The Game:
The Documentary

Release Date: 24 January 2005

Reviewed By: Usman Sajjad

1. Intro

2. Westside Story - ft, 50 Cent

3. Dreams

4. Hate It Or Love It - ft, 50 Cent

5. Higher

6. How We Do - ft, 50 Cent

7. Don't Need Your Love - ft, Faith Evans

8. Church For Thugs

9. Put You On The Game

10. Start From Scratch - ft Marsh of Floetry

11. The Documentary

12. Runnin' - ft, Tony Yayo

13. No More Fun and Games

14. We Ain't - ft, Eminem

15. Where I'm From - ft, Nate Dogg

16. Special - ft, Nate Dogg

17. Don't Worry - ft, Mary J Blige

18. Like Father Like Son - ft, Busta Rhymes

Tupac - Loyal To The Game
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It is fair to say that the hip hop climate has not experienced much real hype and impatient anticipation for an artist, since the 2003 release ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’ from 50 Cent. Who would have known, a year later, and already three more albums released from 50’s new G-Unit imprint, another young Dr Dre protégée by the name of Jayceon Taylor a.k.a The Game would be stirring the same excitement through his sick delivery and polarising lyrics. Coming in at the age of other earlier Dre protégées such as Snoop Dogg and Eminem, can The Game achieve the kind of big numbers that launches long-term rap careers?

With the album enlisting an all-star production line-up, with beats coming from the likes of Just Blaze, Kanye West, Timbaland, Hi-Tek, Scott Storch, Needlz and of course, the legendary Dr Dre producing half a dozen tracks on the debut, what could possibly go wrong?

The opening sounds come in the form of the catchy ‘Westside Story’ featuring 50 Cent on the hook. Over the Dre beat and the ‘Still DRE’ sounding keys from Scott Storch, Game spits lyrics suitable for a West Coast anthem: ‘Run up on my Low-Low, you stop breathing/ Hollow tips make n*ggas disappear like Houdini.’ The Game easily adapts from his street persona into the commercial sounds we see on ‘How We Do’, the first single off the album, which also features assistance from 50. With the two spitting back and forth, the more fascinating tale is that the production behind the hit is rumoured to be the first ever beat made by Dre back in 1983, which was planned to be used on his own album ‘Detox’.

‘The Documentary’ divulges into the more positive side of Jayceon Taylor on ‘Dreams’, which features a well kicked-up retro sample from Kanye West, which works well under Game’s simple and effective rhymes as he rhymes about his own dreams, as well as dedicating his opportunity to others.

On ‘Start from Scratch’, we find a sombre and emotional Game rapping tipsy over a signature Dre beat. With the help of a very ‘American’ sounding Marsha from Floetry, he, with deep insight, raps about his shooting: ‘If I can rewind the hands of time, I would have cut the PS2 off at 12.49/ I’m a gangster, I stay on my grind/ Who knew 11 minutes later I get shot with my own nine’. He then continues to rap about his life’s mishaps and other tragic events. The soulful touch is added to ‘Runnin’ featuring the previously incarcerated Tony Yayo over a Hi-Tek beat, and the party feel booms out of the stereo via the southern sounds of Timbaland on ‘Put Me On’.

The real West Coast sounds creep up on ‘Where I’m From’, an ode to Compton with the hook sung by a soothing Nate Dogg, and on ‘Don’t Worry’, Mary J. Blige sings sweetly alongside Game, who rips his rhymes up over delicate high-pitched Dre keys.

Whilst the album looks like an absolute masterpiece in all aspects, some setbacks do appear. This includes the poor effort from both The Game and an out-of-place Eminem on ‘We Ain’t’.

The album is every hip hop fan’s ultimate fantasy; excluding The Neptunes, five of the best producers to grace hip hop boards all contribute to the album, and if the Compton star isn’t rapping about Nike Air Force Ones, low-riders, 22 inch rims and of course, his attractive calling out names, (which he seems to make a habit of mentioning Dr Dre and Compton throughout the album), he has certainly added the raw edge, plus his interesting life experiences into a timeless album, not to mention the ever diversified hip hop game. Easily the best album to come from the G-Unit branch, but can the Cali rookie stick to his lyrics on ‘Higher’, (‘I don’t need Soundscan/ I’m doing my own numbers’), and achieve million dollar first week sales? We’ll have to wait and see.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Top 3 Tracks:

3) Dreams
17) Don’t Worry (featuring Mary J. Blige)
15) Where I’m From (featuring Nate Dogg)

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