After hearing The Game on previous mixtapes and how he intends to put the west back on the map, I was very hyped for his debut album. I pre-ordered it so I got it on the day of release and 7 months later I don't regret it one bit. Every song on the album can be listened to without having to press the skip button, apart from maybe Track 12 'Runnin' which features G-Unit member Tony Yayo, which is easily the worst song on the album. The best song on the album is Track 5 'Higher' which can be listened to many times over without getting boring.
'The Documentary' features some quality guests such as Eminem, Dre, Snoop, Nate, Busta, Mary J Blige and Faith Evens. It also has beats by the best Hip Hop Producers around which include Dre, Cool, Timbo, Scott Storch, Hi-Tek, Focus, Just Blaze and Kanye West. Just the guests and producers only named on this album will make you want to buy the album.
In terms of how this album rates alongside its competition then there's no question it is the Best Album of the Year. 50 Cent's The Massacre although sold more, was a joke. The only reason 50's album sold more then this was because its '50 Cent' and all young teenagers out there who just got into Rap listen to 50 Cent and don't know what is good, they just go along with the crowd and buy his album. What else does it have to compare to; Chingy, Nelly, Ja Rule? Don't make me laugh, everyone knows these artists aren't really rappers. This album quite simply blows away its competition, sure its no 'Chronic', 'All Eyez On Me' or 'Illmatic' but give it and The Game a chance and it could just be a classic.
Here is rundown of all the tracks on the album with a Rating and a little info:
1) Intro - Rating = N/A
2) Westside Story - Rating = 9/10 Featuring: 50 Cent. Produced By: Dr Dre and Scott Storch. Great street banger which just makes you want to turn up the volume. 50 Cent is limited to the hook which is good, but he does a decent job of it. The Game raps about him being from the West Coast over a quality Dre beat. The album could not have got
off to a better start. Westside.
3) Dreams - Rating = 9.5/10 Produced By: Kanye West. The Game's third single to be released and boy what a song it is! In this song The Game raps about issues including his girlfriend Mya and how he sees a dream as the cousin to death. Great unique beat and The Game takes full advantage of this showing us some of his best lyrics. "They Say Sleep Is The Cousin' Of Death, So My Eyes Wide Open, Cuz A Dream Is Kin To Ya Last Breath".
4) Hate It Or Love It - Rating = 9.3/10 Featuring: 50 Cent. Produced By: Cool and Dre. When I first got the album I was made about this show and couldn't stop playing it. But then it got released as a Single and was probably over-played making it a 9/10. It is still a great song which I will still listen to. 50 Cent is again featured on the song and he does well but The Game does far better. Superb feel-good song which reminds me of the Summer. Great beat with song great lyrics by both.
5) Higher - Rating = 10/10+ Produced By: Dr Dre and Mark Batson. Damn! What a song this is! I actually heard this one a couple of months before the album and loved it, but then when I heard it on the album, I loved it even more. This tune is greatest Club Banger of the year and must be played at high volume. The Game rips it up on this one and shows what he's really capable of. This song is not to be missed.
6) How We Do - Rating = 9/10 Featuring: 50 Cent. Produced By: Dr Dre and Mike Elizondo. Another song which I heard a few months before the album was released and The Game's first single. Brilliant song and a brilliant Dre beat as usual. When I first heard the song I couldn't get enough of it, but then it started to get played on the radio and TV too much and I began to lose interest, making it a 9/10 instead of 10/10. Still a quality song though.
7) Don't Need Your Love - Rating = 8.5/10 Featuring: Faith Evans. Produced By: Havoc. Nice laid back rap song which gives a fresh feel. Nice beat with some great lyrics by both Game and Faith. The Game proves in this tune that he can also do slower songs to good affect. Faith only sings on the chorus but does an amazing job. Great song and worth a listen.
8) Church For Thugs - Rating = 8.8/10 Produced By: Just Blaze. Just Blaze doesn't usually produce bad beats and keeps it up with this hot beat. The Game delivers some impressive lyrics here and he flows really with the beat. Check it.
9) Put You On The Game - Rating = 10/10 Produced By: Timbaland. Wow. Listen to this and you'll see just why Timbo is one the bets Rap producers around. The beat is quite simply amazing and so is The Game. The song is another thats just asking to be played a high volume. "I Ain't Got The West On My Shoulda, Got The West In The Backseat Of The Rova, Ridin On Dubs, Ni**a I'm Westcoastin".
10) Start From Scratch - Rating = 10/10 Featuring: Marsha Of Floetry. Produced By: Dr Dre and Scott Storch. Apparently The Game recorded the whole of this one while he was drunk or pretending to be drunk, which isn't something that's been done before. Damn. This song has been played about 50 times since I purchased the album have never gets old. As usual Dre and Scott deliver a superb beat but The Game shows us his best work in this tune. Marsha is also amazing with the chorus of this song and should be given credit for that. Overall this song comes very close to being the best on the album next to Tracks 5, 9 and 14.
11) The Documentary - Rating = 10/10 Produced By: Jeff Bhasker. Another fantastic song which must be listened to. The beat is amazing and the lyrics are also. Dre and Busta also have lines in this song which should be noticed. The Documentary contains one of the smartest chorus's ever, where The Game refers to 7 other classic albums all by different artists. "I'm READY TO DIE Without A REASONABLE DOUBT Smoke CHRONIC And Hit It DOGGYSTYLE Before I Go Out Until They Sign My DEATH CERTIFICATE, ALL EYEZ ON ME, I'm Still At It, ILLMATIC And Thats THE DOCUMENTARY".
12) Runnin' - Rating = 7.5/10 Featuring: Tony Yayo. Produced By: Hi-Tek. I expected a better beat from Hi-Tek after hearing his previous work but this a bit of
Pictures of Documentary, The (Parental Advisory) [PA] - Game
Dr Dre and his protege The Game
a let down. Easily the worst song on the album but it's not that bad and can be listened to. G-Unit's Tony Yayo does aright but could do better. Overall the song is decent but the beat and the chorus could be improved massively.
13) No More Fun And Games - Rating = 9/10 Produced By: Just Blaze. Well performed song by The Game and Just Blaze. The Game obviously went for the NWA style for this one and does it really well. All 3 verses on the song are quality, making it a song not to be missed and will appeal to all hip-hop fans. Genius. "I'm Like Dre, Eazy, Cube, King Tia Rolled Into One, Used To Move Birdies 'Till I Put A Hole In One".
14) We Ain't - Rating = 10/10 Featuring: Eminem. Produced By: Eminem. The second best song the album with 'Start From Scratch' and 'Put You On The Game'. Brilliant. Brilliant beat by Em, and quality lyrics by Game. Em's verse is also hot, showing us he's still got it. The lyrics in this song are probably one of best on the album. An excellent combination. 10/10.
15) Where I'm From - Rating = 8/10 Featuring: Nate Dogg. Produced By: Focus. Great song with a really catchy beat by Focus, Nate does really well on this one. There is an 'OG Version' of this song which features a verse from Dr Dre which I feel is better so I'm giving this a 8/10. If you like this then make sure you get the 'OG Version'.
16) Special - Rating = 8.8/10 Featuring: Nate Dogg. Produced By: Needlz. The 2nd Nate Dogg song and the best. This song really grew on me, at first I wasn't quite feeling it but after giving it a few listens I couldn't get enough. Nate does even better on this one and delivers a fantastic hook. Another catchy feel-good beat on top, of some quality lyrics. Check it.
17) Don't Worry - Rating = 9/10 Featuring: Mary J Blige. Produced By: Dr Dre and Mike Elizondo. I can't stress just how great Mary J and The Game perform this song, there brilliant and flow really well with the Dre beat. The beat is at slower pace which works well. Mary J delivers a fantastic chorus and Game's verses are dynamite.
18) Like Father, Like Son - Rating = 8.8/10 Featuring: Busta Rhymes. Produced By: Buckwild. At last a Busta song, which is slightly ruined by having too little Busta. He only sings on the chorus, and I would defiantly like to have heard more from him. That said, it's still a masterpiece where the The Game raps about his Son being born. It's a truly a great song with quality powerful lyrics. Great way to finish a great album.
Overall a quality album which should not be missed out on. If you're a rap fan and you haven't got it yet then go and buy it, don't download it. The Documentary is the best rap album of the year. It's packed with the best beats and some truly awesome songs. Buy it for the five 10/10 tracks alone, they are worth the money. The only disappointment of the album is that Busta Rhymes only has one chorus throughout the whole album. Also The Game probably does mention too many names on his songs for example 'Air force ones' and 'Dr Dre', but you have to realise that this is only his first album and he will learn new things and get better. In fact he has recently confirmed that he is working on his new album for 2006, which is great news.
We all know Game is no longer part of G-Unit, which I think is actually a good thing. It's good he's without 50 Cent now, who I feel sings and mumbles too much. In fact Game recently release of 300 Barz & Runnin', a 15minute diss track is aimed towards the whole of the G-Unit, throwing some heavy punches at them. Give it until 2006 and the whole hip-hop world will realise that The Game is better than the whole of G-Unit.
Dr. Dre has done it again. If The Game keeps on releasing albums as good as this for the next 5-10 years then there's no doubt he'll be a legend and be ranked up there will the best of them. The Game's in it for the love of music, not the money. He really can put the west back on the map and right now he is on top of the rap game.
G-Unot / BlackWallStreet
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
very informative review that would sell the album to anyone reading it, you have given honest opinions and i think your ratings on songs were very accurate. LAX in stores soon (games third album)
interscope123 10.03.2007 19:40
The Game is good but better than THE WHOLE OF G-UNIT PUT TOGETHER????? i strongly disagree. The only reason why this album is reaaly good is because DR.DRE and 50Cent made just about every song 50 Cent wrote most of the album. There is a lot of talent throughout g-unit and a most of them are better than game. I still think game is a good rapper!
D_bo 11.07.2005 10:27
Good review, but I still feel that the album is too much brown nosing - the guy has considerable talent and more talent than alot of G-unit put together, with the producers he had to hand a much more thought provoking/original album could have been made! D!
Intro Westside Story - 50 Cent Dreams Hate It or Love It - 50 Cent Higher How We Do - 50 ... more
Cent Don't Need Your Love - Faith Evans Church for Thugs Put You on the Game Start from Scratch Documentary Runnin' No More Fun and Games We Ain't - Eminem Where I...
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