The Critics Corner | Albums

The Documentary 2 West Coast rapper returns to strong form in newest album
Olly Murs
Album name: The Documentary 2
Label:  Blood Money, eOne
Release Date: October 09, 2015
Rating: -- 4.5 out of 5

Review written by: Jake Boshold
The Game has been one of the most consistent artists in the rap industry the past decade and he’s released a project every year since 2010. He has been consistent, but at the same time, it feels like he’s put out nothing, considering how mediocre his efforts have been since his 3rd studio album LAX, released in 2008. Most would agree that The Game’s only stand-out projects are his 2006 sophomore album, Doctor’s Advocate and his 2005 Aftermath Records debut album, The Documentary, which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide, has met with critical acclaim across the board, and many consider it a 2000s decade hip hop classic.

Most hip hop fans know The Game for basically reviving West Coast hip hop in the mid-2000s with his highly publicized beef with former boss 50 Cent, as well as for his storytelling abilities and his slow-paced, yet bone-chilling voice and flow. But the thing most probably know The Game for is something not seen as so positive; his habit of constantly name-dropping his favorite rappers in songs. If you listen to any of Game’s albums or mixtapes, you can barely go a single track without hearing the names “Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, etc.” constantly being brought up in his verses. His latest effort, The Documentary 2, which was released 10 years prior to the original Documentary is no different when it comes to heavy name-dropping; in fact, according to an article on djbooth.net, The Documentary 2 has a total of 145 name drops on it, with an average of 8.5 name drops per song. But despite the constant name dropping, The Documentary 2 is by far The Game’s most solid release since the original Documentary.

The album opens with the Kendrick Lamar-featured, Erykah Badu sampling “On Me”, which is basically a West Coast street anthem about rising up from the streets of Compton, where both Game and Kendrick are from, to acquiring Hip Hop fame, The Game mimics Kendrick’s flow on his last verse in the song. On the mega posse cut, “Don’t Trip”, The Game raps along side former mentor Dr. Dre, West Coast legend and former N.W.A member Ice Cube, and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, who also provides the production on the track along with Dre. The song is about Game’s association with the Compton Bloods gang. The Ab-Soul assisted “Dollar & A Dream” is an autobiographical track about Game’s life before the fame, which beautifully bleeds right into the track “Made In America”, which is about Game’s life during the fame and how he still remembers where he came from despite making it big.

“B***h You Ain’t S**t” is over an eerie piano beat, where Game tells the story of a promiscuous groupie from the hood who’s trying to use The Game for his money, as she did her past victims, including an attempt to hit on Drake on Twitter. The DJ Premier-produced title track, “The Documentary 2”, begins with a skit spoofing the character Felicia from the popular Comedy film, Friday, and then goes into a hard-hitting Boom-Bap-like beat with DJ scratches, which shifts into a rapid keyboard synth when The Game start rapping the hook. Just like this album is the sequel to the original Documentary album, this song is the sequel to the original Documentary’s title track. The subject matter on “The Documentary 2” is The Game reflecting upon what his career was like when he dropped the first Documentary in 2005, compared to today. The album’s first single, “100,” features the Game and Drake rapping about how fame can tear close friends apart.

The Game is hungrier than ever before on The Documentary 2 and he is well aware that his previous couple of projects were lackluster at best; he wanted to come back with full force. The only flaws in this project are the few times Game mimics the flows of his peers (Kendrick’s flow on On Me, Biggie’s flow on Standing On Ferraris), and his usual habit of name dropping other rappers, which on this album he seems to do more than ever before. But despite those few flaws, The Documentary 2 is definitely The Game’s strongest effort since his debut. Collaborations on the album include Kendrick Lamar, Dej Loaf, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, will.i.am, Puff Daddy, Ab-Soul, Jelly Roll, Q-Tip, Sha Sha, Eric Bellinger, Future, Sonyae, Kanye West, Drake, Snoop Dogg, and Fergie. Highlight tracks include “100,” “Don’t Trip,” “The Documentary 2” and “B***h You Ain’t S**t.”
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