Game - The R.E.D. Album [Official Discussion Thread]

[doublee313]

I always liked his ear for beats and the way he could create a complete album that sounded good. On DA and Documentary I'd never skip a song [...]. Game can do muchhhhhh better.

Exactly.
That's what I used to love about The Game : even though he had nothing to rap about, he had a GREAT ear for beats. His songs sounded good and were always tight instrumentally.
It's a shame he doesn't have the same quality standards anymore.

I agree 100%.  This new album sounds FLAT.  Nothing to get you excited.

[friscoliving]

martians vs goblins was not flat.....

[BOX5 the best poster on this site yell]

I swear it was all about beats and rhymes, but you equals come off like yall fuccing engineers lol, cuz if you can't tell if a song is a banger from the beats and rhymes you equals need to buy rocc albums.

Equals be acting like some old silk drawls wearing big shots. who gives a fucc if a equal recorded his/her shit in they car, if it's knot is all that counts.yell

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

I swear it was all about beats and rhymes, but you equals come off like yall fuccing engineers lol, cuz if you can't tell if a song is a banger from the beats and rhymes you equals need to buy rocc albums.

Equals be acting like some old silk drawls wearing big shots. who gives a fucc if a equal recorded his/her shit in they car, if it's knot is all that counts.yell

Seriously. Isn't everyone here always saying how the 90s was the best era for music? No rap fans even knew what the fuck bitrate meant back then. We were recording radio rips on cassette tapes and bumping that shit. A lot of those classic records from that time aren't even available in perfect quality to this day. Guess what? The shit is still classic and it bumps. Yeah crystal clear quality enhances the sound, but it doesn't make a good song bad or a bad song good.

[EML]

Do we have any sale estimates for this in the first week? I cant imagine it doing to great with watch the throne
still being hot. But to me this is his worst album and to think how many good songs he dropped before hand.

[friscoliving]

Do we have any sale estimates for this in the first week? I cant imagine it doing to great with watch the throne
still being hot. But to me this is his worst album and to think how many good songs he dropped before hand.

Game just passed Ye and Hov on I tunes for the number 1 spot.

[Meho]

Ok. So if you ask me. First half is great and when Paramedics comes on the whole thing stops. And Mars does not equal 1500 And Nothing in quality.

The problem with this album wasn't the lack of quality material but just terrible executive producing. Thinking of all the leftovers and what not, he could've had an amazing album. Oh and Mars.

[PhunkyDoob]

Ok. So if you ask me. First half is great and when Paramedics comes on the whole thing stops. And Mars does not equal 1500 And Nothing in quality.

The problem with this album wasn't the lack of quality material but just terrible executive producing. Thinking of all the leftovers and what not, he could've had an amazing album. Oh and Mars.

TBH that's always been one of Game's problems IMO. I'm sure industry politics plays a part in it too but i always feel like that's almost always the case with him and his albums.

I still think Doctor's Advocate was his best piece when it comes to exec producing it and suprisingly it was him and his team doing it by themselves at the time not Dre, Pharrel, Mars or anyone else.

[AK]

yo WTF is cdr records??


No one has noticed that not only is there NO Aftermath logo anywhere, there's not even a Interscope label anywhere!!

CDR or whatever it is records is the logo on the album, never even heard of them..what happened to being back on Aftermath

Executive Produced by Pharrell Williams
Co Executive produced by Game & mars....what happened to Dr. Dre?

The album for me has been a let down, sounds like a good mixtape. I enjoy 4-5 tracks (really 2-3 but i know few others will grow on me). Way too many fucking features, i bought a GAME album I dont want to hear other rappers, especially when 3 tracks in a row start with a different rapper...I mean he has (correct me if im wrong) one verse in heavy artillery...how do u fuck up a drake song?? that beat is so so bad and wrong for that track. I've only given it 1 1/2 spins (and havent listned to it high yet) but i rememember how i felt the first spin I gave D.A. and LAX (which i wasnt a big fan of either, but at least for first spin it had some real hard tracks), I mean what's the theme and direction of the R.E.D. album??

[Lil White Azz]

After a couple of spins...I like the album, copped it (Game is maybe my favorite mainstream artist)...for me it sounds like LAX part 2, is it better/worse than LAX? I need to listen more to tell that.

So yeah, album is nice, the production is good and it flows well throughout the album (if you remove the dre interludes, they are so unneccessary!)...some tracks feel like they dont belong to the album (paramedics, heavy artillery, speakers on blast...all nice tracks but they dont feel like they belong to Game's album)

so...worth copping in my opinion, not his best work of course, but not a bad album...

Edit: Yeah and this album has only maybe two HUGE tracks (city and ricky)...and when comparing to LAX, that album has, like, 5 of those....but overall comparing, the difference is not that big in my opinion....

[Funkstradamus]

album is decent but at the same time its disappointing because of how long it took and all the hype & mixtapes...only one track on here i would really ride to (Martians Vs. Goblins)...album is not really cohesive cause it seems like they are trying to please too many different type of fans...with all the leaked tracks and mixtapes it would have been easy to make a better album...

[GangstaBoogy]

Since I've had 2 days to rock with RED ill drop a quick review...

1. Dr. Dre Intro
Nice intro. This album has a movie like feel to it so this is like the opening credits. Is it necessary? No but its less than 30 seconds...get over it!

2. The City (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Omg Cool & Dre made a great beat?! Game sounds pissed the fuck off. This is the grimiest we've heard him since his 03-04 come up (and even then he didn't have this kinda fire). Kendrick Lamar steps in with an unorthodox hook but it works. Then at the end of the song he blacks the fuck out for a few bars: acapella! I'm really starting to like this dude (*pause, no chamilitary)

3. Drug Test (feat. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg)
As much as I dislike this Nate Dogg clone, I must admit his hook is sick as fuck on this one. But Game releasing what is clearly an incomplete leftover and having the audacity to put it this early in the album is a slap in the face to all his fans. Sly is the only reason ill bother replaying this song

4. Martians Vs. Goblins (feat. Tyler The Creator & Lil Wayne)
Game sets the tone for this sinister joint. This is my first time listening to Tyler the Creator, dude has a sick voice and smooth delivery. Too bad this awful chorus was in between their verses. Oh speaking of wack Lil Wayne hooks...

5. Red Nation (feat. Lil Wayne)
We've all heard it and we're probably all sick of it. Game hits us with 3 typical Game verses over another wack Cool & Dre beat (the "The City" honeymoon didn't last long). Weezy is back for another garbage hook with his just-got-his-hair-braided-in-jail voice

6. Dr. Dre Pt. 1
Intros don't bother me but I hate skits in the middle of the album. Unchecked on itunes

7. Good Girls Gone Bad (feat. Drake)
Surprisingly Game and Drake actually contrasted each other very well on this track. I love the voice sample too...too bad Cool & Dre fuckin suck! I wish Kanye or Just Blaze wouldve produce this joint, they could've turned it into something special. Kudos to Game for that last 4-bar verse to lead right into the next song

8. Ricky
Wow! My only complaints are 1. I wish it was longer and 2. I wish Khalil used that gorgeous trumpet more. This shit is so scenematic. Game went the fuck in on this one! Next time Boyz N the Hood is re-released they better include this as a bonus feature.

9. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Wake me up when this song goes off...

10. Heavy Artillery (feat. Rick Ross & Beanie Sigel)
...ok I'm back. All 3 beasts go in on this one! Raw beat and dope sample on the chorus. Has a grimey underground feel to it.

11. Paramedics (feat. Young Jeezy)
I was looking forward to skipping this considering I never liked Jeezy. But surprisingly this isn't bad. Wouldve been better off on Jeezy's album tho. I'm just relieved this wasn't as awful as his collabo with Luda on L.A.X.

12. Speakers on Blast (feat. E-40 & Big Boi)
Funny no one mentioned how sick Game's hook is. Crack music right here, ill def have this one on repeat. Game sounds like he couldve fight in just swell with the prime years Dungeon Family. 2 dope Game verses, a nice Big Boi verse, then E-40...uhh thank God for cool edit pro.

13. Hello (feat. Lloyd)
This song shows why I don't take dubcc-ers reviews serious. You guys made this song sound horrible. This is a cool lil song for the ladies. Definetely Game's best effort for the ladies considering his previous efforts (Don't Worry and Around the World) were unfocused and full of name dropping.

Edit: oops I forgot Touchdown so this is 2nd

14. All the Way Gone (feat. Mario & Wale)
Mars laced some smooth melodic shit I just don't think this was meant to be a girl song. Game's first verse was dope and Mario did a damn good job on the hook. Probably shouldve been a Mario f/ Game song on a Mario album. Still not a bad effort other than the Wale verse (I seriously can't listen to this dude)

15. Pot of Gold (feat. Chris Brown)
This is like My Life 2.0. I'm surprised the radio didn't accept this song, they fell in love with My Life because it was refreshing to hear something real in the rotation, I guess lightning didn't strike twice. Game hits us with some nice bars (still wish he could stop namedropping and focus on his own life on these type of tracks) and Chris Brown's alluring hook is what sucks you in here (*pause, no chamilitary)

16. Dr. Dre Pt.2
Yeah at this point even I'm annoyed with these Dre skits

17. All I Know (feat. Luu Breeze)
"This is that shit right here, this is that shit" - Will Smith. 1 if my favorites on this album. Boi-1da gave Game some crack and Game went in. I just wish that other Boi-1da produced track didn't make the final cut too =(

18. Born in the Trap
Wtf @ the hook? Beat is straight, Game goes hard and sounds like the Illmatic Nas. But is it me or does the hook so und out of place? Sad part is at the end of the song Premier does his trademark voice scratching...that shouldve been the hook! Otherwise we have a damn good track here.

Edit: I just mixed the "you're now rockin with the best" scratches in as the hook. Ill upload that soon

19. Mama Knows (feat. Nelly Furtado)
Game comes correct. I like the beat but wtf Pharell? Soundclick producers have made shit like this for years. I was interested in seeing how Nelly Furtado sounded on this, and although she doesn't sound bad, this track is meant for Amel Larrieux's smooth sultry vocals. Fuck I wish that girl got more respect, ahh well

20. California Dream
Better than "Like Father, Like Son". Unlike that song, this one he's actually focused on the subject at the hand and not just namedropping. You might have to be a parent to really feel this one so I understand if the average listener can't gravitate to this one. The 2nd verse reminds me so much of the day my girl went into labor. That audio clip of his girl giving birth was unnecessary, I already removed it on cool edit

21. Dr. Dre Outro
Ugh. Ill be attaching this to the end of the intro so the album can flow better

Overall: 3.5/5
Some dope material here with a few fillers/questionable tracks and some weird sequencing. I know this review should be focused on the music that is here but I can't help but think about those last 3 mixtapes...there's no excuse for records like Graveyard, I'm Home, This Way, or The Town to not make the cut over tracks like Drug Test, All the Way Gone, Paramedics, or The Good, the Bad, the Ugly. Hell I would even take Bottles & Rockin J's over Drug Test.

And for the haters that keep saying "this is Game's worst album" - you're right. But that's actually a testament to how dope his previous material was. 100 yell

[PhunkyDoob]

After a couple of spins...I like the album, copped it (Game is maybe my favorite mainstream artist)...for me it sounds like LAX part 2, is it better/worse than LAX? I need to listen more to tell that.

So yeah, album is nice, the production is good and it flows well throughout the album (if you remove the dre interludes, they are so unneccessary!)...some tracks feel like they dont belong to the album (paramedics, heavy artillery, speakers on blast...all nice tracks but they dont feel like they belong to Game's album)

so...worth copping in my opinion, not his best work of course, but not a bad album...

Edit: Yeah and this album has only maybe two HUGE tracks (city and ricky)...and when comparing to LAX, that album has, like, 5 of those....but overall comparing, the difference is not that big in my opinion....

Most of the songs you mentioned were recorded right before the album came out so it could be the labels idea or just Game trying to cater to a wider audience (like on LAX) which usually isn't good. I think Game needs to realize that he's the type of guy that needs to focus on his own core fanbase and not a bunch of pop fans cuz they usually just go by sales, word of mouth and popularity. Plus Game isn't the best songwriter so it's hard for him to make songs for them so he should just at least try to cater to his core base (like on Doctor's Advocate).

[GangstaBoogy]

^ but people hated on the doctors advocate until recently.

You gotta feel for dude, he has no clue how to please his so called fans cuz they don't even know what they want from him.

[Dre-Day]

^ but people hated on the doctors advocate until recently.

not really, some people even called it a classic a while ago