Music Review: Doctor’s Advocate
The much anticipated G-Unot follow-up to The Documentary.
To say that The Game has had a very turbulent career would be an understatement. First he was the protégé of Doc Dre. Then he became a G-Unit soldier. Then he sold 2 million records and became the King of LA. Then he got kicked out of G-Unit and became an outcast. Then 50 started claiming that he wrote half of Game’s album. Then his man Peanut or P-Nut got shot in New York, allegedly by G-Unit bodyguards. Then came the infamous peace conference between him and 50 in Harlem where 50 donated like a million dollars to the Harlem Boys Choir. Game added a few thousand (come on, Game still hadn’t got a royalty check). Then Game released like a thousand G-Unit diss records and mixtapes. (All were dope, by the way.) Then he was dropped from Aftermath. (Guess Dr. Dre felt pressure from 50 to drop him. Maybe 50’s middle name is Interscope.) Then Chuck Taylor got into a brawl with another respected west coast MC, Rass Kass, who is now threatening to end Game’s, um, career amongst other things. And still, in-between all of this there’s been rumors flyin’ around about Chuck’s strippin’ days (wouldn’t that make him and Eve the idea hip-hop couple?), his Blood credibility and his stint on “Change of Heart.” (Now that’s true. Saw it on youtube.) Oh, and did I mention that he got a butterfly tattooed on his face? (You know he did that to impress some celebrity chick.)
And now all eyes are on the Game. Can he show and prove that he doesn’t need Dr. Dre’s production or 50’s pen to create yet another West Coast masterpiece? Well, I just heard his sophomore album, and with no signs of a jinx, I must say that Doctor’s Advocate doesn’t fail to impress.
Now, I don’t know the official track listing, so I’ll just talk about them in random order. First we have the Urban EP Pope produced “Lookin’ At You,” where we find Mr. Taylor stating “I’ll never fall off even without the Doc/you sellin’ your soul trying to stay on top/ check your kotex/you ain’t moving shit like the hand on a fake ass rolex…” Obviously this is a man with a big chip on his shoulder. What bugged me out about this track is that I thought it was Dr. Dre spitting it. But no, it was actually The Game. He musta wrote this for Dre but kept it once he was dropped from the label.
Then we have “Remedy.” This Just Blazed produced banger is gangsta. I’m sure if Game was still on Aftermath, Dr. Dre would’ve bought this beat from Just and claimed it his own. Listening to Game’s nasty metaphors and sick flow over the wicked piano keys and drums is bound to make this song the stand out track of the album.
Surprisingly enough, the Will.I.Am produced “Compton” was hot to death. The rusty drum sound made the song have an early ‘90s feel.
But of course it wouldn’t be an Interscope album without production from Scott Storch. “Let’s Ride” had that real laid-back-cruising-on-the-ave-with-the-top-down feel to it. I was definitely feeling that track. “Too Much” seemed more like a mixtape beat than an album cut. The bells on the track sound dope and have a dope rhythm, but the drum was kinda lame on it. Storch coulda done so much more with this beat — maybe he’s getting lazy? If Game didn’t flow hard and kick ill rhymes I would not mess with this track. But he did his thing and Nate Dogg never fails to kill hooks, so I’ll let this one bump. You know what I’m sayin.
And never being one to hold his tongue, Game spills his emotions with a drunken flow (ala “Doctor’s Advocate”), admitting: “Dre, I ain’t mean to turn my back on you/but I’m a man and sometimes a man do what he gotta do…I was 12 smoking chronic in ’92/I had a choice, be like Mike or be like you…” Like a man apologizing to his father, Game gets his message across. Why Busta’s on this joint, I have no idea. But I guess Game felt he needed Busta to help him reach out to Dre.
Even though I do feel that the album could’ve done without the tracks for the females, “Around The World” (Jamie Foxx is all over the place nowadays, ain’t he?) and “Ol’ English”, this album definitely vindicates the man everybody shuns. He did better on his sophomore album than everyone else on G-Unit has so far. (I can’t wait to hear Young Buck’s “Buck The World”). I have to give this album four Gangstas.
Does he outdo his debut album on Doctor’s Advocate? No. Does he give us a quality hip-hop album? Definitely. His beats are on point, his rhymes are sharp and his flows change currents. He even held his own when spitting alongside Nas on the Just Blaze tailored “Why You Hate The Game”. Now that’s saying something.
Now that we’ve established that the album is in all actuality hot, the only question that remains is, will it sell?
36 Responses to “Music Review: Doctor’s Advocate”
Nov.8 at 2:57 pm
Ryan Jones says:
I don’t supposed he name-drops any dead West Coast rappers, does he O? ‘Cause that would be new for him…
Nov.8 at 3:53 pm
marcel mutoni says:
does he still have that butterfly tatted on his grill? sorry, haven’t been keeping up w/ the hip hop lately.
Nov.8 at 4:06 pm
Omar says:
He doesn’t name drop as much that’s fa sho. And he barely mentions Eazy (Lil’ Eazy got a ill Game diss track on his new mixtape. That man is mad!). He tattooed LA over the butterfly. You could still see a butterfly wing poppin’ out the side of the L though. LOL
Nov.8 at 4:16 pm
Ryan Jones says:
“The Game is to be ho’d, not to be, um, listened to.” Please quote me on that, O!
Nov.8 at 4:34 pm
LA CC says:
There is no question about this album selling well. The only real question would be how much. 50 Cent & his all G-Unit familly better watch out if they don’t want to become G-UnOt-LaCC
Nov.8 at 4:44 pm
jbn74sb says:
The Game and 50 should have a boxing match, with the proceeds going to charity. My money’s on The Game. Aint the dude like 6′4″?
Nov.8 at 4:48 pm
Omar says:
Ryan is too funny. That would be dope to see Game and 50 box it out. But you know there’d be a shootout at the winner’s victory party. So that wouldn’t solve anything. And don’t sleep on 50. He might could knock Game out.
Nov.8 at 5:28 pm
marcel mutoni says:
i love how 50 can’t say fifty: “this is FISTY cent!”
Nov.8 at 5:51 pm
Omar says:
Wassup with Jim Jones wearing skin tight shirts? He really trying to be a rock star or something.
Nov.8 at 6:14 pm
marcel mutoni says:
please direct all your jim jones related queries to mr. rubenstein.
Nov.8 at 6:25 pm
Dbomb says:
Wow when I visited my cousins out in Jersey and they were listening to dipset I knew that east coast rap was done. Those guys will rhyme with the same word or end every section with mutha fooker
Nov.8 at 6:34 pm
Dblizzy says:
Jim jones ain’t a lyricist or anything, but he knows how to make a hit. Balllllinnnn! He’s funny as hell to, you gotta check out youtube, he has mad funny ass interviews on there.
Nov.8 at 8:17 pm
Sean says:
Nice review I love that track Ol’English This album is a MUST HAVE for sure NOV 14th
Nov.8 at 10:54 pm
New era says:
I heard a lot of the Games new album and the ish is hot. Dude didn’t disappoint like all the other of g-unit albums did (except fistys masscure).
Nov.8 at 11:44 pm
Omar says:
Massacre was whack!
Nov.9 at 12:01 am
Boing Dynasty says:
Ye massacre was wack, ’sept for “Ski Mask Way”.
1
Nov.9 at 2:05 pm
jbn74sb says:
Massacre was garbage.
Nov.10 at 10:09 am
M.K. Petrik says:
50 Cent, The Game, G-Unit blow. Hip Hop is dying
a slow death! Where are you A Tribe Called Quest? Come back!
Nov.10 at 10:28 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
Omar, didn’t you give The Massacre 4 gangstas on our old website when it came out? Don’t make me find it.
Jim Jones is not a rapper. You got to admit he’s entertaining though. Any Smack DVD with him on it is a classic.
Nov.10 at 6:49 pm
Justin H says:
THE GAME WOULD WHACK FERRARI F 50 ANYDAY. Thats even when ferrari is on the steroids
Nov.11 at 3:13 am
Bay Area Life says:
“im billy the kid till they split my wig” thats off the song too much
Nov.12 at 2:23 pm
BETCAT says:
The game got flow. Fiffties wack ass got to go That is what i think of this shit
Nov.13 at 4:40 pm
Omar says:
I gave the Massacre 2 Gangstas, Sam. You be buggin. And Game do got flow, as did 50. But 50 doesn’t have an identity yet. He doesn’t know who to rep. East or west. Game know he from Cali, so his sound is more consistent.
Nov.13 at 9:46 pm
tsmith7791 says:
I was just wondering, what movies have been given 5 gangstas? I remember City of God and Batman but what were the others?
Nov.13 at 9:49 pm
Omar says:
I gave the first Grudge 5 Gangstas. Sin City got like 13 Gangstas. The Departed gets 5 Gangstas.
Nov.14 at 6:37 am
Darksaber says:
Neither here nor there (except for the fact that you are slamonline’s media king), when are you seeing Bond in Casino Royale. Now that’s a movie that i am dying to hear you review.
Nov.14 at 9:06 pm
Andrew says:
O, you gotta see Borat. I saw it friday night, funniest movie I’ver ever seen. Kinda random, but has anyone checked out Release Therapy? It’s got a few good tracks, but Luda went more commercial on us. His flow isn’t as good as it was just one album ago and he raps about sex for half the CD. I was disappointed.
Nov.15 at 6:10 am
Logan says:
its really funny how rappers change royalties overnight…on one hand they be like ‘marshal mathers made it, curtis jackson made it…’ and a beef later ‘g-unot’ and whatnot….you got something to say ‘So I changed huh? You got a phone, pick it up, call me’
its all about the money, stupid! beefs sell….period!
Nov.15 at 2:14 pm
Matthew says:
The Departed was the best movie I’ve seen in about three years. I never thought I would ever, ever say this, but Leonardo DiCaprio was big time gangsta in that flick. It’s a must see.
Nov.16 at 4:06 pm
ESOKC says:
Yo Omar man that new Clipse is banging but I wish they would rap over something other than The Neptunes. This Doctor’s Advocate is tight too but that song with Jaime Foxx is horrble it should’ve been left on the floor
Nov.17 at 3:25 am
Logan says:
i heard the album…its good, but i dont like that he keeps name dropping the same people..c’mon man..we heard you talk about biggie and pac already…
Nov.17 at 3:45 pm
H to the izzo says:
Wat college did the game play for before he quit and went back todealing..well acording to him
Nov.17 at 11:37 pm
Omar says:
I can’t wait to hear the Clipse album. Their last mixtape was a classic. Got it 4 Cheap vol. 2 made me a believer. I heard a while ago that Clipse wanted to work with other producers for their new album, but Pharrell wasn’t having that. Either Pharrell or the label, one of the two. And yeah, that song with Jamie Foxx wasn’t poppin’ at all. See what happens when you have one successful guest appearance (Slow Jamz) and win an Oscar.
Nov.24 at 11:05 am
flYellO says:
I agree with my man, hip hops has evolved into something that is too hard to define. “Can it be that it was all so simple then?” The whole business is lost and wandering like my man Kane on Kung Fu in search of itself. There are a few pure lyricist around but not many. Bring back Illmmatic, Do or Die, Southernplayalisticcaddilacfunkymusic, Low End Theory, Thatswhatsreallygood!
Mar.21 at 12:06 pm
cuzbuz says:
definet westcoast hit someone gotta bring it home
Dec.24 at 12:47 am
5454254540 says:
50 did everythingn for the game and on thisd album he only has like 2 good songs so just wait until he goes crawlin back to 50