If you look around hip hop today, the talent out of the west coast is at a large number. Probably the largest it's been since the 90's. You just gotta wonder, what if The Game didn't have the debut year he had in 2005? What if he didn't never drop that now classic debut album The Documentary? What if Dr. Dre or 50 Cent never found him? The west coast might still be silent to this day. That's why regardless how you feel about The Game, you have to give him credit for making the west coast relevant again in hip hop. Now up to this point, The Game is one of very few rappers who has yet to put out a bad album. I've liked all his albums for the most part. So I hoped he would continue with that here. This is his sixth album Blood Moon: Year Of The Wolf. His last album Jesus Piece, one of my first ever reviews, I would consider just a "good" album after a month of growing on me. I felt this album can only be better or worse than it. I kinda feel the same way about this album that I did about Jesus Piece. It's barely average but my grow on me over time. Now when you're dealing with The Game and his albums you know you're gonna get three things: excessive name dropping, impersonating other rappers and numerous guest features. So I'm not even gonna trip on that because I'm used to it. However, this album was originally supposed to be a compilation album showcasing all the new talent under his new Blood Money Ent. label. Majority of the features are them so it still kinda feels like a compilation. Anyway, here's the break down:
1. Bigger Than Me
Well...he begins the album the same way he has the last three albums: attacking the whole industry. Not mentioning names of course (believe it or not). Just an enraged Game coming at all those who he finds wack in the industry as well as those on the streets. Songs cool minus his terrible impression of a chainsaw sound. I'm also not understanding the whole wolf concept going on here (he has hidden interludes about wolves throughout the album). Though they don't really do anything for the album or for me, it doesn't hurt the album or this song.
2. F.U.N.
I hate being deceived by song titles. What I thought would be a song about what the titles says, turnd out to be an acronym for "fuck u niggas". Yeah...we're back to this again. Coming after everybody for no reason. Including taking a little jab at G-Unit. The song is alright but where it goes wrong is where he starts doing the worst Eminem impression I've ever heard. Like I said in the beginning he does this a lot as a way to salute his peers but this was just horrible and probably not needed on this kind of song.
3. Really (featuring Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Soulja Boy and T.I.)
Once I saw all those who are featured on this track, I instantly thought to myself this will either be a hit or a miss....it was a miss. It's nothing but your typical bragging and boasting over a energized trap beat. Yo Gotti's verse was rather plain, 2 Chainz verse was filled with horrible lines (especially that "Di-rect/De-rek Jeter" line...my God), Soulja Boy was only on the hook and didn't say much thank goodness. T.I.'s verse may have been the best which probably isn't saying much on a below average track like this. It sounds nice in your car but anywhere else...no.
4. Fuck Yo Feelings (featuring Lil Wayne and Chris Brown)
Boy...there is so much wrong in this song that it's hilarious. All verses from everyone involved isn't even worth quoting. Thankfully Wayne is only on the hook (which still sucks because it just repeats "fuck yo feelings" over and over) but Chris Brown spits one of his worst rap verses to date. What makes this all even worst? They all are on auto-tune. There's only a very, very few artists I can tolerate on auto-tune and none of these three are it. On top of that, Game is spitting with that Migos flow that everybody is jocking now. Hate it. This song is easily forgettable.
5. On One (featuring King Marie and Ty Dolla $ign)
This song grew on me quickly. I wasn't too sure about it after the first listen. Definitely has a huge club/party sound and could be a potential single. However this is one of many songs on here that makes this album feel more like a Blood Money Ent. compilation. King Marie is the chick singing on the hook and also has the first verse. Making it sound more like King Marie featuring The Game and Ty Dolla $ign as supposed to the other way around. But I overall actually like this. Let's see if he puts this out as a single because I think it would do well as one.
6. Married To The Game (featuring French Montana, Sam Hook and Dubb)
Naming this song after his reality show got me to thinking that this would be about that. It was...somewhat. It seems like he just talking about some random hoe he's smashing and passing around to the homies as supposed to a chick he's wifing. What irritated me though was how every line on this song ends with "motherfucker". From all three rappers. Even though French Montana's verse was kinda funny with that Delonte West line. Average song overall.
7. The Purge (featuring Stacy Barth)
Now a change of pace. Here he talks about politics and everything going on in the world today. Specifically all the senseless violence and killing. In a way it's relatable because it does feel like a everyday pruge and we're all sick of it. Game speaks on purging himself and going around taking out all those responsible for all this violence in the world. The songs sad and depressing sounding production fits right in with the topic too giving it more emotion. Nice song.
8. Trouble On My Mind (featuring Dubb, Jake & Papa)
This is the second song that makes this more of a compilation album. The Game is not even on this track. It's basically Dubb's song featuring Jake & Papa. Much like the previous song, Dubb talks about all the senseless killings in today's world. Specifically the police brutality in the wake of the Michael Brown situation in Missouri. Sometimes the violence can consume you if you're around it enough. It can influence most to do wrong as well. I think that's biggest message here.
9. Cell Phone (featuring Dubb)
Nothing much going on here but your typical LA gang rap. I've heard this saying of "killing a nigga on a cell phone" so many times and still have no idea what that means. Whatever the case, I like the beat and the sample specifically here. Pretty good.
10. Best Head Ever (featuring Tyga and Eric Bellinger)
After hearing the disgustingly disturbing hidden interlude that comes before this, I feared the worst...and that's just what I got. This was so bad. Funny that Tyga is on it because it sounds like a typical lame Young Money song about sex. Hell this was probably one of their throw aways and Game scooped it up. Another forgettable track.
11. Or Nah (featuring Too $hort, Problem, AV and Eric Bellinger)
I swear...the very first time I heard this on the radio, I cried tears of laughter at how awful it was. He took the most overused saying of 2014 and turned it into a half assed DJ Mustard inspired twerk song. The hook was bad and the lyrics were worst. Only good thing I could say is that the beat is definitely Too $hort inspired (which explains his guest feature on here). It sounds a lot like a new school version of "Blow The Whistle". But still, this song was just bad all around. The ratchets will love it I'm sure but for me? Nah.
12. Take That (featuring Tyga and Pharoah Prophet)
Once again...another compilation feeling song without The Game on it. In fact, this is a R&B song. It's really Pharoah Prophet featuring Tyga. It's kinda average overall. Probably would have been a lot better without Tyga on it babbling about nothing. I find it quite funny that some of the better song on here The Game is not even on. This one will grow on me though.
13. Food For My Stomach (featuring Dubb and Skeme)
...and the compilation tracks without The Game continues. Dubb and Skeme get together for another track of nothing but gang rap and thuggery. Definitely wasn't feeling the auto-tuned hook (especially after hearing "Fuck Yo Feelings"). But the rapping was cool. I don't know about that opening line from Dubb though ("I sink in my teeth cause these niggas is sweet"). Pause moment. Okay track overall.
14. Hit Em Hard (featuring Bobby Shmurda, Freddie Gibbs and Skeme)
Well this is certainly an interesting collaboration and contrast of styles. You got Freddie Gibbs an underground gangster rap lyricist, and Bobby Shmurda a barely legal kid from Brooklyn with a rambunctious rap style. Well...rambunctious is exactly what this song is. It's a hard hitting, trunk rattling track with a highly energetic beat. Props to Amadeus on the production. I actually sometimes don't like these kind of songs but this one was kinda cool.
15. Black On Black (featuring Jeezy and Kevin Gates)
Here's another one that grew on me quickly. The MeKanics do a really good job with this trap beat. Honestly, this should have been another song without Game because he did nothing for it. Jeezy and Kevin Gates did this beat more justice. In fact, this actually sounds like it would have fit well with Jeezy's latest album he dropped. Another good one for the whip.
16. Bloody Moon [BONUS TRACK]
You know what I've noticed this year? A lot of the bonus tracks on many of this years albums were close to if not better than majority of the songs that made the main album. Same case here. The Game is solo on this track and frankly that's when he's at his best. Here he tells the emotional story of growing up watching his father attempt to rape his sister (the two had different dads). Songs like this still makes me a Game fan. When he lets out emotion like this, he becomes a better artist. I have no idea why this is a bonus track because you can argue that it's better than every other song on the album.
In closing, this album is barely average but still has the potential to grow on me more. I honestly think this probably would have been a much better album if it was what it was supposed to be before. A Blood Money Ent. compilation album. I give it a final grade of a B-. I think The Game has put a good crop of decent talent for this new label of his. I look forward to see what they do in the future. As far as him, as I stated, The Game is at his best when he does a lot of his stuff solo. He's scheduled to drop The Documentary II next year. Let's just hope the guest feature number is at a minimum when that drops. As well as the name dropping and artist impersonations. Wishful thinking I know. End.
Final Grade: B-
CREDITS
Executive Producers
Jayceon Taylor
Cash Jones
Stanley Benton
Lead Artist
Jayceon Taylor
Production
Jordan Mosley
Matthew Burnett
Michael Hernandez
Rico Evans
Isabella Summers
Matthew Samuels
Cash Jones
Stanley Benton
Andre Lyon
Jeremy Jay
Dominick Lamb
Jonathan King
Collaboration
Mario Mims
Tauheed Epps
DeAndre Way
Clifford Harris, Jr.
Dwayne Carter
Christopher Brown
Tyrone Griffin
Karim Kharbouch
Stacy Barth
Michael Stevenson
Todd Shaw
Jason Martin
Ackquille Pollard
Frederick Tipton
Jay Jenkins
Kevin Gilyard
Stanley Benton
Label
Blood Money/eOne Ent.
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