Combat Jack With Today's Mathematics

Fucking Cam'ron. I hate that his albums require multiple listen to's before judging the final product, eccentric bastard. Been banging this piece for a week now. An acquired taste yes, but fuego nonetheless. A public apology to all Cam fans.




+ 3/4




Killa!

"Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder"

I've always liked Cam'ron as a rapper [||]. Not that he was ever that dope, just dope enough. What I also liked was that Cam's been able to be consistent in being unpredictable, and also, unfortunately, inconsistent. He hasn't always delivered, and even though he actually led the "dumb down rap" movement a few years back when he bum-rushed his Diplomat crew onto rap fans everywhere, Dip-Set thriving on ignorance, stale flow and the same old same old sounding frenetic beats and operatic chorus like production, their movement was fresh and somewhat invigorating. They even managed to drop a couple of classics during their reign. The '90's babies seemed like they couldn't get enough of them. Now in 2009, times have changed, Dip-Set broke up, Cam's former weed carrier and capo Jim Jones stepped up to wrest leadership of the remaining crew and Cam was exiled for a couple of years.

In his absence, all the good shit that I liked about Cam remained fresh in my memory. And when he started making noise about his comeback earlier this year, I was right there, claiming "Killa!", hoping the current underdog would come back and restore order to all this LCD rap flowing out of New York. I got my copy of his latest album "Crime Pays" earlier today and "went in' for the review.


Crime Pays Intro: Slinky Beat, Cam rapping about what his classmates wanted to be in 3rd grade. Standard Cam fare, sounding like circa 2000 - 2006. But in a stale way.

Cookin Up: Sounded better as a leaked track. Same old production. Kinda like a New York Young Jeezy vibe. Cam fires shots at his old crew. Kinda boring though.

Where I Know You From: Actually sounds like an old Jeezy beat. But not in a new way. I'm getting bored.

Fuck Cam #1: Skit about a wino talking shit about Cam. Not funny.

Never Ever: Cool quasi anthemic joint. Cam's old flow, kinda on that "Killa Cam" joint, only lazier.

Curve: A bit more lively of a track. Cam's going in but I'm not really caring at this point. Maybe I should burn something, enhance my senses, 'cause I'm missing the point right about now.

Silky (No Homo): Sounded better as a leaked track. I'm starting to realize that even though he's back, Cam sounds uninspired. Like.really.effin.uninspired.

Get It In Ohio: So new and yet so old.

Who: Funky ass beat with Exorcist horror sounding vocal sound effects. Cam flows but again sounding very uninspired.

Grease Skit: Chick bitching over the phone skit again. Cam threatens that he'll drop a deuce in her car. Yawn.

You Know What's Up (Feat. Co & Sky Lyn): Really bad song about sex. There's TWELVE more tracks for me to suffer through. How ignorant is this, or how delusional was I to think I wanted to suffer through another Cam'ron album? Fuck me!

Spend The Night: Sounded better as a leaked track. Yawn.

Fuck Cam #2. Part two of the first skit. Brilliant. Not.

Woo Hoo (Feat Byrd Lady & 40 Cal): Cam tries to sound excited, maybe because he's sharing the spotlight with 40 Cal and Byrd Lady, but I'm really no longer interested. This album gets worser and worser. There's effin NINE more songs to listen to. Not happy about that at all.

Chalupa: I just gouged out my left eye to distract me from the pain I'm forcing myself to go through.

Cookies N Apple Juice (Feat Skitzo & Byrd Lady): Sounded better as a leaked track. I think I still like this, but I don't care anymore.

(I Hate) My Job: Best song on the album so far. But it's too late because now (I Hate) this album.

Homicide: Please, kill me now. Really.

Fuck Cam #3: Uhm, word.

Got It For Cheap: Got it for free and I'm still mad. Sounded better as a leaked track.

Get It Get It: Decent soulful feel to the production. Sounds kind of like a personal heartfelt joint, I'm just missing what exactly I'm supposed to feel though.

Bottom Of The Pussy: It is what it sounds like.

Fuck Cam #4: He said it, not me.


You know how when they dropped Nas' "Lost Tapes" and it was really really good? "Crime Pays" is like Cam's "Lost Tapes", tracks that were lost and unreleased between his "Purple Haze" and "Killa Season" albums, except that these tracks should have remained lost and unreleased. To his credit, I get the feeling that Cam'ron put a lot of work in this album, but only to make it sound kinda meh. Unlike the production work found on Jim Jones semi-classic "Hustler's P.O.M.E.", the old Cam/ Dip-set sounding production work on "Crime Pays" doesn't work in his favor, we've been there and have heard this way too many times before. Maybe Cameron Giles really went through all the personal shit he claims to have gone through during his absence because he's really coming off sounding very depressed and uninspired. This album is kinda like that old love you broke up with years ago, only to try and make the relationship work out of a sense of nostalgia, but right after that first date, you remember why ya'll broke up and KNOW it ain't gonna work no more.

With "Crime Pays", it's official, The Dip-Set movement is finally dead. Also, this might be the very last Cam'rom album I ever listen to. And I'm a Cam fan.

"Crime Pays" gets 2 Combat Jack salutes out of 5.

Pretty lol!

Other than the current ethering of Rick Ross by 5o Cent (50 is the KING of beef), the internets and airwaves are currently aflame with news of Killla Cam's imminent return. No stan shit, but I'm truly amazed at how very few cats out here today remember that when dude dropped his first album "Confessions Of Fire" back in 1998, niggas everywhere admired Mr. Giles primarily because of his skills as a wordsmith. It's rumored even, that the G.O.A.T. Christopher Wallace, upon the first time hearing him spit, envisioned Cam to one day ascend to the throne as King Of New York. Really. In 2000, as Untertainment, the label he was signed to, was crumbling around him, one of my former clients Self, was hired to produce the song "That's Me" on his second album "S.D.E.". Self and I met Cam in Sony studios one day and what impressed me most was Cam's work ethic, homie knew what it took to go beyond just surviving in the jungle of the music industry. He stayed holed up in that studio for months, not leaving until that album was done. Seems like he knew full well that that might be his last shot for glory. Especially since Cam knew how badly he was getting raped by his label, owned by Lance "Un" Rivera, who landed the label deal solely for the fact that he was Lil' Kim and Junior Mafia's manager.

Ya'll know the rest of the story, how he and his Dip Set goons came in outta nowhere like rabid banditos and took over the Roc from under the feet of it's internally feuding parents Dame and Jay, how he contributed greatly to the significant dumbing down of the rap art-form and helped to usher in as well as embrace this new age of hip hop ignorance, how he picked two unbeatable beefs with giants Jay and 50, how he bodied himself with his appearance on 60 minutes and the ubiquitous youtube clip of him shit talking at Curtis, looking all anemic in his boxer drawls by his paltry pool, how he allowed the crew he built brick by brick, The Diplomats to crumble with his "Capo" assuming boss status in his absence.

Still and all, in his absence, seems like some of realize how essential dude's place was in this hip hop circus. Even with all that "computer putin" nonsense, I secretly hoped dude would win. So in celebration of his born day today, and to welcome him back into the fold, CJ is most def riding with Killa this season.