[2] AllMusic editor David Jeffries praised Cam for re-tooling his production and lyrical content to bring back the grit and humor he lost in Killa Season, concluding with, "Add it all up and Crime Pays is just what the fans want, without any sense the man is pandering.

"[3] Chris Ryan of Spin also praised Cam for delivering material that was reminiscent of his better efforts, concluding that "He may have kept his lyrical gift hidden, but he didn’t lose it.

"[12] Andrew Rennie of NOW praised the album for containing less featured artists to focus on tight wordplay and sprinklings of topical tracks like "My Job" and "Silky", concluding that, "Cam'ron has evolved on this no-frills release, and it is disarmingly effective.

"[6] Entertainment Weekly's Simon Vozick-Levinson and Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen both similarly praised the album for showcasing Cam's knack for lacing typical street tracks with a unique flow and strong wordplay.

"[4] Jesse Cataldo of Slant Magazine was also critical of the needless skits and anonymous brag tracks that border on misogyny but found the production on the same footing with Cam's idiosyncratic wordplay, saying that "forgetting the excess filler, he’s [also] put out a pretty solid album.