The Game puts the game in a stranglehold in “Drillmatic (Heart Vs. Mind).”

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5. The Black Slim Shady

How dare The Game diss the Great White Hope!?

The Game goes after Eminem relentlessly in “The Black Slim Shady.” Throughout the song, he says that the Detroit rapper is highly overrated, he calls him out for appropriating black culture, and he even says that he rather listen to Tekashi’s music over his. At times, The Game only crosses the line, while at other times, he crosses the line and spits on it.

So why did this diss track happen in the first place? I have no clue. What I will tell you is this: If you f**k with the flows that Eminem usually toys with, you have to mess with the flows that The Game toys with here; they are practically the same.

Here are a few things that I have to get off my chest about this song:

1. I probably wouldn’t have made this song if I was in The Game’s shoes. He just comes across as ungrateful for all that Dr. Dre (Who he also disses in the song), 50 Cent, and Eminem did for his career.
2. I don’t think the song is as bad as people on Twitter are saying it is. I actually thought it was dope how The Game tried to literally morph into Eminem (Or Stan). That’s really hard to do.
3. I think this song is more of a taunt than a diss.
4. I think this song is very bizarre.

4. What We Not Gon’ Do

“What We Not Gon’ Do” begs for your full attention.

Backed by the type of beat that only the grittiest rappers of New York used to kill back then, The Game goes off! In the song, he asks his main chick to make better decisions in their relationship using a rap style that is firmer than AZ. Personally, I just feel the song has a compulsory tone that makes it feel extra important.

Speaking of firm, this song sounds like some s**t The Firm would’ve made back then.

3. How Far I Came (Ft. Roddy Ricch)

“How Far I Came” changes the pace of this album effectively.

So many people get shot on this album. In “How Far I Came,” only like two or three people get shot. Instead, what you get is an abundance of chill vibes, mainly from the smooth beat and Roddy Ricch’s infectious hook. No need to worry, in The Game’s verses, he still comes across as ruthless by reminding us of his trappin’ and mobbish ways.

Roddy Ricch is like 25/25 when it comes to dropping hooks on other people’s songs.

2. Burnin’ Checks (Ft. Fivio Foreign)

I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I think you get one of the best drill performances ever by The Game in “Burnin’ Checks.”

There’s so much bragging and boasting in “Burnin’ Checks” by The Game and FIvio Foreign. Matter of fact, both of them claim they are the king of New York and LA in their respective verses. That’s not why I like the song, though. I like it because it features a divine drill beat that The Game and Fivio Foreign calmly and aggressively (Respectively) lay their competitive bars down over. I also think the song has a very catchy hook.

Are The Game and FIvio on some LL Cool J and Canibus s**t on this song? I feel like they are shooting shots at each other in it.

1. Eazy (Ft. Kanye West)

Kanye West and The Game have never been afraid to speak their minds about anything.

One of my favorite tracks of all time is the Kanye West-produced “Dreams” by The Game. Since its release, the two musicians have collaborated on a bunch of songs. In their most recent one, “Eazy,” you get some very juicy content out of the rebels.

Over a beat that boasts both old-school hip-hop vibes and church feels, Kanye and The Game rap about everything from their rough come-ups to beating up Pete Davidson. While I absolutely love the latter’s gritty raps, at the end of the day, it’s the juicy content that the former blesses us with that catches my attention the most. Below are some of Ye’s noteworthy bars:

Rich-ass kids, this ain’t yo mama house
Climb on your brother’s shoulders, get that Top Ramen out
God saved me from that crash
Just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s

and:

Cousin Dre sent me scriptures, helped me see life better
Nigga, we havin’ the best divorce ever
If we go to court, we’ll go to court together
Matter of fact, pick up your sis, we’ll go to Kourt’s together

Kanye West might be the new Pac…

SONG BY SONG RATING

1. One Time (Ft. Ice T) (4.5/5)

2. Eazy (Ft. Kanye West) (5/5)

3. Burning Checks (Ft. Fivio Foreign)(5/5)

4. Voodoo (Ft. BOA QG) (4/5)

5. Home Invasion (4.5/5)

6. O.P.P. (Ft. YoungBoy Never Broke Again) (4/5)

7. Outside (Ft. YG) (5/5)

8. La La Land (4/5)

9. Change the Game (Ft. Ty Dolla $ign) (4/5)

10. How Far I Came (Ft. Roddy Ricch) (5/5)

11. Heart Vs. Mind (4.5/5)

12. No Smoke at the Polo Lounge (Ft. Jeremih)(4.5/5)

13. No Man Falls (Ft. Pusha T & 2 Chainz) (4.5/5)

14. Chrome Slugs & Harmony (Ft. Lil Wayne & G Herbo)(3/5)

15. Start From Scratch II (5/5)

16. What We Not Gon’ Do (5/5)

17. Fortunate (Ft. Kanye West, Dreezy & CHILLER) (4/5)

18. Rubi’s Rose (Ft. Twista & Jeremih) (3.5/5)

19. DRAKE with the BRAIDS – Interlude (N/A)

20. Nikki Meach (Ft. French Montana & Tory Lanez) (4.5/5)

21. Talk To Me Nice (Ft. Meek Mill, Moneybagg Yo & Blxst (4/5)

22. Money Cash Clothes (Ft. A$AP Rocky) (3.5/5)

23. K.I.L.L.A.S. (Ft. Cam’ron) (4/5)

24. The Black Slim Shady (4.5/5)

25. Stupid (Ft. Big Sean) (4.5/5)

26. .38 Special (Ft. Blueface) (4.5/5)

27. Twisted (4/5)

28. World Tours (4/5)

29. Save The Best For Last (4.5/5)

30. A Father’s Prayer (5/5)

31. Universal Love (4.5/5)

TOTAL: 136/155 = 88%

RGM RATING

(B+)

For years, I’ve been telling people that The Game is one of my favorite rappers of all time. If you ignore some of his bad habits (Which I will explain below), you will realize that he has a bag that is as impressive as anyone else’s in the history of hip-hop.

Do you know what The Game is really good at? Giving music fans exactly what they want. In Drillmatic: Heart Vs. Mind, he hits us with rappity rap tracks, gangsta love songs, drill bangers, diss records, remakes, summertime jams, and even uplifting tracks. He also recruited everyone we like in the hip-hop game today, from Kanye West to Lil Wayne to Fivio Foreign to NBA YoungBoy to Roddy Ricch to Chris Brown. With that being said, the best things about the album are that they feature high-level raps and high-level beats. Like, it’s refreshing hearing the kind of music that we enjoy today mixed with actual good raps and good beats.

I want to expand more on The Game as a rapper. From a talent perspective, he is no less than a top 10er. His raps are appealing, his punchlines are strong, he flows well, and he has outstanding confidence on the mic. So why doesn’t he ever get called a top 10 rapper? I think it’s because he embraces being an anti-hero far too often. While I personally think that there are a lot of fantastic tracks on this album, the controversial (And somewhat senseless) “The Black Slim Shady” is going to be one of them that distracts listeners from everything else. Also, while I think The Game crafts verses that are unbelievably good, his love for namedropping just makes it feel like you’re listening to Twitter on audio at times. If you are listening to this album, I think the best thing to do is this: Appreciate it for its essence as opposed to taking certain aspects so literally. Enjoy its high-level beats and raps. If you do that, you might actually think Eminem is “The Black The Game.”

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.