Ever since his debut album The Documentary dropped in 2005, The Game has continued to be a relevant force to be reckoned with in Hip Hop. He’s an artist whose passion for the culture has continued to grow year after year. Here we are, 11 years after his major label debut and he’s still one of the most talented artists actively releasing projects.
After releasing a slew of mixtapes, albums, his own shoe line, clothing line, going to war with the biggest artist in Hip Hop at the time, losing some of his closest friends to street violence and everything else he’s been through over the years, Game is still releasing incredible music to this day. If that doesn’t deserve to be saluted, what does? When he announced his Documentary 2 album, fans were skeptical. It’s not often a sequel album can live up to the hype of the original. We’re not saying Documentary 2 was better than the original—it was a different climate in the game, so it’s hard to compare the two albums and since they were released so far apart, there’s a lot to take into account. Part two definitely is an incredible project, and a double disc at that.
More recently, his Streets Of Compton soundtrack is another incredible piece of work. Game has stayed true to himself throughout his entire career. He has an amazing ear for production. He’s stayed current by constantly collaborating with the rising stars on the west coast. He never shies away from an on record beef, a trait admirable in a day and age full of subliminals. If Game is dissing you on a record, you’ll have no doubts in your mind it’s about you. All beef aside though, he has grown as an artist over the years and doesn’t seem to be slowing down despite his veteran status.
When you review his body of work as a whole, many could make a solid case to officially move Game from veteran to legendary status. He’s a man that went from student of the game to one of the game’s top professors. His longevity and relevance is something to be commended and the majority of his catalog still holds weight to this day. We’ve watched him grow from rocking Chucks and Dickie suits and drinking 40’s to raising a family and being an embodiment of physical fitness. And with all of that, he’s still a problem if anybody wants static on a record. Salute to Chuck Taylor—artist, father, and all ’round legend.