Search - The Game :: Doctor's Advocate

DOCUMENTARY REDUX

Reggie L. Mattocks | Upper Marlboro, MD | 11/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yep it pretty much sounds like a continuation of The Documentary which actually isn't a bad thing for a sophmore joint. I mean most fans were at the very least expecting GAME to keep it as raw and tight as the first one and Doctor's Advocate does that and more. Leaving G-Unit and Aftermath was actually a great thing for him. He doesn't need to be pigeonholed into thinking DRE was the sole reason for his success and he definitely doesn't need to be associated with a weak mob like G-Unit (How good is that money looking now Mobb Deep. You not only sold your soul but have lost your following messing with 50 da rat). Hopefully Young Buck will have enough sense to get outta there and go independent.



However, it's usually by the third release where the fans are gonna start wondering when the artist is gonna kick some real sh@$$%t? I mean droppin real life joints beacause there are a plethora of issues not only in all our hoods everyday, but issues young black males still have to overcome daily. That's is what seperated 2PAC from everyone else is the fact that he could keep it gangsta, he could keep it club, he could keep it politically incorrect, but most of all, he could keep it real with our folks, male and female alike without droppin jokers names all over his record like that 50 cent rat drops dimes. Hip Hop has always been about braggadacio and bravado since it's inception and will never change. However, at some point, an artists longetivity will be determined by whether he change up his albums without losing his loyal following. Whether he or she can make us feel his or her pain and struggles or is the artist rappin about somebody else's and we see right through him as a wannabe. Or if the artists will just continue putting out the same ole same ole just to collect some bucks and look for mainstream radio airplay. Age also will determine that as well. Most rappers that hit their mid-thirties just aren't as angry, nor are they as hungry as they were coming into the business. GAME has to make sure that he doesn't fall into that category of just rappin repeatedly about himself, his riches, giving too much props to DRE and other artists repeatedly and most important break outta that diss game which can just as easily ruin a career as it can jump start one. It was absolutely a pleasure watching him dismantle G-Unit almost singlehandedly (Fat Joe, Scarface, and I'm sure Jada later on have put their hammer down on them already). Other than that, this joint is vicious and hope GAME keeps choosing quality production and keeps honing his skills to get better and better with each outing."

The Math Dropped Him, and Fifty Ain't Rockin' With Him No Mo

Pat Shand | Freeport, NY USA | 11/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
There's nothing better to amp a person up than listening to a cocky rapper who is great at what they do, and The Game is just that. "Doctor's Adovocate" is a very solid album. In fact, it's even closer to being a classic than his first album ("The Documentary") was. As a whole, there are more enjoyable songs on this album than his first, but there is also a very confusing theme running through the whole album. In some songs (a lot actually) he's trying to sound exactly like Dr. Dre. He copies his flow and voice down to the last syllable.



1. Lookin At You: This is a good track, with a bassy beat and a very West Coast feel. His "Dr. Dre" flow is appropriate on this track, and he ends it on a high note and a subtle shot at his arch nemesis, saying "Me and my mic can't be separated like Interscope and (*Fifty*)"



2. Da Sh**: Tracy Nelson's vocals were welcome on the first track, but two tracks in a row is way too much. Game's flow however is completely on point, but again with the Dr. Dre voice. It's too much. Game's cocky swagger riding the beat will definitely get heads nodding though. It has to be said that his spoken line at the end of the song ("One day I walked in the mother****** house and all my sh** was gone") is not needed as it doesn't fit with the subject of the song.



3. It's Okay (One Blood): This track was recorded before Game knew there would be no Dr. Dre on his album, and you can tell. He sounds excited, hungry, and is rapping with his own voice, not Dre's. The flow (especially in Verse One) is the best I've heard from his since "300 Bars and Runnin." As soon as the song starts, Game brushes off all of the gossip that people had been hearing: "I'm the Doctor's Advocate, n***a Dre shot ya. Brought me back from the dead, that's why they call him the doctor. 'The 'Math gunna drop him and Fifty ain't rocking with him no more,' it's okay I get it poppin!" This should have been the opening track.



4. Compton: I has to be said: will.i.am is cheesy. Damn cheesy. His beat for this song is okay, but his shouts of "Where the gangstas boogie, the gangstas boogie!" are just straight corny. Game's verses save the song from being horrible, but they aren't memorable.



5. Remedy: Just Blaze's production is reminiscent of Dre, but this song isn't very memorable, aside from Game's hilarious question posed in the first verse: "Why Andrew Jackson look high as f**k on the Twenty?"



6. Let's Ride: Game's flow is on point in this song, the second single of the album. It's definitely a good album track, but it also seems too mediocre to be a single and a video. There are many tracks on the album just as good as this.



7. Too Much: Nate Dogg's presence is much needed on this song, and it only solidifies Game's place among the West Coast bests. Game clearly doesn't need Aftermath or G-Unit to sell records. 50 Cent, no matter how much I like the guy, was wrong.



8. Wouldn't Get Far: Game and Kanye work together to make a highly entertaining song much like 2Pac's "All About U." Game name drops Vida Guerra and reveals some interesting facts about her, and his verse definitely bests Kanye's. The production works well with the song, but the duo's song "Dreams" on Game's first album is much better.



9. Scream on 'Em: Swiss Beat's modest but crazy production allows Game to completely unleash with fire that we haven't seen in the man since 300 Bars. "This is that disrespectful, motherf***ing west coast, hip-hop death blow, Swizz Beats let's go!" The Game is slowly become, dare I say, a modern day 2Pac. He has the fire, the passion, and the anger. All he needs now is to stay constant with his rap voice.



10. One Night: Speaking of Pac, this track keeps it real like the legend does. While it isn't a standout track, Game's raw talent and realness is evident in the song.



11. Doctor's Advocate: This song, the title track, is the best on the album. Game is at the most emotional we've ever heard him, add a hot, pensive beat, and you have the West Coast MC at his finest. The song is a letter to Dr. Dre, apologizing to his mentor for going against his word and also thanking him for putting him into the game. Busta Rhyme's verse adds a new perspective to the situation, and is welcome. Game answers all questions about his loyalty, ending each verse by saying "It's still Aftermath, and ain't nothing after that."



12. Ol' English: Along with "It's Okay (One Blood)" and the title track, this is an absolute stand-out track. The Game raps about his childhood, reminiscing about his escapades as a youngster. On this track, Game showcases not only his lyrical ability but establishes himself as one of the premiere story-tellers in the rap game. This is a joint to listen about in a circle, with friends, a 40, and something being passed around.



13. California Vacation: Game, again, tries too hard to sound like Dr. Dre in this song, but I can't say it takes away from the effect. The union of Game, Snoop, and Xzibit is monumental, although Xzibit sounds oddly off-point. Some of his lines are okay, but not as good as Game's and the revitalized Snoop Dogg. The Dogg seems to be at his prime once again.



14. Bang: Tha Doggpound seem a bit out of place on this album, and Game's flow is the laziest I've ever heard it. There is absolutely no fire or hunger in his voice, and Tha Doggpound shine on this Jellyroll produced track, which is saying enough. There is no question, this is the worst song on the album--it should have been saved for a mixtape and replaced with the One Blood Remix, which features an insane amount of artists. That would probably be impossible to get clearance with all the labels though.



15. Around the World: The track starts off with Jamie Foxx's distinctive voice, and then Game's lyrics start and they're as real as they come: "She like that Jay sh**, that's her favorite/ if it's gunna get me the p***y I'ma play that sh**." Who hasn't thought that before? The song itself is generic r&b/rap, but Game's lyrics are on point.



16. Why You Hate the Game?: I definitly expected a harder track from the Nas/Game collaboration, but it's okay. This song is decent, and Marsha Ambrosius's vocals add depth to the track but there seems to be too much of her on the song and not enough rap from either Nas or Game. I have to say though, Nas isn't at his best, but Game's lyrics are memorable in this track: "Fifteen years old/ red rag around my head, my sisters used to laugh and call me Rambo." Game ends the song on a high note, addressing the death of Proof as well as the situation with 50 Cent. "And I still think about my n***a (Proof) from time to time/ makes me wanna call Fifty and let him know what's on my mind/ but I just hold back 'cause we ain't beefing like that/ he ain't Big and I ain't Pac and we're just eating off rap/ One love." Great ending.



9/10"

Forget About Game

Madison WI Criminal defense attorne | 11/30/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, does this guy suck without Dre! Actually, he just trys to rap like Dre (who is a sick producer but so-so rapper) and lacks much if any individuality in his flow. He keeps sweatin' Dre and Aftermath so much he sounds like a groupie. He has beats from Just Blaze, Will.I.Am, Kanye West, Scott Storch who all manage to create lame sounding Death Row style throwaway beats. Game definitely dug through the discount bins of the hot producers to get their names on his album. The song with Kanye bites an old Pac classic, which is decent and keeps this from only getting one star."