Spring Break
Rap icon bows out
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 8/28/08 Section: Focus
The Game is mad - furious, in fact. From being overlooked as one of the best in the rap industry to how low he thinks of the state of the hip-hop world, the Compton, Calif.-based rapper, born Jayceon Taylor, has a lot to let off his chest.
From the moment he says, "Put your lighters up if you want to" on "L.A.X. Files" until the closing lines on "Letter To The King," The Game is, well, at the top of his game, rapping with a tenacity and fire that has been missing since the last West Coast rap movement - a sad observation as "L.A.X." is the third and final album in his brief career.
With that said, "L.A.X." isn't The Game's best work, but it's pretty damn good. The album is highlighted by several key guest appearances that add an array of styles and flavor.
Early on in the album, there's "State of Emergency" featuring fellow West Coast MC and "gangsta" rap icon, Ice Cube. As the song begins, The Game presents the idea that California is not a state, but rather an army, bringing to life a long-lived comparison of street life and guerilla warfare. Despite his softer side in Hollywood these days, Ice Cube sounds more like his old self, which is certainly a pleasure.
It seems as if whatever Lil' Wayne touches these days turns to gold, and that trend continues on the track "My Life." What begins with a small interlude involving a man being shot becomes The Game's passionate investigation into why things go the way they do.
He raps, "I'm from a Windy City, like 'Do or Die' / From a block close to where Biggie was crucified / That was Brooklyn's Jesus / Shot for no f---kin' reason / And you wonder why Kanye wears Jesus pieces?"
The album's two lead singles, "Game's Pain" and "Dope Boys" featuring (+44) drummer Travis Barker, were both great choices to be released - they're both radio-friendly, and they offer something different. The first is more of a slower, reminiscent song and the latter is an upbeat "gangsta" jam.
It's a shame that this has to be his last album. A standout and integral member of G-Unit before his beef with 50 Cent and a perfect apprentice to Dr. Dre before he turned his back on him, The Game proved himself to be the second coming of the West Coast, an era that was over before it even began. While the standards were set high with "The Documentary," "L.A.X." is certainly a fitting way to bow out of the game.
Stephen.Ortiz@UConn.edu
From the moment he says, "Put your lighters up if you want to" on "L.A.X. Files" until the closing lines on "Letter To The King," The Game is, well, at the top of his game, rapping with a tenacity and fire that has been missing since the last West Coast rap movement - a sad observation as "L.A.X." is the third and final album in his brief career.
With that said, "L.A.X." isn't The Game's best work, but it's pretty damn good. The album is highlighted by several key guest appearances that add an array of styles and flavor.
Early on in the album, there's "State of Emergency" featuring fellow West Coast MC and "gangsta" rap icon, Ice Cube. As the song begins, The Game presents the idea that California is not a state, but rather an army, bringing to life a long-lived comparison of street life and guerilla warfare. Despite his softer side in Hollywood these days, Ice Cube sounds more like his old self, which is certainly a pleasure.
It seems as if whatever Lil' Wayne touches these days turns to gold, and that trend continues on the track "My Life." What begins with a small interlude involving a man being shot becomes The Game's passionate investigation into why things go the way they do.
He raps, "I'm from a Windy City, like 'Do or Die' / From a block close to where Biggie was crucified / That was Brooklyn's Jesus / Shot for no f---kin' reason / And you wonder why Kanye wears Jesus pieces?"
The album's two lead singles, "Game's Pain" and "Dope Boys" featuring (+44) drummer Travis Barker, were both great choices to be released - they're both radio-friendly, and they offer something different. The first is more of a slower, reminiscent song and the latter is an upbeat "gangsta" jam.
It's a shame that this has to be his last album. A standout and integral member of G-Unit before his beef with 50 Cent and a perfect apprentice to Dr. Dre before he turned his back on him, The Game proved himself to be the second coming of the West Coast, an era that was over before it even began. While the standards were set high with "The Documentary," "L.A.X." is certainly a fitting way to bow out of the game.
Stephen.Ortiz@UConn.edu
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