'The Documentary' chronicles very little

The Game is looking for success and he's on the right track. On his debut album, The Documentary, he has songs produced by Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Hi-Tek, Just Blaze and Buckwild. He has cameos from Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Faith Evans, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Nate Dogg. He has a label consisting of Dre and 50 Cent backing him up financially. The only thing he needs now to become successful is his own image.\nOr maybe he could use a Delorean, so he can travel back to the time before every rapper he is ripping off on his album.\nLet me just say that The Game isn't a bad rapper. If I met him at a party, I'd say, "This boy can flow." But I'd never expect him to be hooking up with Eminem or 50 Cent on an album. It's not that his lyrics or his beats are bad by any means. It's just that he isn't different from any other rapper out there. He's pretty much a wussy version of 50 Cent -- something I never wanted to see. He spouts the same catch phrases as every other rapper and talks about the same topics as everyone else: guns, love and the rap industry.\nHis lyrical style seems to be based on rather convoluted references and metaphors. On "Dreams," he compares MLK to Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Aaliyah. (I'm sorry, neither singer was assassinated, nor did they spark any sort of revolution -- unless you consider "No Scrubs" a revolution.) He brings up all of the famous people he is friends with in all of his songs like an obsessed Facebook user or something. I don't care if you hang out with Eve, 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes. Quit name dropping!\nAlso, his arrogance on the album befuddles me. He claims to be "Rap MVP" and is going to put out an album that's better than Ready to Die, Reasonable Doubt and Doggystyle combined. Nice try, but it ain't going to happen. Also, what kind of name is "The Game?" He's not just the leader of the rap game -- he's the entire game! Wow.\n50 Cent's label G-Unit, an offshoot of Dre's Aftermath, seems to really be pushing The Game. His video for "This is How We Do," has been in heavy rotation on MTVU. I'd never predict that The Game wouldn't be big, but I said the same about 50 Cent protégés Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, who both topped the charts.\nAll in all, though, I didn't really cringe listening to this album. The production is decent and the cameos are nice filler. What this album essentially proves is that you can make a rap album without any memorable lyrics. As long as the beats and hooks are catchy, you'll be set.