Issue date: 1/27/05 Section: Culture

Media Credit: Courtesy of Interscope Geffen A&M The Game

by Matthew Paul Bailey

Daily Lobo

West Coast hip-hop dropped off the mainstream radar after its dominance of the '90s.

Tupac died. Ice Cube is an actor. Snoop Dogg is stable but static. Dr. Dre has not released material since '99.

Now Compton-bred former Bloods gang member The Game has the expectations of a whole coast on his back. The Game, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, seems to understand this, and the theme plays heavily on The Documentary.

A debut album has not received this kind of hype for a long time. Many of hip-hop's heavy hitters including Dre, Eminem and G-Unit, have lined up behind the rapper to ensure the man gets massive shine.

Taylor has only been rapping two years, and he's already made a name for himself on the mixed-tape circuit and from a multitude of beefs, most notably with rapper Joe Budden.

He has been compared to 50 Cent. Both survived shootings, both were drug dealers, both come from the Aftermath-shady-G-Unit commercial powerhouse. Both have a rough, gritty, attention-grabbing voice. But The Documentary proves to be a better album than 50's debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

This album is packed with all of hip-hop's nicest producers, from the omnipresent Kanye West to Timbaland, Just Blaze, Buckwild, Havoc, Hi-Tek and Eminem. Dre produced five of the album's 17 tracks with beats so good some are worried the good doctor gave Taylor beats meant for his anticipated masterpiece, Detox.

The supreme production on this album is the real story, and with such an array of producers, it still manages to gel.

The Documentary has more clarity then Shyne's Godfather Buried Alive and even Jay Z's The Black Album, both of which also had a vigorous array of producers.

Taylor does not have a traditional West Coast voice. His flow is rugged and grimy.

His lyrical content varies between East Coast G-Unit gangster posturing and the constant name-dropping of his idols.

Eazy-E, Dre, Tupac and N.W.A. are consistently cited by Taylor. His use of these legends in his rhymes are sometimes witty and appropriate and sometimes agitating.

Taylor sounds and spits like he's from 1997.

It's refreshing and certainly more real then the overproduced, oversimplified southern hip-hop. Taylor clearly knows the roots of hip-hop and appreciates them.

His rhymes leave the impression this is a fan's record.

If people love commercial hip-hop, they will love Taylor, because he is a fan too.


The
Documentary
The Game
Grade: A-

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