In a 2024 REVOLT WORLD conversation with Speedy Morman during the live taping of his new REVOLT show, “Overtime Hustle,” Cam'ron revealed that sports debates with friends inspired the idea for "It Is What It Is." The Harlem native, who launched the innovative series on his own media network, Come and Talk 2 Me, in 2023, said he spent hours chatting about the ins and outs of games.
"I had the idea because... Mase wasn't on the show for the first few episodes. It was my show. I was arguing with n**gas on the phone for two hours about sports. When I got off the phone, I would look; it would be two hours and 25 minutes. I'd be mad, like, I've just been arguing with somebody, or two or three people, for two hours and 25 minutes about sports. I'm like... I need to put that energy somewhere where I can make some money from it because sports and politics are never going anywhere," the emcee stated.
Cam'ron elaborated that his approach to content creation is distinctive in its discussion style and format. With his twist on a relaxed conversation paired with the look of professional sports commentary, the rapper wanted to fill gaps in sports media. He invested $200,000 to build the set and made deliberate choices like hiring a female host and wearing a suit.
When conceptualizing the show, Killa Cam told himself, "It'll look professional, but we're going to talk how we talk at the barbershop, the liquor store, the gambler's spot, or anywhere urban America argues about sports. 'Cause if you walk into a barbershop, it ain't ESPN. [These places] are really intense; they're arguing about sports."
The "Overtime Hustle" chat ended with the Diplomats alum announcing plans to expand his media venture with a network focused on film and television.
"It's two different networks we're building. We're building a sports network right now. Our moderator, Treasure Wilson, has a show called ‘Stat Baby.’ We got Mark Jackson, who was formerly on ESPN and who used to play for the New York Knicks. We gave him a show called 'The Mark Jackson Show.’ We're building sports shows on the Come and Talk 2 Me Network. But outside of that, we're working on movies, sitcoms, etc.,” Cam added.