The Game delivers on L.A.X.

By: Max Irlander

Posted: 10/3/08

10/03/08 - The Game certainly has talent when it comes to speaking his mind in a lyrical fashion. On his most recent album, LAX, each track relates to the Game's personal past. He is able to tell stories through his songs, unlike some other commercial rappers that just talk about getting lots of money, women and drugs.

Even though the Game does have a track called "Money" he does it justice, since he tells the story of how he got to where he is. It's not just about spending it on different materialistic things like most other artists' songs about money.

Though he does touch on those topics of the average rapper, he puts in his own little spin, making them his own. Through his tough voice he clearly displays his pride in the West coast and his home of Compton.

This album is definitely reminiscent of the old days of N.W.A. and many other west coast rap artists. His track "Game's Pain" with R&B artist Keyshia Cole plays as something like a memoir of hip-hop's past. For those interested in the gangsta rap genre, this album definitely does justice.

The Game also teams up with many big names in the hip-hop industry: he has Nas, Lil' Wayne, Ludacris and many others featured on his songs- not to mention he also has producers like Kanye West and Scott Storch (just to name a few). Each track has a significant strong beat that seems to linger in the minds of his audience after listening to it a few times, as on his song "LAX Files."

He reaches out to the former alternative rock band drummer of blink 182, Travis Barker, to intertwine rock with the rap game on his song "Dope Boys." The Game is constantly striving for greatness in his field, pushing himself further and further along the path to gain recognition for his struggles.

Though his latest album does not top his past work, he still comes through- L.A.X. is an album that tops some of the other competition.

The Game speaks out in an anthem-like manner, and he instills empathy in his audience. He really gives insight into his life and the struggles he has had to endure growing up in one of the toughest cities in the country.

On some of his songs he has the mentality of it being him against the world, however, if you listen a little closer, he does praise those who helped him out in getting to where he is today, similar to Tupac. However, he is able to cleverly put together rhymes that get at those who have done him wrong, like G-Unit.

All in all, this album is definitely something worth listening to in its entirety; the Game has put together an album that is easy to listen to. His rhymes are clever and tell a story combining the past and the present.

When an album comes out that has an all-star line up, and the listener is still able to look past that and hear the strength in the album's artist's own songs and rhymes... well, that's an album that's easy to recommend.