"The Game is clearly obsessed with the rappers who came before him, and it’s an obsession that demands a tally. In the course of 16 songs, he makes reference to no less than 44 different hip-hop stars, including two named Ice (Cube and -T), three named Lil (Jon, Kim and Wayne) and two named Young (Jeezy and M.C.). And no one comes up more often than Dr. Dre, whose name finds its way into nearly every song. By album’s end he has been invoked about 30 times; the absent mentor is everywhere."The author also points out something else that's hugely noticeable from the GAME.
"In hip-hop flawed protagonists rule; no one wants to hear a (purely) good guy rap. But the Game has an unusual flaw: his problem is that he really wants to be a hip-hop star, wants it so badly he can’t disguise it. He probably knows it’s a bad idea to call himself the “West Coast Rakim,” or to boast, “I’m B.I.G., I’m Cube, I’m Nas, I’m ’Pac,” or to obsequiously praise Snoop Dogg in nearly every song. He probably knows that thinly veiled criticisms of other rappers won’t earn him the respect he wants. (At one point he raps, “I don’t need no ‘Encore,’ no claps, no cheers,” alluding to the Jay-Z song.) He probably knows it’s embarrassing to release a whole CD about a guy who doesn’t seem to be returning his calls. But he is doing it anyway."But the writer does count the album as the best hip-hop album of 2006.
First and foremost, GAME's done it again! His first disc was a classic. This joint is close to being just as good. From beginning-to-end, GAME gives you a CD that you can let rock all the way through. The production is solid just like his last CD and GAME has a great talent in being able to ride a beat (no Omar) very well. His lyrics aren't as slick or complicated as a Lupe Fiasco or a Jay-Z, but that's not his style anyway so it's not a huge disappointment to hear him spit some West Coast gangsta -ish. There are a couple problems I am starting to develop with GAME's style though: 1) His emulation of Dr. Dre's voice and flow at times on this CD; and 2) his relentless pursuit of breaking some unwritten record for celebrity name-drops on a hip-hop album.
I guess it's supposed to be fitting that GAME jacks Dre's flow and voice at several points on the CD considering the album is entitled "The Doctor's Advocate". Not to mention he has an entire song about Dr. Dre (Busta is featured on it and it's actually a pretty good song). Game's love for Dr. Dre is admirable and sort of irritating at the same time. He says Dre's name at least once in every song it seems, which makes it seem forced and insincere at times. And unfortunately, his niche of name-dropping continues on this CD. On the last album it didn't bother me too much because it was more of the shock-and-awe of hearing him put that many celebrity names in their lyrics. Even though it gets a little old on this disc it gets a little old, it's not overbearing to the point where you can't appreciate his flow, rhymes, and production.
I am starting to accept that GAME's style on the mic centers around controversial (and often hypocritical) statements, name-dropping, and his flow that always seems to be "on-time" with his beats. And his solid production doesn't hurt either. GAME has a great song with Kanye West ("Wouldn't Get Far") where they elaborate on rappers and their dealings with women who have sex with rappers and GAME puts alot of names in the air, which is shockingly interesting (remember, shock-and-awe). The song unfortunately jacks the beat from Jadakiss's song from a few years back called "By Your Side". Both versions of the song are good, but it's a bit disappointing to see a beat recycled so closely and with a relatively short amount of time having passed. Another notable song on the album is "Why You Hate The Game" with Nas, Marsha from Floetry, and Just Blaze (no, he doesn't rap). This is one of those songs everybody will undoubtedly be bumpin' all the time.
In addition to the name-dropping and numerous features on this album, there are several direct and indirect shots at Jay-Z on the album. I think GAME has some sort of death wish or he is smart enough to realize that dropping ambiguous shots at Jay-Z will help create hype around his album.
Overall, I think this album is a very good album and I might dare to call it a classic in the months to come. As the title says, this is just a "preliminary review". Overall, I'd rate this album...
Topical Content: 3.5/5
Creativity: 3/5
Production: 5/5
Lyrical Content: 3/5
Delivery: 4.5/5
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OVERALL: 4/5 MIKE'S
Other notable tracks on the album:
- "Compton", produced by Will.I.Am
- "Remedy", produced by Just Blaze (This is a West Coast banger if I've ever heard one)
- "Scream On 'Em", produced by Swizzy
- "One Night". "I only fugg with you, on two occasions. When I'm drunk...When I'm high!"
- "Ol' English", produced by Hi-Tek (Some more West Coast ridah music)
- "California Vacation". Snoop gets his rocks off on this joint and Xzibit ain't bad either.
- "Around the World", featuring Jamie Foxx. This might be my favorite song off the album now that I think about it.
10 comments:
I know you are gonna totally disagree with this statement all together but I don't know if I really think Game takes shots a Jay in the sense that you refer too. Yes he does say his name a lot but I think it's the same way he says other rappers names. The only difference is that we know he no longer has the cool relationship with Jay (they actually have a song together they made before his first album) so anytime he says Jay's name it seems like it's in vein. But most of the things he has said about Jay are just like everything else he says about anyone else. He just talks a lot of sh*t!!! LOL.
Just not sure if he means it to be as offensive as we take it sometimes...just a thought though.
Have you heard the album? No offense on that, just wondering. I assume you have but just want to be sure.
It's a specific point in that song with Kanye where he says:
"And ain't nobody tryna take Beyonce from Jay, but I know a bytch named Superhead he fugged back in the day. The things nikkas do when pu$$y sittin on they face. Stabbed Un in the stomach. She [Charli Baltimore] musta had a pu$$y like Wonderwoman..."
And on a subsequent song, in true GAME style, he says he passed the ball to Nas and alley-oops to Jigga. And he mentions Jay directly at several other points in the album and makes other references to Jay indirectly as well.
By the way, that line about Jay/Beyonce I referenced. Not only is it dry-snitching on a nikka, but it is also OLD as hell and had already been put out there. It is relevant to the song though, so I can understand why someone *might* be pressed enough to say it, but it just seems extra.
Not to mention he's pretty much doing exactly what he calls 50 out for allegedly doing, snitching.
Well I guess that's my point exactly. I think he doesn't think of that as snitching because it's basically common knowledge already. How do you snitch about something people already know? I don't see how you say that's snitching, definitely not his business to talk about but snitching? Now, I didn't think about that one when I wrote the comment and reading it does seem like it's a standoff-ish comment on his part but the alley-hoop line was exactly the type of thing I was refering to in my first statement. He was just throwing out Jay-z's name just like Nas's name.
And no I haven't heard the album other than the 6 songs that XXL had up but I did feel like I heard enought to comment. I may be wrong though.
You're right Dane in that he makes comments like the alley-oop statement about people in general. But he will come back in another song and say something that can be interpreted as a diss when he could easily make it clear that he's NOT dissin.
As far as the snitching thing, you're right. Technically he's not snitching, but among men (and I hope you feel me on this) it's just not something you do. It's not str8 up snitching you're right, but it's still a violation of some sort of man law. I mean, even dudes I know who were grimey and did not like back in the day, I would never do something like that. Only if it was a homegirl that I was real close with who was being hurt in the situation. I think it's just an unwritten code/rule/law or something, and I am sure Game is aware of it 100% so that's what makes it wrong to me. I will back off the snitching part I guess.
Ok but here is my question: can someone please fully explain why Dre isn't messing with the Game anymore? Like I understand that there is beef between him and 50 and that he left aftermath, but did he really leave aftermath or is it that he just have his own sub-label under aftermath? See that's what I am still not to clear on...can one of you break THAT down please....then maybe everything will make sense...I like Game, but not a fan per se
My theory on this is that 50 has more pull over at Interscope than people would like to believe. The structure over there goes (take a deep breath)...Aftermath is UNDER Interscope. Shady Records is UNDER Interscope. G-Unit records is UNDER Interscope. 50 is signed to Shady/Aftermath in a joint venture. G-Unit records is under Aftermath.
This means that G-Unit Records (read, "former cash cow") is on the same level as Aftermath and Shady. And 50 runs G-Unit records. So this means, in essence, that 50 has just as much pull as Dre and 50 because his label (G-Unit) is generating probably more money than Shady or Aftermath at the moment or in the very recent past.
GAME was never a G-Unit artist in the first place. He was always an Aftermath artist but they made it seem in the public eye like he was on G-Unit. 50 just took Dre's advice initially and put Game under the umbrella to help him get notoriety and popularity off the break. Meaning, Dre knew that by putting GAME on G-Unit or making it appear that he was on G-Unit, he'd sell more records. So when Game and 50 beefed, it's messing up money for everybody.
But in the big scheme of things, all this means that 50 pretty much is on the same label as Dre and Em as far as the hierarchy is concerned and "pull" is concerned. And because Dre and 50 are on the same level and Dre also relies on 50 for income (in an indirect sort of way), Dre did not want to step in.
And GAME left Dre...Dre did not disown GAME. Game left b/c 50 was going to see money off of his album and he didn't want that to happen. Because 50 is on the same level as Dre in the hierarchy (as well as Em), they all see money off of GAME's album sales even if he's on Aftermath and not on Shady or G-Unit. It's kinda hard to explain without a visual aid. So GAME left because he didn't want 50 to get paid off his album. All of these moves are more about money than about beef. Dre didn't get involved or pick sides in the beef so his money wouldn't get effed and Game left because he didn't want 50 to see no money off of his work (I ain't mad at him for that).
This is what I believe is the case. I'm sure I probably have a detail or two (or 3) wrong, but from what I've read and what I read between the lines, that's what I think the situation is.
Oh O K...that does actually help...I didn't really put together that all three, Aftermath, Shady and G-Unit were on the same level and that all three would make money off Game had he stayed...so it makes sense and it also makes total sense why Dre hasn't said anything about it...Thank ya kindly!
Yep yep. You're welcome.
Bone, we are on the same page now with the previous discussion we had from this post. I just needed clarification to your thoughts on the snitching thing but YES I agree with your last statement.
As far as the Label stuff I would agree partially to what you said. I don't know if I agree with your breakdown of the hierarchy but what you put is good enough to get an understanding of why Game left.
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