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Why I don’t hate The Game · by Sach O
A few days ago, Rafi posted that I considered The Game’s Doctor’s Advocate to be a contender for album of the year. I double-taked: really? Did I say that? True the album was monstrous (my exact quote if I recall), but there had to be at least a couple of better attempts than The Game’s… right? Eventually, I concluded that the only other albums both good and relevant enough to hold up under scrutiny were Game Theory and Fishscale and the latter still wasn’t a Supreme Clientele. E-40 and Lupe Fiasco’s attempts each suffered from filler, I’m the only one on earth who still cares about Apathy’s album and so much stuff disappointed from Diddy to the Jugganots that Jayceon Taylor practically won his spot in the top 3 by default. Still, as hollow a victory as it may be, it’s still a victory and I’d argue that despite his faults, The Game still deserves credit for putting out a quality album, top ranking or not.
In a way, his career path is reminiscent of fellow new-arrival Kanye West: his entire style is built around a reinterpretation of a past stereotype in rap music. Where Kanye was the “conscious rapper who could still floss”, Game adopted some sort of “last scion of all gangsters” approach to rhyming: by name dropping so many legends, he tried to convince the world that HE must be a legend too. Both approaches were annoying, both resulted in over-hyped debuts that aged quite poorly (singles excepted) and both included cheesy “near death” marketing ploys popularized by Fiddy Cent. Surprisingly however, both rappers then managed to put out notably improved sophomore albums, defying expectations that things would just get worse ala Nas, Jigga and whoever else they idolized. Neither Kanye nor Game were particularly good rappers on their debuts but the pressure of the industry sharpened their flows. Likewise, tweaks to their production have been for the better: Kanye toned down the overbearing chipmunk soul and The Game streamlined his aesthetic into a more unified form of millennial gangsta-rap.
And don’t get it twisted: Game is actually very good at post-millennial gangsta rap and this is about as dope an album as he could have possibly made. While it remains to be seen just how much influence Dr Dre had over the project, if Game put this thing together for dolo, it’s going to be hard to argue against his album making skills. He chooses a few points of reference: 2001’s crisp beats, Ice Cube’s angry loner attitude, Dr Dre’s booming flow and 2pac’s raw emotion, only to blend those elements into a coherent whole. The result is an album that’s unapologetically hard, there’s no “candy shop” to be found, and the closest Game gets to light hearted is the album’s sole skip worthy track (a terrible Jamie Foxx duet) and a collabo with the aforementioned Kanye. The rest of the time, it’s pissed-off venting over stomping Dre imitations: Scott Storch’s “Too Much” is the best Dr Dre track Dre never performed on, Will I Am’s “Compton” knocks so hard it almost redeems him for his B.E.P work and no matter how lazy, Just Blaze jacking Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos for “The Remedy” results in Game’s hardest lyrics yet. Interestingly enough, the infamous “name dropping” that Game is known and hated for isn’t nearly as prevalent on any these tracks.
This is not to say that he doesn’t name drop, but at least it makes slightly more sense nowadays. On The Documentary, he was trying to convince the audience that he belonged with legends through a series of absurd claims; here he mostly recounts his relationships with people he actually knows who just so happen to be famous. It’s the marked difference between wishful-thinking and honest writing. He’s clever with it too, on One Night, possibly the album’s most honest moment, he tears into his half brother Big Fase 100 without even bothering to address him directly: getting ignored by a serial name dropper has got to hurt. It doesn’t always work mind you, he still occasionally dips to his legend-by-association logic and the album’s title track featuring a drunk Game begging Dre to take him back verges on creepy, but overall it works.
“It works” basically sums up why Game’s album is such a surprise. We could have gotten an album of shitty Xzibit-level beats and unlistenable name dropping but instead we got an angry, focused rapper over production that actually surpasses his debut. The intense pressure of the media-microscope has given Game some actual real-life experiences to rhyme about and the results aren’t nearly as forced as his debut which suffered somewhat from the plasticity (artificiality?) of his back story. Though some people still won’t get past his rap style or his admittedly huge emo-streak, The Doctor’s Advocate still manages to be the best Dr Dre related project since late 1999. And it doesn’t even have any Dre beats.
Comments for "Why I don’t hate The Game"
Great post. I still can’t dig on The Game’s style or his “emo-streak”, yet I still find him fascinating nonetheless.
I can’t be arsed to listen to Late Registration again, though. The over-saturation of All Things Kanye pretty much destroyed that record for me, and I’d be more inclined to visit Dropout before hearing “Touch the Sky” for the umpteenth time.
— floodwatch Nov 10, 01:22 PM
Well done…when I wrote about it I forgot to mention the creepiness of the title track, specifically at the end when Busta Rhymes is tucking the The Game into bed. What the fuck was that about.Yet somehow the track still worked. I think what struck me is how little filler this album had, save for that goddawful Jamie Fox collabo. I also agree that The Documentary has aged poorly, but I don’t think this will. In LA, I imagine they’ll be playing this thing forever and a day. Which is about time because I’m sick and tired of people still bumping nothing but 2Pac records 10 years after the fact. Some variety was much needed out here.
— Jeff Nov 10, 01:49 PM
Wow, this has been a truly awful year for Hip Hop. Worst year in rap history? Discuss. The Game’s approach this time around reminds me a lot of Joe Buddens in his willingness to be relentlessly self indulgent and discuss his personal life and career on almost every track. (Is it just me or are good rappers increasingly turning their albums into testimonials?) I gotta take issue with the “hard”, “forced legend” conotations though, besides the intentionally vintage gangsta production what I find really admirable is Game’s willingness to openly be a fan, honestly discussing fear, regret and insecurity rather than hide behind some mythologized persona. I think labeling that emo rap gives it a negative connotation you would never stick on Biggie or Pac for doing the exact same thing. The title track is one of the boldest songs I’ve ever heard, if it wasnt so reminiscent of the olive branch Lil Wayne extended Juvenile on Tha Carter it’d be a revelation. This album took a lot of courage, than again I guess dude had nothing to lose.
— BkBomber Nov 10, 05:54 PM
Worst year?!? Maybe in mainstream music, but the Bay was finally put on the map. I’m not sayin that E-feezy’s “Report Card” was a good album, but great Yay Area rappers are finally getting a chance to shine. Mistah FAB, Keak da Sneak, the Federation, San Quinn, and much much more. This the was the year that hyphy muzak has been recognized. Whether cha like it or not, its out there.
— Drummer510 Nov 11, 08:31 PM
The Bay Area’s re-emergence is actually one of the aspects that gave me hope this year. Next week looks to be (QB) hectic but I am planning to give it nuff shine sometime this month.
— Sach Nov 11, 09:08 PM
So wait, is year of the bay area contradicting my statement or supporting it?
— BkBomber Nov 12, 03:25 AM
Great post. I have to agree with everything you just wrote.
The Documentary was at times embarrassing to listen to but The Game seemed to gain focus with the G-Unot thing. Him being mad made him so much sharper to the point that he didn’t even need to put any G-Unot songs on the The Doctor’s Advocate. Excellent move.
I love this new album, with its flaws and everything. We’ll see how it stands time.
— Perttu Nov 24, 03:50 AM