Originally released in 1972 and featuring nine tracks from his first four studio albums 'El Malo' (recorded in 1967 at the age of 17), 'The Hustler' (1968), 'Glissando' (1969), and 'Cosa Nuestra' (1970), the compilation 'Crime Pays' and its gangster-themed cover celebrate the dazzling early career of Willie Colón, the "bad guy" of plural salsa.
Willie Colón, the flagship artist of the legendary Fania Records label, has, since his teenage years, built a spectacular musical bridge between his native Bronx and his Puerto Rican origins. Accompanied by singer Héctor Lavoe, his revolutionary approach to traditional Afro-Latin music, from mambo to boogaloo and Cuban rumba, also brought the singer-songwriter, trombonist, and activist his first successes: the instrumental 'Jazzy' and the hit 'Che Che Colé'.