The Documentary: The Story Behind A Classic

[doggfather]

It's a classic. You guys really hate Game ha? I've been noticed that but sheesh. 🙄

I aint hate him. Imo got more bootleg and mixtape cd from him than most of the forum members entire collection, amd still collect them.

I think he is a real good mixtape rapper who saved/brought back the west and dominated 2000-2010.
BUT he aint got a classic album.

But i aint like to use the term classic like u forum guys usin almost every album and artist.

For example i cant call any album classic before its 10 years old at least. Bunch of u callin albums classic from this year or last year.

[Okka]

"The Documentary" is a classic to me. Still sounds fresh as the day it came out.

+1

And the rest is written by 50cent...

No, it's not.

 

[Dee Tha AK]

What happened to BWS Label?

[abusive]

What happened to BWS Label?

I know there were issues with the name because JT said he owned it. Game also had the short lived "Rolex Records". If I remember correctly he announced another label after that.

[h2k4]

What happened to BWS Label?

It doesn't exist anymore. The 50 split, JT issue, then the split with this brother killed all that momentum.

[Game-Won]

"The Documentary" is a classic to me. Still sounds fresh as the day it came out.

No, it's not.

 

He has no classic as a 5/5 album to me.
He has some of the best mixtape and album songs of all time.

But music will always be hard to agree on, so many factors will bias my views - Had you asked me this album was a classic 10years ago, then the answer would had been yes.

[abusive]

I know there were issues with the name because JT said he owned it. Game also had the short lived "Rolex Records". If I remember correctly he announced another label after that.

I just remembered. Blood Money. I think it was through Cash Money.

[astra4322]

Def not a classic for me but very significant album for west coast. I've always liked Doctor's Advocate more.

[Detox Is A Myth!!!]

I think it has great production.  You can tell Interscope put their whole weight behind it with a who's-who of big name producers (Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Havoc, Just Blaze, Hi Tek, Kanye West...I mean, that's a crazy production lineup) and guest artists (50 Cent, Snoop, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Mary J. Blige) to give Game that "stamp of approval" that would ostensibly yield commercial viability.

But Game's vocals are horrific, imo.  He got better in subsequent albums.  But here, it's all stereotypical, generic gangbanging on wax and namedrops.  There's no substance whatsoever.  And unlike many westcoast artists who traffic in stereotypical gangbang subject matter, there's something about Game that seems inauthentic, like a poseur.  It's hard to put my finger on it, but basically he lacks emotional vulnerability, so all the songs remain on the surface, never really penetrating beyond skin-deep.

Again, I think he got better on subsequent albums, but his overall musical support got worse, so he never really had a great album, imo, where it all coalesced.