Album Review: Game “1992”
Arguably the most aggressive MC is the business cooks up a brilliant piece of nostalgia.
Jaceon Taylor, better known as west coast rapper ‘Game’ is what you would describe as a proud native. Whenever possible he gives much shine to the place he grew up in : LA. In his most recent album “1992” we find the rapper cohesively piecing together a concept album that’s come to be his finest work since he entered rap music consciousness with his debut album ‘Doctors Advocate’ in 2005.
‘Savage Lifestyle’ kicks the album off with a living breathing portrait of the riots that washed over LA, following the Rodney King verdict. Game, skilfully captures the emotions running through the people who were involved during those 6 days of carnage and recollects his thoughts from his 13 year old self. This is a great opener and absolute fire (well intended pun). Your ducking from the glass breaking, your ears ringing from the incessant police sirens and you’re checking your clothes for the odour of the smoke that engulfed the whole city.
In an era of and a genre perceived with a lack of respect, Game, does a good job paying homage to a somewhat golden time. Although Wu Tang Clan debuted in 1993, they are brought into the 1992 timeline on track ‘I Grew up on Wu Tang”. It’s hard to question this assertion as the LA rapper has multiple personalities and arguable has a bit of every member of the clan. With verbal nods towards that time are heavy with references to from ‘Matlock, Michael Jordan & not to mention name dropping most members of the clan.
You couldn’t mention 1992 without mentioning the second most news worthy event that year. “F**k Orange Juice” is one of the coolest samples of 1982’s “Message”. It’s an infectious type of jam that everyone has heard at some point but Game absolutely murders this with lines like “Face off, twin dessert eagles, cracked spines, I aint jokin, keep playing with the batline, this aint Gotham this Compton, We mix redbulls with Vodka Nigga”. It’s a relatively short with a playing time of under 2 minutes but it’s some real fresh juice.
Make no mistake Game can be a fine storyteller and he really pulls it off on track “Young Niggas”. Punctuated by touching piano loop which allows the rapper to illustrate how to friends can be pulled apart by gang culture. Emotional depth is not something you associate with Game but he shows much heart on this standout moment of this album.
“Soundtrack” and “Juice” are fantastic roll one up and chill joints they both live in that laid back upbeat way. Both also carry that melancholic energy that makes you pine for more hip hop with this kind of multi layered self-reflection.

“Baby You” finds Game driving down lovers lane as he speaks on the way a significant other really makes him feel. It’s the rarest thing a rapper making a fantastic romantic number. Backed up by an on-song Jason Derulo as he provides the vocal springboard that really makes this song work. The word nostalgic has been used a few times already but this really is the best a way to describe the vocal arrangements reminiscent to the R’n’B from the 90’s that fully dominated that time period.
Game is a number of things: Angry, spiteful, contradictory at times. On this record he’s simply timeless.
DISTRACT RATING: 9 out 10
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