Thursday, March 22, 2012

The R.E.D. Album (Geffen, 2011) by Game

It is a very pleasant surprise to hear Dr. Dre narrate the album.  And after an album introduction where Dre says, “And if you know anything about Killer King [referring to Martin Luther King Hospital], you know this- being born there is just like dying there,” Game, with assistance from Kendrick Lamar, raps with an intensity on “The City” that has not been heard from him in years. It sets the tone for the remaining nineteen tracks.  It is interesting that Pharrell Williams, who also serves as the album’s executive producer, only  contributes one beat.  However, Game’s ability to work with a diverse group of artists and producers is one of the things that have helped him endure over time and generate a fan base that reaches beyond Left Coast hip-hop purists.  Not since Death Row’s heyday has a rapper done for the West what Game has in the past several years. 


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