The Documentary - The Game
The Documentary Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 76 Ratings

  • Summary: The west coast rapper's debut boasts an all-star production and guest roster including the likes of Eminem, Timbaland, Kanye West, Just Blaze, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. The end result is a rich, triumphant sonic tapestry; you can hear every dollar that went into it.
  2. 80
    The Documentary is like a hip-hop Jurassic Park: a big-budget homage to a place most of us thought was ancient history. [Apr 2005, p.118]
  3. It's The Game's candour that is his unbridled strength. [29 Jan 2005, p.59]
  4. If you're going to be literal and heartfelt, you'd better have something to say, and that's where the twenty-five-year-old rapper often falls short.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 40
  2. Negative: 2 out of 40
  1. This is a classic album. hip-hop needs people like The Game To revive hip-hop and the westcoast. The Game is on a mission to bring back West Coast back to fame and he's going to do it if he creates classics like The Documentary & L.A.X. Expand
  2. the beats are very good, the game also does a very good job on this album, easily his best album ever. mostly thanks to 50 cent and dr dre working on this album Expand
  3. MASTERMINDE
    7
    Once again another Aftermath production (well The Game was a part of Aftermath when this CD was released). Impressively and rather surprisingly, I found The Documentary to be superior in almost every regard (beats, lyrics, etc.) to The Game's former fellow cohorts recent releases. That includes: 50 Cents The Massacre and the rest G-Unit's solo outings. While the lyrics, not as shallow and weak as 50 Cent's still cater to the low IQ, however the production is quite slick with pro-producers lending there hand to all the tracks (including: Timbaland, Dr.Dre, Just Blaze, Kanye West). If anything, the CD just screams to be heard in car with twins subs pounding (my dual MTXs love it). Songs like: Put You on the Game, The Documentary, and Westside Story just thrive when provided with adequate bass. The Game has voice with a rough edge that really accents the slick beats he's been provided with. I can't help but think that without the A-List production this CD would have been quite bad, but nonetheless its filled with great dance and car tracks and can be good iPod listen once in awhile as long you don't expect 2Pac-esque lyricism. Expand
  4. AdamJ
    1
    This guy has only been rapping for three years and it shows. HIs flow is so lame that unless his name was associated with Eminem, Dre, and 50 cent, this album wouldn't have gone Brick. These days, Dre and Eminem can take anybody with a couple of bullet holes in them and turn them into the hottest name in the rap game. Where did Game come from? What work did he do before he came a so-called gangsta rapper? Well, his appearance on a dating show, complete with pink hair and lip ring, show us a little bit about Game. Here's a guy who is trying to get famous. Here's a guy who basically knows nothing about the rap game or business, never did anything before this, and is now up on charges of having stolen what might be the only decent line of the whole album (The guy posted the MP3 to prove it was stolen). If Dre and Eminem keep pushing artists like this, the facade is going to come to an end. 50 cent was hyped but he wasn't a poor rapper. The Game is hyped and he is without a doubt killed on every single song on this album by every guest who was slapped on here to pad the album's poor lyrics, themes, and personality. The Game has nothing new to say in Hip-hop. He's very simply riding on the names of the producers cashing in on the 14 year olds out there who think this is real hip-hop cause Game is real hot. I hope someday soon this stuff ends. Real rappers like Nas and even Jay-z are getting outsold by rappers no one has even heard of, who haven't paid dues, who haven't earned respect, who don't have anything original or interesting to say except to name drop (Sound familiar, Em?). The fact is, Eminem made the same album four times, Dre hasn't come out with an original album in four years, and this game is getting very, very old. TIme's about up. Expand

See all 40 User Reviews