In the mid-eighties, there was a group called N.W.A., consisting of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, and DJ Yella. While Cube was originally from Compton, the rest were, and Compton was officially on the map thanks to Straight Outta Compton. From there, another act from the notorious CPT emerged called Compton's Most Wanted, consisting of MC Eiht, Tha Chill, and DJ Slip, as well as other notable acts such as 2nd II None, DJ Quik, BG Knocc Out & Gangsta Dresta, and King Tee. Fast forward to the early thousands, and there was a buzz about a young jack from the CPT named Jayceon Taylor, professionally called The Game. With his ties to Bay Area legend, JT The Bigga Figga, he was known for mixtapes such as You Know What It Is and Live From Compton. It was soon stated that the almighty Doctor, himself, got a hold of his music, and turned him on to his Aftermath label, but also introduced him to 50 Cent for him to be a part of 50's G-Unit camp, making him the only west coast representative within the crew (much like Young Buck was the only southern artist within the camp). With co-signs from both Dre and 50, the sky was immediately the limit for the young Compton native. Once his album, The Documentary, dropped, it was full speed ahead with his stardom. Seen as the leader of the next generation of Compton emcees, Game met all expectations with his debut selling upwards of five million units worldwide, thus The Game had officially arrived. His enormous debut wasn't the only monster to emerge within his discography, as you'll soon discover. His street narratives detailing the harsh and brutal imagery of the Compton boulevards are vivid and quite descriptive. Plus, he has a rep for name-dropping excessively throughout a lot of his tracks for whatever reason. In true Compton lineage, if he had a problem with you, you nest believe he would address you, especially on wax. From his very highly publicized beefs with 50 and his G-Unit camp to the likes of Meek Mill, State Property, Yukmouth of The Luniz, and even Eminem, among others, Game was, and is, quite outspoken and isn't afraid of any drama. As polarizing as the man is, the emcee is definitely a gifted emcee, and lead the way for other modern Compton emcees, most notably Mr. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. With all this being said, here's a look at The Game's impressive and notable discography. This discography doesn't include his mixtapes, nor his collab EP with Big Hit, Paisley Dreams. Just his full-length albums. Let's get into it shall we?
9. Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind
Production: Hit-Boy, Davaughn, Big Duke, Mike Dean, Timbaland, Swizz Beats, Bongo, London On Da Track, S1, DJ Paul, others
Guests: Chris Brown, Chloe, Cassie, Ice-T, Kanye West, Nipsey Hussle, Rick Ross, Big Sean, Cam'Ron, A$AP Rocky, Roddy Rich, Ty Dolla $ign, Twista, Lil Wayne, others
We start off with Game's latest and most recent effort, Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind. Following up his 2019 effort, Born 2 Rap (which was "supposed" to be his final album), Game dropped this double effort with the intentions of having fans remember what brought him to the dance in the first place of being among the most talented west coast emcees of his generation. With the deaths of fellow LA native, Nipsey Hussle, still fresh within him, as well as other issues he's encountered or hold deep within him, he's able to express these issues and put them on wax as only he can do. This album is very west coast-laced yet also taps into elements of trap and drill music as well to mixed results. To start the newsworthy talk off properly, he dropped a street cut entitled "The Black Slim Shady", which was a clear diss to former collaborator, Eminem, for reasons that aren't completely clear. Game disses Em while impersonating him and rapping in first person while self-loathing. Entertaining for sure, but this ten-minute cut definitely ruffled feathers for Em's fans. He also dropped the track, "Eazy", featuring Kanye over an old beat that is very reminiscent of NWA's "Boyz in The Hood" with a modernized melody provided by Hit-Boy (who contributed eight of the album's cuts) and Mike Dean. The first single, the Big Sean assisted "Stupid", was a dope lead-off single over a snapping Hit-Boy beat, but the question is, "How would the rest of the long player be?" Well based off the aforementioned heaters alone, we are looking at a solid project, but it definitely doesn't stop there. The cut "Voodoo", has him experimenting with a new style over a slinky, yet menacing, beat while other cuts like the Rick Ross-assisted, "Save The Best for Last", the DJ Paul boomer "La La Land", and the Janet Jackson-sampled collab with Chloe Bailey, Chris Brown, and Cassie, "Universal Love", the album has very good high points. To no surprise, production-wise, Hit-Boy contributes the best sonic points of the album including the aforementioned "Eazy" and "Stuupid", but also the Roddy Rich-collaborated "How Far I Came" and the LTD-sampled "A Father's Prayer", which sounds like it could've easily been a part of any of Nas' King's Disease or Magic series with Chauncey Hollis, himself. Of course, the collab with the late Nipsey Hussle, "World Tours", can potentially bring a thug tear to an eye as we are reminded of the talent Neighborhood Nip possessed. The Alpine speakers get a lot of overtime work as well with cuts like the Meek Mill/Moneybagg Yo/BLXST-assisted, "Talk to Me Nice", the shit talking knocker of "What We Not Gon' Do", and "O.P.P." (nope, not the same one you're likely thinking about, in fact far from it). The latter has him being more versatile with his style, as he enters the drill rap subgenre with this cut as well as the Fivio Foreign-assisted, "Burnin' Checks", but he also rehashes favorites within hip-hop history such as Jay-Z's "Money, Cash, Hoes" in the form of "Money, Cash, Clothes" with A$AP Rocky and his shoutout to Bone Thugs N Harmony and their big hit, "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" with the Lil Wayne/G Herbo-collaborated, "Chrome Slugs & Harmony", which has him, unsurprisingly, reaching into his double-time bag for delivery. Another standout is the Twista/Jeremih, Candice Pillay-assisted "Rubi's Rose" has a great beat switch that has Twista going bananas on the first part, while Jeremih croons the second part with Game going into his typical sexual exploits, but the groove of both beats is as slick and engaging as anything you'll hear on the album. Game also manages to salute the late, great Prodigy with the Mobb Deep "Get Away"-sampled, "Start From Scratch II", which is the sequel to the dumb dope "Start From Scratch" from The Documentary. It can be argued that the most introspective cut is the title track, which features a surprisingly mundane and subdued piano melody from the red-hot DJ Mustard. While other cuts like the Pusha T/2 Chainz-collaborated, "No Man Falls", "Home Invasion", the YG-assisted, "Outside" and the Ice-T guested, "One Time" all keep the heat sizzling, others such as the Blueface-guested, "38 Special", the drill rap stylings of the Cam'ron-assisted, "K.I.L.L.A.S." and "Nikki's Beach" slow the album down some. Instead of a thirty-one-track platter, this album would've been a crazier album with sixteen or seventeen cuts. In fact, it's possible this could've been in his top five albums. All that being said, Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind is a formidable album from the Compton native. His willingness to go outside of his usual straightforward, uncompromising flow is to be respected and admired, as Game continued to show he can really rap something. The misses are few, but noticeable, however the hits are plentiful and bump hard. As to what Game has up next? Only time will tell, but chances are he will deliver another dumb dope collection of the streets as only Jayceon Taylor can do.
8. Born 2 Rap
Production: Swizz Beats, Big Duke, StreetRunner, Tec Beatz, Bongo, DJ Khalyl, Focus, others
Guests: Chris Brown, Trey Songz, D Smoke, Nipsey Hussle, Marsha Ambrosius, Ed Sheeran, Travis Barker, Miguel, 21 Savage, Dom Kennedy, others
Once we hit 2019, The Game had, once again, been speaking retirement and leaving the industry. With eight commercially or critically successful albums prior, Game felt it was only right to step away with grace and acclaim. He decided, at the time, to step away but would leave behind one more album in the form of Born 2 Rap. This twenty-five-track effort was an attempt to go out with style, and he definitely made a good attempt at doing so. As with all his previous albums, the album is certainly loaded with guests and collaborations. He only does seven tracks with no guests, thus making this seem like another album much like Jadakiss' The Last Kiss or Jay-Z's The Dynasty: Roc La Familia album, in which it's a solo album that feels more like a compilation due to the number of guests. This fact doesn't necessarily take away from how much this a damn good album. One look at the tracklist shows that the album begins and ends with multiple Grammy Award singer, Ed Sheeran, guesting on the tracks "City of Sin" and "Roadside" respectively. Both cuts are decent enough to hold your attention, but not necessarily ones to stay in constant repetition. This doesn't take away from the fact that this album does possess. Cuts like "Westside", the title track, and the Dom Kennedy-assisted, "Gold Daytonas" provide enough bump to satisfy those Alpine speakers and keep them in rotation. Mr. Taylor's knack to compete for that crown and to remind people of his emcee abilities came out in the form of the dumb dope, "The Light", in which he calls out various artists such as Kendrick, Cole, Future, and Travis $cott to "step into this light". Not as a means to be confrontational, but rather to take on his own brand of what Kendrick did with his verse on Big Sean's "Control". in which he called out emcees to challenge them lyrically and to step up on that mic. One thing we've always gotten from Game is his multi-faceted persona throughout his albums. He will go from being inspirational to personal and crime boss to family man. This album is no different, especially with this album being as long as it is. Although, one could also look at it all as having something for everybody. Cuts like "Ask About Me", "Gucci Flip Flops", and the 21 Savage-assisted, "The Code" are entertaining enough to keep that volume up, but pretty much fade into obscurity as average tracks. His love of excess, women, and sex are on display again on the Chris Brown-guested, "Gangstas Make the World Go Round", but he seeks to kick inspirational bars concerning making it through odds and overcoming obstacles on the Trey Songz-crooned, "Blood Thicker Than Water". He's never been afraid of getting to a vulnerable place within himself, if need be, and it's his softer moments that help make Game more human. His shows his love to his lady on "Stay Down", while getting inspirational on cuts like the D Smoke-assisted "Cross On Jesus Back", "One Life" with J Stone and Masego, and the aforementioned "Roadway". However, the shocking and tragic death of LA rapper/entrepreneur, Nipsey Hussle, really hit home with Game. This is not more apparent than the solemn, Marsha Ambrosius-guested track, "Didn't Wanna Write This Song", in which he expresses his love and grief over Neighborhood Nip with his own gangsta-type eulogy. On the flip side, he drops a triumphant cut with a posthumous chorus from the late, great Hussle on the searing, "Welcome Home" to do both bring a tear to your eye out of mourning and also remember the visionary talent that Hussle was. A big fan of another hip-hop legend in Nas, he revisits one of Nas' most innovative cuts, "Rewind", and delivers "Rewind II", which basically has him doing exactly what Nas did. He raps the scenario from the ending to the beginning in a story that isn't too bad and is actually intriguing as well. If Born 2 Rap was supposed to originally be his swan song, The Game did a pretty good job of going out. While it's not anywhere near the classic of his debut, or even in the vicinities of other albums like Documentary 2/2.5 and Doctor's Advocate, this is still an enjoyable album to remind people that, when all in, Game is as sharp as any emcee the west coast ever produced.
7. The R.E.D. Album
Production: DJ Premier, Hit-Boy, Cool & Dre, DJ Khalyl, 1500 Or Nothin', StreetRunner, Pharrell Williams, Boi-1nda, others
Guests: Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Drake, Beanie Sigel, Lil Wayne, Jeezy, Chris Brown, Mario, Wale, Nelly Furtado, others
After his third album, LAX, Game had temporarily decided he was going to leave the rap game behind to focus on family, however, after some convincing (including monetary) from Interscope head, Jimmy Iovine, Game returned in 2011 with The R.E.D. Album, three years after LAX. While it's not a ton of irony that the album title coincides with his Blood/Piru affiliations, he has also stated that the album stands for "REDedication", and based upon what we hear within this album, Game does show a refocused desire to claim that spot as west coast's king once again. Unfortunately, Game seems to be lacking some of what made him one of the industry's top talents in terms of consistency and a steady pen game. With an already damn impressive discography under his belt, the task was for him to keep up his own pace. Based upon the singles "Pot Of Gold" with Chris Brown and "Red Nation" with fellow Blood affiliate, Lil Wayne, this already looked like it was headed in the right direction. With him reuniting with Dre, at least creatively by having him narrate the album, it was off to the races with the aggressive collab with then up-and-coming emcee, Kendrick Lamar, "The City". From there, we get into a thunderous collab with Dre, Snoop, and Sly on the bumping "Drug Test", the Boyz N The Hood-inspired, "Ricky", and the slick collab with Tyler The Creator and Wayne once again, "Martians vs. Goblins". There's clearly an edge to him that shows up in venom and hunger. He tried to summon up the drive from his earlier projects, especially the first two. With cuts like the Rick Ross/Beanie Sigel-assisted, "Heavy Artillery" and the Jeezy-guested, "Paramedics", this is clear and evident, as both of these cuts could at least belong on LAX with enough adrenaline to be great additions to your workout daily playlists. While cuts like the Big Boi/E-40-collabrotion, "Speakers On Blast" and the Lloyd-guested, "Hello", tend to slow down the album's consistent sonic pleasures, he gets right back in it with the Nelly Furtado-assisted ode about his mother, "Mama Knows", and especially the surprising, yet dope, collab with the legendary DJ Premier on the boards and his trademarked scratches, "Born in The Trap". Game has stated that this album, and LAX, weren't necessarily his favorites, but truthfully, The R.E.D. Album isn't a bad album at all. Inconsistent at times, the album sounds formulaic in terms of subject matter and his open game slightly fell off as well here, however, to say this album wasn't flammable in other areas is incorrect to any that think otherwise. After a three-year layoff, Game presented an album that hardcore Game fans appreciated and actually view as his most underrated effort. There's a lot of credence to that claim.
6. Jesus Piece
Production: Cool & Dre, SAP, Dr. Dre, Jake One, Boi-1nda, Dawaun Parker, others
Guests: Kendrick Lamar, Jeezy, Future, Tank, Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Common, Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, others
Never being one to shy away from controversy, The Game presented his fifth album, Jesus Piece, to the dismay of the Christian community, especially the Roman Catholic church for its cover. The cover, which depicted a Black Jesus with a red bandana on and a tattoo tear on his cheek, was labeled as blasphemous among the Christian community, but be that as it may, Game dives into an area he hasn't fully let us into a lot: his faith. As he explained in an interview, it's about him "giving honor to Christ while still being a gangsta". While this mind state is definitely double minded in the Bible, he does a great job showing his ambiguity throughout the album. The album doesn't lack in star power and guests, as all but a few cuts contain collaborations, but the production is just as consistent and solid as any other album he's delivered. One surprising feature that we get is one time rival-turned-accomplice, Meek Mill, for the cut "Scared Now", but the guests remain plentiful as the likes of J. Cole, Kendrick, Kanye, Common, 2 Chainz, and Lil Wayne all serve formidable bars and verses on this album. The bumps aren't in short supply either. Cuts like the 2 Chainz/Rick Ross-assisted, "Ali Boomaye", the neck-snapping collab with Pusha T, "Name Me King", and "Blood Diamonds" (for those that spin the deluxe edition) all are dumb dope examples of Game handling his business correctly over engaging production. He gets assistance from the aforementioned Kendrick Lamar and always superb R&B crooner, Tank, on "See No Evil", in which he highlights the craziness he has witnessed and has been immersed with in the streets of Compton. Meanwhile, on "Can't Get Right", he confesses his vices and weaknesses while proclaiming he doesn't want to go to hell for them. You do get the theme of this battle between the streets and his relationship with God more prevalent on some tracks more than others. While he gets into deep, contemplative mode with "Can't Get Right", he gets almost flippant with his Biblical references in a borderline disrespectful manner on the Jamie Foxx-crooned "Hallelujah". Likewise, on the otherwise excellent, "Heaven's Arms", he flashes his excess with name brands such as Gucci and Louis Vatton and exalts them in Heavenly places virtually. However, he goes from misogynistic on "Hallelujah" to pro-woman on the J. Cole/JMSN-assisted "Pray" that blends a bit of Pac's "Keep Ya Head Up" with Kendrick's "Keisha's Song" that lifts up troubled young women and reminds them of how essential they are to this world. Meanwhile, he, Common, and Kanye go for theirs on the standout title track, while going right back to the borderline blasphemous "Holy Water". The complexity of Game throughout this album is intriguing, yet telling, as Jesus Piece is clearly a look at Jayceon Taylor's duality complex. A hustla, playa, and west coast superstar, but one that also has a heart and struggles to blend one part of his life with the other, as most of us flawed humans tend to do. Knowing God is his Savior and Protector, he still realizes God isn't finished with him yet.
5. LAX
Production: Cool & Dre, Kanye West, Nottz, Hi-Tek, JR Rotem, Scott Storch, DJ Toomp, 1500 Or Nothin', Jelly Roll, Knobody, DJ Quik, others
Guests: Travis Barker, Lil Wayne, Common, Raekwon, Nas, Ice Cube, DMX, Chrisette Michele, Raheem Devaughn, Ne-Yo, Ludacris, Keyshia Cole, others
Following up the tremendous outing that was The Doctor's Advocate would be daunting. The aforementioned album was fresh off his issues with 50 & G-Unit, as well as others such as State Property and Meek Mill. You heard the ferocity in his delivery at times, which indicated a chip on his shoulder post-Documentary. Hoping to keep his momentum alive would be his third album, LAX. While Documentary was east coast flavored, and Doctor's Advocate was more hometown sounding, LAX blended the best of both to a degree, with pleasurable results. The album starts strong with "LAX Files", as he has us walking with him through the streets of Compton and L.A., which is arguably the central theme of LAX: personal rhymes about the streets he grew up on, the violence he was immersed in, gang life, and excessive name-dropping (aka another regular Game album). He continues this on the following cut, the Ice Cube-featured, "State of Emergency", in which Game describes an assumed fictional account of him emptying the clip on an unfortunate cat that was part of a crew that jacked him. Likewise on the Raekwon-assisted, "Bulletproof Diaries", Game highlights his life in all of its drama and excess over a fly Jelly Roll track. On the Chrisette Michele-assisted, "Let Us Live", he throws some daggers at G-Unit and Aftermath while declaring himself the "Ultimate Warrior to these bully ass niggas", while on the Ne-Yo featured "Gentleman's Affair", he delivers sexual tryst after sexual tryst that isn't far off from the all-time misogynistic ode, "Ain't No Fun" from Snoop and friends. As are most times with Game, it's when he gets deeper and more introspective that he shines the brightest. On the Nas-collaborated, "Letter To the King", these two rap giants do quite the excellent job saluting Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King over a smooth, yet knocking, beat courtesy of Hi-Tek, while on the Lil' Wayne-featured, "My Life", Game cries tattoo tears over a dope, yet melancholy, beat by Cool & Dre that has him expressing pain, remorse, confusion, and self-reflection. Also, on the clever, "Never Can Say Goodbye", we hear Game morphing his style into the fallen greats of Eazy, Pac, and Biggie on each respective verse and how the last several minutes on their lives would've been imagined to be. He, likewise, personifies hip-hop and weed on the Kanye-crafted, "Angel" in the same spirit Common used to love H.E.R. over a neck-bobbing instrumental. With other enjoyable cuts like the Keyshia Cole-collaborated, "Game's Pain", the KNOCKING "Dope Boys" with Blink 182's masterful drummer, Travis Barker, "House of Pain", and the Ludacris-assisted "Ya Heard", LAX is another victory lap for one of Cali's most talented new jacks of the time. Aiming to put his issues with his haters and detractors behind him, Game delivered an album that reminded us of how great a project from him can be when he keeps his eyes on the prize, and not succumbing to naysayers and beefs.
4. The Doctor's Advocate
Production: Just Blaze, Hi-Tek, Nottz, will.i.am, DeNaun Porter, Jelly Roll, JR Rotem, Scott Storch, Swizz Beats, Kanye West, DJ Khalyl, others
Guests: Nas, Marsha Ambrosius, Kanye West, Junior Reid, Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beats, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Xzibit, others
In the (ahem) aftermath of the falling out between 50, G-Unit, and Game, the young Compton star was subsequently dropped from Dre's Aftermath label, and moved to Geffen, while yet still under Jimmy Iovine's Interscope umbrella. Although a man on his own now without his prior crew and labelmates, Game was determined to deliver a follow-up to his exceptional debut album, The Documentary. In this case, it was The Doctor's Advocate, which was obviously an indication of involvement from Dr. Dre like he was on Documentary, but unfortunately, this was not the case. However, be not dismayed. What the album lacked in Dre influence and production, it made up for with outstanding production from the likes of east coast heavyweights such as Just Blaze, Nottz, and Swizz Beats, while also having west coast boardsmiths such as will.i.am, Jelly Roll, and DJ Khalyl. He had a lot to prove here, but based on cuts such as the opening cut, "Lookin' At You", the first official single, "One Blood", and "Compton", this album was going to be a problem. A big one. It was clear he had more of a point to prove here than on his debut. There's more of a ferocity in his delivery and tone. Of course, nobody could blame him with all the beefs and issues he was having with the likes of the aforementioned and even more. You can hear this on other cuts like "Da Shit" and the Swizz Beats-fueled, "Scream On 'Em", but he also finds time to get personal, as evidenced on cuts like the Deele-sampled "One Night", where he reveals how hurt he was that nobody went to go see him after he got shot a few years prior as well as the cut "Ol' English", which has him detailing past traumas in his life such as the murders of his uncle, friend, and girlfriend at young ages/ It's always been his poignancy that has been more of a calling card that works more than his excessive name dropping, which he still does here plenty of times. He gets back to that hard west coast shit with other cuts like the will.i.am-assisted "Compton", "Remedy", and "California Vacation", which also includes dope spots by Snoop and Xzibit. While his video vixen, groupie love-type collab with Kanye, "Wouldn't Get Far" is tacky is subject nature, it doesn't stop it from being quite the bumper, as well as the ode to haters, the Nas-assisted "Why You Hate the Game" (which has strong "Hate Me Now" vibes with it ironically). The title track has him discussing his relationship with Dre and why he got booted from Aftermath over a mean beat provided by JR Rotem and with Busta providing a dumb dope verse as he was part of the Aftermath regime at that time himself. Clearly more west coast sounding than his debut, The Doctor's Advocate was also a mean reintroduction to the culture post G-Unit and Dre. Easily one of his most definitive albums, The Game showed that he was certainly no one album wonder, and this was perhaps the official statement he needed to not just show, but prove, that he was the future of the west, and he wasn't going anywhere no time soon.
3. 1992
Production: Bongo, Cool & Dre, Scott Storch, Terrace Martin, others
Guests: Jeremih, Jason Derulo
The year of 1992 was quite memorable for the nation, especially within the Black community. Musically, we had debut offerings from the likes of Kris Kross, Arrested Development, and Das EFX, while delivering classics such as Show & AG's Runaway Slave, The Pharcyde's Bizarre Ryde II Tha Pharcyde, Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts, & Hip-Hop, and certainly Dr. Dre's landmark The Chronic. Not to mention Whitney Houston became THAT worldwide star with her iconic "I Will Always Love You" and Boyz II Men smashed records left and right with "End of The Road". However, in social news, nothing gripped the nation more than the horrendous beating of L.A. motorist, Rodney King, by four white police officers within the LAPD. If that wasn't stomach turning enough, all four men were acquitted of this heinous crime. We all know the ramifications of that verdict now, don't we? This same year, a pre-teen Jayceon Taylor became a Blood in a family full of Crips, and he witnessed things within his youth no adolescent should witness and take part in. Hence, the name for his eighth album, 1992. This was quite the pivotal year for young Jayceon, as he starts to discover himself musically, as well as a young man growing up in the bloody streets of Compton. This album starts off with the very appropriate "Savage Lifestyle", as this takes us into the eyes of the twelve-year-old witnessing the LA riots and all the craziness he was witnessing within his Compton neighborhood. Over a reworking of Marvin Gaye's legendary "Inner City Blues", Game paints a surreal and chaotic scene filled with images of crack sales, Reginald Denny getting beaten with Crips are C-walking around his bloodied body, and other brutal scenes that end up influencing and young and impressionable Jayceon in one of his most vivid cuts ever. On "Fuck Orange Juice", he shouts out OJ Simpson but also realizes he can't go out the way he did in terms of surrendering to the LAPD after the white bronco chase, but on "What Your Life Like", he goes over his time in the business and the ups and downs he's encountered including sexual trysts with the like of former video vixen Maliah Michael, his issues with 50, and suing Jimmy Iovine for royalties. When Game is in narrative mode, he shines the brightest on this effort. On the vivid "Young Niggas", he details a story in which he and a childhood friend he grew up with grew apart to where they joined opposite gangs and resulted in a shootout between them. Meanwhile, on the cut "Grew Up on Wu-Tang", he revisits the time in his life when he was introduced to those nine Shaolin warriors and their own landmark debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and the impact they had on him while in the streets doing his dirt. Similarly, on "The Soundtrack", he salutes Dr. Dre and the impact The Chronic had on him just like Wu-Tang did. Of course, it wouldn't be a Game album without some controversy in it, and we get it in the form of the Jeremih-assisted "All Eyez", in which he speaks about a fling with a young lady that ends up, presumptively, being Karrueche Tran (as in former girlfriend of megastar, Chris Brown). While this became a smoldering issue, his situation with Meek Mill was also boiling on the cut "92 Bars", in which he unloads a full clip onto Mill, as well as State Property, who decided to speak their two cents into the situation. As a whole, Game painted the tale of a young gangsta up and coming in the streets and having hip-hop be his guide as much as his environment in 1992. While we saw houses, businesses, and stores being burnt to a crisp at this time thanks to the riots, Game delivered his own flames in the scope of that time period with 1992 and ranks as solid and as dumb dope as anything Mr. Taylor would ever drop.
2. The Documentary 2/2.5
Production: Dr. Dre, The Alchemist, DJ Khalyl, Bongo, S1, Battlecat, Mike & Keys, Mustard, DJ Quik, Fredwreck, DJ Premier, Cardo, StreetRunner, Mike WILL Made It, others
Guests: Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Q-Tip, Future, Busta Rhymes, Ty Dolla $ign, Nas, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, others
A full decade after dropping one of modern rap's seminal moments with The Documentary and becoming an official needle mover for the west, The Game wanted to commemorate the occasion by delivering the much-anticipated sequel to The Documentary, The Documentary 2. However, he did so with a twist. The album was originally a double album, but he decided to split the album up by having "disc one" released one week, and "disc 2" (renaming it Documentary 2.5) being released the very next week. However you would like to slice it, Documentary 2/2.5 is a double release and will get seen and treated as such. In any event, to say the bar was already set very high from his legit classic debut would be an understatement. Was he up for the task? As a whole, absolutely! Between Doc 2 and Doc 2.5, the whole album was a combined 38 tracks, and each cut is as varied yet as cohesive as one would expect from the sequel to a classic. Not to mention the NUMEROUS guests on this monster of an album. Friends, colleagues, and cohorts such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop, Nas, Busta, TDE, Drake and Kanye were all highly featured on this all-star album, but so were producers, as a who's who was heavily involved as well such as Dre, Uncle Al, Preemo, Quik, and other west coast heavyweights such as Fredwreck, Mike & Keys, Battlecat, and Khalyl. He went totally all out for the project, and the result was a monster. With disc one, this was the overall winner, as this half was more diverse in musical and lyrical stylings. From the hard bumps of cuts like the Preemo-powered title track, the Dre and Cube-assisted "Don't Trip", the knocking "Step Up", and "New York, New York" to the more Cali-sounding cuts of "Just Another Day", the Kendrick Lamar-assisted "On Me", and the fellow TDE rep, Ab-Soul-guested, "Dollar & A Dream", this disc had it all. There were zero skips and all repeats for pretty much every cut here. Not to mention, Game was in a zone lyrically. Hungry, determined, and shoulder with a chip on it, Game was set out to prove he was still HIM out there in that Cali sunshine. On the aforementioned "Dollar & A Dream", he mentions his past prior to blowing up with unapologetic rhetoric and braggadocio delivery. Similarly, on "Just Another Day", he reminisces about life in L.A. but also clarifies his stance with Dre as well. With the second "disc", we get a bit deeper and more reflective. The grim realities of the ScHoolboy Q-guested "Gang Bang Anyway" has ironic tendencies, as Game, a known Blood member, collaborated with Q, a known Crip, but the theme of this bleak cut revolves around the everyday violence that becomes a way of life in L.A. The very next track has him and the almighty Nas on "The Ghetto" describing conditions and life outside of their own cities that are filled with racism, struggle, crime, and poverty. However, this disc hits substantial home runs on a couple of particular tracks. One is the sequel to Documentary's "Like Father, Like Son", "Like Father, Like Son 2", in which Busta returns on this track, but this time Game's son guests on the hook, as he's now old enough to sing on it, whereas with the original, he had just been born. The other one being his tribute to the late, great icon himself, Tupac Shakur, "Last Time You Seen". Along with another legend, Scarface, he gives his views on situations surrounding his death such as his interview with Harry-O and Outlaw member, Khadafi's, death not long after. The standout was Mr. Jordan, as he vividly details his last encounter with Pac in a haunting, yet touching, manner. Another standout cut id the Lil Wayne-assisted, "From Adam", in which he drunkenly details the evening he was nearly taken away from us in an act of violence much like he did on Documentary's "Start from Scratch" and especially "Dreams". the hostile emotion from him, especially in the first verse, is highly apparent but the events surrounding his shooting remain chilling, and this cut reminds us of how blessed he is to be given another stake at life. With other excellent cuts such as the Anderson.Paak-featured "Crenshaw/80s & Cocaine", the all-star assembled posse cut "My Flag", and the closing cut "Life", disc two is certainly the most substantive of the two discs, but as a whole, this album is damn near perfect. When we think about classic double albums, efforts such as Life After Death, All Eyez on Me, Wu-Tang Forever, and Tru 2 Da Game, however, many critics would scoff that the majority of double albums would be even better as a single full-length album due to consistency issues. This isn't one of them. The Documentary2/2.5 is all the way through consistent and could actually make a legit claim for one the best double albums in recent hip-hop history. Game came through to remind people what got him his acclaim in the first place, and with the spirit of his eponymous debut within him, he constructed a modern classic that only put Game even higher up on a list he was already put on just based off his lyricism, tremendous storytelling, and his true to life persona that puts him as one of the biggest faces of the west, especially Compton.
1. The Documentary
Production: Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, Kanye West, Cool & Dre, Havoc, Timbaland, Just Blaze, Needlz, Focus, Hi-Tek, Eminem, others
Guests: 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Marsha Ambrosius, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Busta Rhymes, Nate Dogg, Eminem
When Game had sign on with G-Unit, he was seen as the next big thing from the west in '05. With his underground mixtapes preceding him such as Westside Story and Untold Story, Game was establishing himself as someone to peep, but his official co-sign from 50 and Dre alike made him the next big star from Compton. With G-Unit on the roll they were on at this time with 50's Get Rich Or Die Tryin' breaking records all over the place, as well as the Unit's group album, Beg For Mercy, Banks' debut, The Hunger For More, and Buck's Straight Outta Cashville both going gold very quickly, the pressure was on Game to keep up the momentum, and boy did he ever. A joint venture between G-Unit and Dre's Aftermath Records, The Documentary was born, and the street singles of "Westside Story" and "Higher" were bringing tremendous attention to the Compton native. The Dre-produced singles were just the tip of the iceberg for Game, and the official radio cuts of "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It" officially made him a made man. The mash of street narratives meeting radio accessible production was a specialty of 50 and certainly Dre so these cuts brought Game's Documentary to platinum status within a couple months as well, and eventually just over double and a half platinum. Game's knack for excessive name-dropping was considered a slight nuisance throughout the album lyrically, but as a whole, Game held his own and showed how truly talented he was. He kept the vibe of streets meets radio with highly strong cuts such as the Faith Evans-assisted "Don't Need Your Love", "No More Fun & Games", and "Church For Thugs", in which Just Blaze crushes the latter two cuts with his signature thumping chipmunk soul production with enough bump to cause some noise ordinance tickets. One thing about Game that was striking was how personal he would get, especially when it came to his street life episodes such as his near fatal shooting on the standout Kanye-crafted cut, "Dreams", as well as the sizzling autobiographical title track and the dangers of him getting signed and blowing up on the Yayo-assisted, "Runnin'". He hits his most poignant moment on the Busta Rhymes-assisted, "Like Father, Like Son", where he raps about his newfound role as a father to his son and how he wants to be a better father to him then his dad was to him. Even with the necessary Eminem feature (at the time) with "We Ain't", this album was top to bottom a smash. Predictions were that Game was going to be one of the true new school representatives for the resurgence of the west coast, and The Documentary was damn sure that warning signal. Jayceon Taylor, with the help of 50, designed a true west coast hip-hop classic with The Documentary, and in fact changed the modern landscape of west coast gangsta shit with this album. Truly studying off the inspirations that were previous monuments such as The Chronic, Doggystyle, Music 2 Drive By, Straight Outta Compton, 187 He Wrote, and Quik Is the Name, Game made one for Cali that reached beyond the barriers of the palm trees and sunshine of Cali. While very heavy with the Cali aura, it was a very east coast-powered album much like Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and was highly received from all parts of the country as well. It could be argued that Game was the west coast's 50 for a time. A changing of the guard happened with this album and this new young Compton artist. Before Kendrick helped to carry the torch for Compton, Game was handling it very nicely, and this was the mainstream beginning of what would be a commercially and critically successful career.
It's clear that The Game is a very talented and skilled writer and emcee. Sure, his reputation of excessive name-dropping and lack of reaching beyond his usual subject matter of the streets, crime, excess, and the occasional personal narrative can ring bland, but it doesn't take away from the fact that Game is dope. Period. From the moment we heard him with G-Unit all the way through Drillmatic, Game has been time tested, and his discography has been widely respected. At the beginning of 2024, he and Los Angeles OG, Big Hit (Hit-Boy's father), dropped a dope EP with Hit-Boy on the boards entitled, Paisley Dreams, and it was a thumper. Reportedly, he will drop the third installment of The Documentary in January, and the anticipation is quite high to repeat the critical acclaim of his prior two. There's also talks of an album with Hit-Boy, which would be potentially blazing. In any case, Game continues to be one of the culture's most visible, if not controversial, emcees, and should be credited for reviving the Compton hip-hop scene from the early thousands. Until next time folks!
Here are some of The Game's most potent cuts and examples of his sharp talent:
Dreams (production: Kanye West)
A.I. With The Braids feat. Lil Wayne
Start From Scratch feat. Marsha Ambrosius (production: Dr. Dre, Scott Storch)
Runnin' feat. Tony Yayo, Dion (production: Hi-Tek)
One Night (production: Nottz)
Hollywood feat. Scarface
Da Shit (production: DJ Khalyl)
Why You Hate The Game feat. Nas, Marsha Ambrosius (production: Just Blaze)
My Life feat. Lil' Wayne (production: Cool & Dre)
Life Is But A Dream feat. Elijah Blake (production: V DON)
State Of Emergency feat. Ice Cube
Letter To The King feat. Nas (production: Hi-Tek)
Bulletproof Diaries feat. Raekwon (production: Jelly Roll)
The City feat. Kendrick Lamar (production: Cool & Dre)
Ricky (production: DJ Khalyl)
Compton feat. Stat Quo
Born In the Trap (production: DJ Premier)
Drug Test feat. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Sly (production: DJ Khalyl)
Heaven's Arms (production: Cool & Dre)
Jesus Piece feat. Common, Kanye West
Pray feat. J. Cole, JMSN (production: Cool & Dre)
Can't Get Right feat. K. Roosevelt (production: Cool & Dre)
Name Me King feat. Pusha T
On Me feat. Kendrick Lamar
Step Up feat. Dej Loaf
Don't Trip feat. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, will.i.am (production: will.i.am)
The Documentary 2 (production: DJ Premier)
Summertime (production: Mike WILL Made It)
Dollar & A Dream feat. Ab-Soul (production: Cool & Dre)
The Ghetto feat. Nas, will.i.am (production: will.i.am)
Just Beginning (Where I'm From)
Gang Bang Anyway feat. Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q
Last Time You Seen feat. Scarface, Stacy Barthe (production: S1)
Compton For Life feat. MC Eiht
Moment Of Violence feat. King Mez, Jon Connor, JT (production: Mike & Keys, DJ Khalyl)
Crenshaw/Cocaine & 80s feat. Anderson.Paak, Sonyae (production: Fredwreck)
Death Row Chain (production: Jelly Roll)
When Shit Get Thick feat. Sean T, JT The Bigga Figga
Dead Homies feat. Red Cafe
I Didn't Wanna Write This Song feat. Marsha Ambrosius (production: Focus)
Welcome Home feat. Nipsey Hussle
Cross On Jesus Back feat. D Smoke
Eazy feat. Kanye West (production: Hit-Boy, Mike Dean, DJ Premier)
No Man Falls feat. Pusha T, 2 Chainz
The Black Slim Shady (production: Hit-Boy)
G.A.M.E. feat. Young Noble of Tha Outlawz
World Tours feat. Nipsey Hussle
Universal Love feat. Chloe Bailey, Chris Brown, Cassie
Like Father, Like Son 2 feat. Busta Rhymes
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