Words by Jesse H.

As far as comebacks go, you’ve got to hand it to Cam’ron for doing a pretty decent job of getting his name back out in the public after three years of self-exile. With appearances popping up here and there, it seemed like he was genuinely excited about being back, and since he dropped a little heat between then and now, a handful of people were pretty excited to have him back.

However, there’s a catch with comebacks. After all the buzz, hoopla and “welcome back’s,” the artist has to have something compelling to make it worth the wait. Nas’ Stillmatic had “Ether” and the battle for the NY crown whereas LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out had a MC at his hungriest, intent on dominantly proving his continued relevance. Even that other recent comeback album upheld the intriguing theme of an artist’s return to their old character. So how does Crime Pays keep listeners interested in Cam’s revival?

Well, simply put: it doesn’t. While the album isn’t necessarily bad, it suffers from a lack of anything that sticks out. There is competent material present: “Cookin Up” is persistently menacing, while “My Job” and “Never Ever” almost hearken back to the soulful, enchanting vibe prevalent on his last prominent effort Purple Haze.

But therein lies the problem: if Purple Haze was a carnival of deep-fried production treats, Crime Pays’ production is from an Easy-Bake Oven- same in theory, but different in taste. While the boardwork, handled primarily by Skitzo, doesn’t often sound offensively bad (save for the atrocious “Who” and the annoying “Spend The Night,” the latter of which desperately wants to be Wiz Khalifa’s “Say Yeah”) most of the beats sound basic and consequently, outdated.

Cam doesn’t help matters with a flood of punchlines more groan-worthy than Laffy Taffy wrapper jokes where he calmly quips “And have you squirtin’ for certain/yeah, bring a diaper” on the nonsensical Scooby Snack of “Cookies & Apple Juice” or the sexually charged “Bottom Of The Pussy” with bars like “We made the sweetest merger/shit, I keep a curver/The sex agreed is murder/Plus, she’s a squirter.” Yes, two lines about squirting. Invest in raincoats much?

In the end, the album is muddled and lacks direction. Even worse, Cam disobeys the golden rule of comebacks and shows no hunger, ambition or drive, much less an attempt at establishing a new artistic ground, which only serves to re-invite irrelevancy. While there are a few decent cuts on Crime Pays, they are scattered throughout and none merit the replay value of a “Down & Out,” or an “Oh Boy.” Instead, listeners are offered a bloated and at times boring 23 tracks, with Cam proving that while crime may pay, it certainly doesn’t cover all the expenses.

3cigs

Previously Posted — TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With Cam’ron | Cam’ron – “Cookies-N-Apple Juice/Silky (No Homo)” Video | The Talented Mr. Giles