DOCTOR’S ADVOCATE - THE GAME
After getting booted from 50 Cent’s G-Unit crew and losing Dr. Dre as the main collaborator for this sophomore album, the Game is sporting quite a chip on his shoulder. The against-the-odds mentality is set on a backdrop of menacing percussion (”It’s Okay — One Blood”) and brooding soul samples (the groupie-bashing “Wouldn’t Get Far,” featuring Kanye West). The defensive approach can be great lyrical fodder (”Why You Hate the Game” featuring Nas and Marsha Ambrosius), but the Compton, Calif.-bred rapper is at his best on pensive cuts like “Ol English” and the Dre-aimed title track featuring Busta Rhymes. Cliched lady-pleasers like “Around the World” featuring
Jamie Foxx are inconsequential, but even though “Doctor’s Advocate” has its failings, it’s a prescription that comes recommended. Billboard
