ALBUM REVIEW: “Camden” by Tony Tillman
- Randy Bazile
- Aug 6, 2025
- 5 min read
Today is the 10th anniversary of Tony Tillman’s Camden Album! Released August 7th, 2015.
Reflection Music Group is a record label home to incredible talent — both present and former — including Derek Minor, Canon, Chad Jones, B. Cooper & Deraj. One artist that stood out to me the most was Tony Tillman, formerly known as Brothatone.
After hearing his verse on Derek Minor’s recent single Before Ye Was Republican, I was reminded why Tony Tillman is one of my top 20 hip-hop artists. His bars, punchlines, wit, transparency, and storytelling are of a high level. I’ve been a fan ever since.
After a slew of releases independently — “I Preach Christ”, “Mic Check”, “The Interlude” to name a few — Tony made his major debut with “Camden”, an autobiographical album about Tony’s life in his hometown of Camden, Arkansas.
In my opinion, it was the album of 2015 for me. His storytelling, transparency, and testimony were unlike any CHH album I had heard at the time.
The Setup
Camden is a south-central city in Arkansas. Before the album, I’d never heard of the city, nor understood the story behind it. Tony paints a picture of the dysfunctional community he was raised. A single-mom household, low-income, shootings, robbing, killing, etc.
It was the environment that made him the man we see today. Each song has a different story and testimony that all connect to his hometown of Camden, Arkansas. The opening songs 870 & About Me are an introduction to what “Camden” is. He opens About Me with lyrics like:
What you know about Queen City? No crown unless royal follow Arkansas is my birthplace Where they look for hope inside a 40 bottle No job, but they work though Move purp in that new Impala Them dope fiends and these alcoholics They’ll do anything to snatch 40 dollars Boy, that’s the town that I come from That’s the place where I came up Social life was like nightclubs That bah-bah if you flamed up
Get your seat belts on! We are going on a ride to Camden, Arkansas. Make sure y’all keep your valuables in your pockets during the trip and don’t look at anyone crazy. We should be good tho, we’ve got God by our side!
First Impressions
I remember when I first listened to the album, expecting banging beats, storytelling, and lyricism. I got that. But I got more than what I bargained for.
Tony walked his listener through pivotal life-defining moments that developed his character. Through losing his uncle, joining a gang, and the murder of a loved one, Tony narrates these moments in incredible detail.
Songs such as Adams Ave, Role Models, Ghost, Praying For You, & Inspiration stood out to me. They are the most transparent songs on the album. They tell the story of Tony’s life, his peers, and the seasons in his youth.
From Camden to Christ
Tony opens up the album with head nodding bangers (870, About Me, No Lie). The first half is an introduction to who Tony is and what Camden is. He delivers the introduction with lyricism, sharp flows, catchy hooks, and raw emotion over neck-cracking beats that’ll blast your speakers. If this doesn’t get you excited to listen to the rest of the album, then I don’t know what will.
The middle of the album is where we get a glimpse of Tony’s life in Camden before Christ (Adams Ave, Inspiration, Role Models, Ghost, CMDN, Without You) with a combination of turned-up anthems (Lord Have Mercy, CMDN, Without You, Made It Out).
This section of the album is the main body of the story. Each song is a highlight of Tony’s life in Camden. Over gritty, melodic production, Tony delivers heartfelt flow and lyricism, painting his reality with wordplay. Near the second half of the body (after Lord Have Mercy), the album gets darker. We have now entered the darkest part of Tony’s story.
He cover topics on dysfunction, murder, street life, and crime. It’s clear from the beginning songs that Tony has lost a lot of people in his life besides his uncle. He narrows down to the important people he has lost, whether through murder or life in prison. Ghost is the most detailed song on the album — and longest — that gets into the crevices of his life.
The end of the album is victory anthems and prayers for those who are still facing life’s troubles (Made It Out, Praying For You). Over victorious anathematic production, Tony concludes the journey with the message of hope and redemption for those who feel stuck in the trenches.
Everybody Got A Camden
Everybody got a Camden This is my story Let me tell you my journey It’s been a long time coming Everybody’s got something The story goes on and on On and on The story goes on and on So won’t you come along
This hook resonates with me in every season of my life. Tony creates a narrative that even though his story in Camden is unique to him, he is aware that people in the world have similar occurrences in their stories to his. I believe everyone who chooses to listen to “Camden” can relate to the stories being told here.
Tony spoke on issues that are common around the world, such as betrayal, loss, bad company, morality, redemption, hope, dysfunction, influence, and violence. People may not have been raised in the hood and experienced the situations Tony has experienced, but it is guaranteed that the listener has experienced at least one of these issues in their lives in different narratives of their lives. Because of these themes, I believe this album is Tony’s most important album in his musical career, and dare I say, Christian Hip-Hop.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I finished the album feeling inspired that I can accomplish more than what I thought I was capable of. Tony set the standard with Camden on the importance of transparency. There wasn’t a lot of music like this around at that time of Christian Hip Hop. This album was more than JPMs (Jesus Per Minute); it was a man telling his rags-to-riches story in raw form.
Tony dropped a gem in CHH, and I pray that all who listen can relate to the message and receive a breakthrough. I highly recommend this album for those who want honest and raw storytelling backed up with lyricism, catchy hooks, and fire beats.
FAVORITE TRACKS:
THE WHOLE ALBUM!
RATING:
5 out of 5
Follow Tony Tillman on Social Media:
Instagram: @thetonytillman
Facebook: Tony Tillman
X (Twitter): @thetonytillman
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