Doctor's Advocate

Despite having parted ways with former mentors 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, The Game’s follow-up to 2005's multiplatinum The Documentary doesn’t suggest he’s suffered much at their absence. The same basic elements are still here: a breathtakingly cocky attitude (he repeatedly insists that he’s on the same level as Jay-Z, Biggie, Nas, and 2Pac); versatile production by Just Blaze, Will.I.Am, Kanye West, Scott Storch, and others that should play well in the car, clubs, and earbuds; and an unabashed celebration of regionalism that may please those on the West Coast (though who knows how it will play elsewhere). The problem however is that Doctor’s Advocate feels more like "The Documentary: Part 2" than a new effort. Though The Game’s flow is sharper and more sophisticated, he still spends far too much time celebrating his greatness vis-a-vis other people, playing out this style to the point of gimmickry. That’s not to say there aren’t great moments. "Compton" is a rugged celebration of LA’s most notorious ‘hood, there’s some clever double entendre with "It’s Okay (One Blood)," and "Scream On ‘Em" is as chaotic and aggressive as the name suggests. It’s just that you wish The Game (at the tender age of 26) would learn to navel gaze less about his legacy and spend more time proving why he’s earned such a lofty self-perception. --Oliver Wang

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