Skip to content
Reviews

The Game, ‘The R.E.D. Album’ (DGC/Interscope)

“Now, blood the fuck up,” shouts Lil Wayne on the title track of the Game’s fourth album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart. As for this long-delayed record’s presumed star, the Game still aggressively name-drops in his rhymes, mythologizes his gangbanging youth, and relies on “narrator” and father figure Dr. Dre to give resonance to his meandering update of ’90s gangsta rap. Like any other industry-groomed product, the man born Jayceon Taylor has assembled the best collaborators available, from Lil Wayne and fellow provocateur Tyler, the Creator on the outrageous “Martians vs. Goblins” (“Dragging all you fags to the back of the log cabin,” spits Tyler) to the ubiquitous Chris Brown on “Pot of Gold.” Slick beats from Cool & Dre, Boi-1da, DJ Khalil, Hit-Boy, DJ Premier, and others ensure this will bang in your ride. But that’s about it.