Review Summary: Overall, Game created a concise, focused, and intelligent album that follows a thematic concept. This concept displays Game’s maturity and as result keeps him on his A-Game.
Game announced that Jesus Piece, his fifth studio album, would be “the best album of his career and also the best album of the year”.
After tumultuous affairs with Aftermath and G-Unit, Game was forced to sustain his own career. He was pressured to create his own destiny by establishing himself as a valuable asset in the hip-hop community.
For years, we were all passengers to Jayceon Taylor or simply Game’s moderate, sometimes lackluster venture. After splitting with G-Unit, Game slowly began to regain focus. Although he sometimes relapsed with bitterness, he realized that his integrity and ambition, to be a pioneer in West Coast hip-hop, was still in existence.
In terms of critical and commercial reception, Game’s The R.E.D. Album was a fall from his 2008 LAX album. This was the fuel that Game needed. He desired to create a concept record that was concise, focused, and conceptualized his gangster yet spiritual personality.
Game’s Jesus Piece begins with “Scared Now” (Feat. Meek Mill), where an eerie religious organ plays atop a heavy bass production. Game immediately bucks shots at 50 Cent saying, “But I got tired of being 50’s dog, had to break my chain and break that nigga 50 off”. This song goes hard and Game lets the rest of the hip-hop community know that he is an overly qualified candidate, coming for the crown.
In songs such as “Ali Bomaye” (Feat. 2 Chainz and Rick Ross) and “Name Me King” (Feat. Pusha T), Game foreshadows his listeners by speaking of himself as if he knows, that he will one-day become an illustrious hip-hop legend.
The concepts of spirituality and street life are apparent during “Pray” (Feat. J.Cole and JMSN), “Church” (Feat. King Chip and Trey Songz), “Heavens Arms”, and “See No Evil” (Feat. Kendrick Lamar and Tank). In “Pray” Game, J.Cole, and JMSN talk to us about women and the many struggles they face. Each verse is honest and it makes Game seem extremely mature, something that 2pac already accomplished in “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Dear Mama”. In “Church”, we hear Game alter his flow but still remain focused with his lyricism. In “Heavens Arms”, the eerie religious organ that we heard during “Scared Now” reintroduces itself. Game’s lyrics during this track are nothing short of commendable. “Aint forgot about the twin towers, I blame Bush for them, Obama can’t speak on it, cause the government shushing him”. “Heavens Arms” is also the only track where Game does not feature another artist.
Conclusively, “See No Evil” is easily the most ghostly song on Jesus Piece. It sounds as if you just entered hell and the devil is coldly staring into your eyes. Kendrick Lamar’s amazing performance adds to the creepy essence of this track as well.
Between the themes of spirituality and street life, Game also pays homage to the many artists that paved the path before him. In “Can’t Get Right” (Feat. K Roosevelt), “Hallelujah” (Feat. Jaime Foxx), and “Freedom” (Feat. Elijah Blake), Game refocuses his attention on praising those who came before him and in the process preaches about what he is grateful for. His respect for others can be summed up in the chorus of “Hallelujah”, where he states, “Halle motha-***in-lujah, all my real niggas, I salute ya” and in “Jesus Piece” (Feat. Kanye West and Common), where Game discusses the true pioneers of hip-hop just in time for hip-hop’s legend, Common, to close out this piano-driven track.
To conclude this concise album, Game joins forces with Chris Brown, Tyga, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Khalifa. In “Celebration”, these weed connoisseurs, with a flow similar to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, close out Jesus Piece with an optimistic tone, shouting, “We havin a celebration, let us stay high”.
Overall, Game created a concise, focused, and intelligent album that follows a thematic concept. This concept displays Game’s maturity and as result keeps him on his A-Game.
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