22) on CBS, the Diplomats member (born Cameron Giles) told Anderson Cooper that sales of his music would suffer and his "code of ethics" would be violated if he helped bring criminals and killers to justice or cooperated with police.

Cam’ron's stance on the issue drew criticism following the interview from those who disagreed with his views.

As a result, the rapper is making an effort to explain his view point by citing a near fatal experience from his past. Cam'ron hired 5W Public Relations to help with the barrage of press inquiries he's received since making his controversial statements.

"In 2005, I was a victim of a violent crime," Cam'ron explained to AllHipHop.com in a statement. "I was shot multiple times without provocation by two armed men who attempted to carjack my vehicle. Although I was a crime victim, I didn't feel like I could cooperate with the police investigation."

The Cam’ron interview was part of Cooper's report on the concept of "snitching" and how certain artists’ message to shun the police has undermined efforts to solve murders across the country.

In addition to Cam'ron, Cooper spoke with Geoffrey Canada, an anti-violence advocate and educator from Harlem who noted how the refusal to cooperate with police has now become a "cultural norm that is being preached in poor communities."

Cam'ron explained that the threat of violent retaliation in poor communities often keeps witnesses from coming forward to help police in their investigations.

"Where I come from, once word gets out that you've cooperated with the police that only makes you a bigger target of criminal violence," Cam'ron explained. "That is a dark reality in so many neighborhoods like mine across America. I'm not saying it’s right, but it’s reality. And it's not unfounded. There's a harsh reality around violence and criminal justice in our inner cities."

Despite this reality, Cam’ron is quick to say that "my experience in no way justifies what I said" on 60 Minutes.

"Looking back now, I can see how those comments could be viewed as offensive, especially to those who have suffered their own personal tragedies or to those who put their lives on the line to protect our citizens from crime," he stated. "Please understand that I was expressing my own personal frustration at my own personal circumstances. I in no way was intending to be malicious or harmful. I apologize deeply for this error in judgment."


Mr. Starks