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The Game shows lyrical improvement over his major label debut, and even though some accused him of being a "name dropper" back then and still will today, the references seem more in keeping with his "soldier of the West" philosophy and less like a filler for lack of content.
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The New York TimesBarring some last-minute surprise, he has made the best hip-hop album of the year. [9 Nov 2006]
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If anyone questioned whether or not Jayceon Taylor had what it took to stand on his own post-G-Unit, Game answers all of his critics with a resounding yes on Doctor's Advocate.
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For the most part Game sounds desperate, raw, and ravenously hungry.
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As rap music, The Doctor’s Advocate is good; as tangled psychodrama, it's better.
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Unbelievably, the beats on Doctor's Advocate out-bang those on The Documentary, and the Game breathes compelling detail into the severe persona he established on his debut.
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There's no precedent for an album that worships a no-show so hard on one hand, flips the bird to hip-hop protocol with the other, and knowingly refuses to push things forward, even flaunts it.
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It doesn't live up to the nihilistic brilliance of The Documentary... But [The Game] doesn't fall flat on his face, either.
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In spite of the bloated run time, Advocate is far stronger than it has any right to be.
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Ultimately, for all its naked ambition, “Advocate” ends up proving that without the guiding hand of Dre, Game can ... sound like Dre.
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An album that will satisfy everyone who enjoyed his debut.
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MojoThis record easily beats its predecessor. [Feb 2007, p.105]
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There's nothing here as catchy as last year's hit "Hate It or Love It," but there's no shortage of good hooks or vigorous rhythms.
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The Game has a lot to prove, but rather than establishing his own style he continues in the west coast tradition, with G-funk's squealing synths and endless references to "the chronic".
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BillboardEven though "Doctor's Advocate" has its failings, it's a prescription that comes recommended. [18 Nov 2006]
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Taylor has vastly improved as an MC since last year's "The Documentary," and though his material is still largely built around hip-hop cliches... he shows flashes of mordant wit that are as sly (and smutty) as they are surprising.
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Doctor's Advocate isn't really all that dire, especially if you can get past the constant--and constantly labored--airing of, shall we say, grievances.
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Doctor's Advocate isn't the classic that message boards are calling it, but it is a middling yet pleasurable record.
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Jayceon Taylor's eagerness to live down to a cartoon sketch of what a rapper should be is in danger of obscuring his very real talent.
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Doctor’s Advocate is essentially a long album of just okay rhymes, just okay rapping, and (without the benefit of best-of-year sublimity like Cool & Dre’s “Hate It or Love It” production) a lot of just okay beats.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 88 out of 96
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Mixed: 3 out of 96
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Negative: 5 out of 96
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Apr 5, 2016
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Oct 16, 2015
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Feb 2, 2013