Possibly the two most underrated and slept on albums of modern hip-hop are The Game’s “Documentary 2″ and “Documentary 2.5,” which were both released last year.
With the most interesting song constructions and strategic features I have seen in my many years of rap fandom, the two albums will always be like the “Low End Theory” that goes unheard by most.
However, this lack of recognition has not slowed The Game down. Less than a year after the release of “Documentary 2.5,” he is back with his throwback-esque project, “1992.”
With only one feature present on the nearly hour-long album, the weight is now officially on his shoulders to craft a masterpiece.
It doesn’t take long for us to figure out what this project is all about. The opening track, “Savage Lifestyle,” immediately throws the listener into a brutal statement regarding police brutality and ultimately calls the black population to make a violent revolt for justice.
There are mentions of arson, bricks through windows, killing law enforcement and much more. The tone present in the track is certainly that of being fed up, and with no viable options available, The Game goes to what he feels to be the next logical steps.
“True Colors/It’s On” pushes to address the violence created by gang activity and allegiance in areas such as Compton, where The Game is from, all the while tying in overall racial tensions in the United States throughout the narrative.
The song takes a much more clever route to conveying its message, ultimately playing up the concept that gang members are killing each other over mere colors.
“Bompton” certainly does not match the overall depth or insight of the previous tracks in “1992.” With a personal narrative regarding one of his interactions with the police and his drug-dealing days, the song is certainly an interesting story to hear but really doesn’t contribute much to the album overall.
Following this track comes an interesting interlude-type track entitled “Fuck Orange Juice.” The Game uses intricate word-play to compare his situation as a black man in America to the O.J. Simpson trial, eventually coming to the conclusion that if he is going to get caught, he doesn’t want it to be for something like stealing football cards.
The following three tracks follow a similar path to “Bompton.” Although each offers an interesting insight to the kind of life lived by The Game, they don’t have much of a significant impact on the project as a whole.
However, this offers a perfect opportunity to discuss the production of the project, which is excellent, to say the least. Consisting of mostly sample-based beats, the sound stays true to the album’s name, heralding back to the era of 1990s West Coast hip-hop.
“1992” does cater to some modern trap vibes on songs like “True Colors/It’s On” and “I Grew Up on Wu-Tang,” but not in a way that disrespects the essence of what hip-hop was always supposed to be. The beats put the emcee in the limelight and allows for true poetic discourse.
Speaking of which, “I Grew Up On Wu-Tang” is probably the next highlight track on “1992.” Every album has to have one flex track, and, although most come off as increasingly haughty or just ridiculous, The Game is quite tasteful in how he boasts his success.
Perhaps the thing really setting him apart here is just how calmly he flows on the track. I think he recognizes yelling doesn’t necessarily add any sort of emphasis to his lyrics and uses his laid-back flow to truly set his art apart.
After this track, there doesn’t seem to be much worth mentioning. Things sift out a bit more and really all start to sound the same. It really is a shame; the first half of “1992” had such great potential to uphold his legacy, but with the last half of this album, it is evident The Game has fallen short from his previous endeavors.
