Review: Cam'ron – Crime Pays (Part 1)
Cam is back. That’s the good news. From there it’s a bit of a mixed blessing, so let’s not all get our hopes too far up. Crime Pays is the latest offering by the former leader of the Dipset/Birdgang crew (that still exists?) and if you can read the cover, you should feel free to judge the book. The project appears to be an American Gangster-esque side by side concept album inspired by a movie that has yet to be released. You might call this album a fictitious biopic in which Cameron Giles steps into the shoes of a man who rose to power in the New York drug game and lived happily ever after as a foul-mouthed womanizer and ardent believer in the efficacy of social deviance. The constant glorification of his street lifestyle on this album rises to new heights that approach delusional.
However, that rant aside, this album has some qualities that cannot be challenged on the basis of their biographical mendacity. The CD caters to Cam’ron purists who were originally captivated by the simplistic nursery rhyme flow and grimy subject matter for which Giles is known. Fortunately, Killa goes back to his production wheelhouse which utilizes very basic drum patterns and melodies. This allows the listener to focus on the words while this son of Harlem takes us through a day in his life. The production is solid (but not spectacular by any stretch), featuring highlights like “Silky”, “Who”, and “Woohoo”. Lyrically, the album is adequate but fails to WOW because it takes so long to get started like a train when you rev it up (or me in the morning). It is rare that you will hear me say this, but Crime Pays could have used a few well-placed guest spots from people who we actually enjoy listening to. I was proud that he actually attempted to do something introspective toward the end but it amounted to being too little, too late when viewed in comparison to the overarching theme.
Overall, this album falls short of Cam’s best work but in the light of his hit and miss career with albums, it is still tied for being his second best studio project. I would not expect it to blow anyone away in sales but it will likely serve to re-energize his music and pave the way for some very solid mixtape work.
Be on the lookout for Part II of this post, where we will provide a track by track analysis of the album.
People Are Talking