Review Summary: Cam'ron expands his vocabulary.
'Purple Haze' is unanimously known as Cam'ron's defining record. His Roc-A-Fella association went far in 2004 which is evident by the production credits being littered with names like Kanye West, The Heatmakerz, and Skitzo. Over the years since ‘Purple Haze’ Cam has slowly lost interest in the rap game and shifted focus on other avenues and personal issues which seemingly impacted the disappointing 'Killa Season'. 'Crime Pays' has been billed as a return to form for Cam'ron and pretty much succeeds in that light. Lead single 'My Job' has Cam at a lyrical career best speaking on the recession through storytelling. The track also showed Cam'ron moving away from traditional rap clichés and actually using his lyrics to do something other than brag. Not to say Cam'ron's career hasn't been impressive, but his rap style has always struck as an almost double-edged sword. With raps typically populated by obscure references and abstract metaphors (in the vein of Ghostface Killah or Kool Keith), it is hard to follow exactly what Cam is trying to say. 'Crime Pays' changes this as it builds on the rapper's ability to remain at his quirky best, while still establishing a more comprehensible flow.
Although exhibiting a softer side at times, typical "Killa-Cam" themes are numerous on ‘Crime Pays’, with 90% of the album being devoted to the cocaine trade and sex. 'Get It In Ohio' and 'Cookin' Up' are as clichéd as you can get in terms of topic, but Cam'ron is able to imbue his verses with hilarious one liners and the best use of east coast slang since Big L. He may not be rapping the most technical lines but, like T.I. or Del, his vocabulary and flow are completely his own. 'Spend The Night' is easily Cam's best "pop" track since his 'Purple Haze' days. Somehow able to overcome the obnoxious chorus of 'Cookies-N-Apple Juice', he turns it into a hilarious southern inspired track, fitting of its billing as lead single. ‘Crime Pays’ in general shows Cam'ron enjoying his craft coming off as his most natural release yet. 'Bottom Of The Pussy' and 'Never Ever' are some of the weakest tracks here, but the real complaint is that the album feels amateur in how overstuffed it is. The production, in terms of actual mixing, also seems vocally off in tracks like 'Got It For Cheap' and 'Woo Hoo'. The beats here are hard to get into as they feel stoic, almost like they could have been made in 1997. Although there are numerous issues with ‘Crime Pays’, Killa Cam has given his fans something they'll love, and that should be enough to classify this record as a success.
'Crime Pays' clearly shows Cam'ron at his lyrical best, but the lack of consistency in both the flow and beats on the record clearly prevent it from topping 'Purple Haze'. Maybe fans and listeners should be happy that Cam'ron is willing to progress lyrically, unlike so many of his fellow rappers. Perhaps if he ditches the mixtape-status production and the typical lyrical content, Cam may be able to succeed in some kind of late-career opus as unlikely as that is in the rap game. For now it seems that we'll have to deal with yet another Roc-A-Fella rapper that is slowly withering into redundancy.
