The Documentary

The Game appeared in 2005 with the invincible backing of Dr. Dre, Eminem, and 50 Cent. It had been ten years since a West Coast rapper had taken the forefront, and the Compton-bred Game quickly positioned himself as the successor of N.W.A. and The Chronic. But rather than spout off on gangbanging, The Game adopted a persona that was more emo than aggro. Rife with direct references to real-world names and events, The Documentary finds Game spilling his guts to his audience, his autobiographical rhymes feeling more like confessions than boasts. As part of the Aftermath/Shady umbrella, he was blessed with the best producers in hip-hop for The Documentary. Just Blaze does his bombastic best on “No More Fun and Games” and “Church For Thugs,” while “Dreams” is the perfect vehicle for Kanye West’s crying soul samples. Timbaland provides the punishing “Put You On The Game” with his most militant bounce, while Dr. Dre himself lends his precision-tested menace to several tracks. The album’s highlight, however, belongs to Miami producers Cool & Dre, who flipped the Trammps’ disco classic “Rubberband” for the poignant “Hate It Or Love It.” Game reflects on a childhood of strife turned into the million-dollar dream life, as 50 Cent intones 2005’s most indelible hook. Soon after this album, The Game’s beef with G-Unit would throw his career into turmoil, but for a brief moment on The Documentary, he was too hungry to be anything less than heir to the throne.