Game Untold Story Vol. 2 (Chopped & Screwed) CD

Despite this conflict, UNTOLD STORY certainly conveys the Game's full hip-hop prowess, which stirred up such excitement in the West Coast rap scene. The Game's confidence is overwhelming, as he declares himself the best rapper since 2Pac's demise and drops almost every name in hip-hop from Nas to NWA. Fortunately, his rhymes back up his swagger; his style is not complex or ornate, but, like 2Pac, he gets his point across concisely and unquestionably. UNTOLD STORY provides a peek inside the mind of an up-and-coming rapper and stands on its own as a well-rounded record.

Before he signed with Aftermath, shipped platinum, and fell out with the same label in the midst of a major public feud with 50 Cent, Compton MC The Game was taken under the wing of rapper/producer JT Tha Bigga Figga. During the pair's time together, the latter collected rolls of tapes of The Game's early work and compiled it here, giving fans extraordinary insight into the evolution of the lyrically potent rap star. UNTOLD STORY VOLUME II is saved from being a knock-off by the fact that JT is a remarkable producer, and that The Game's capacity for sharp rhymes is seemingly endless.

The Game can turn a phrase with the best of them (i.e. "I move more birds than migration"), but his strongest suit is his informed connection to the history of hip-hop and R&B. On "I'm A Mobsta," he channels Rakim's measured confidence while reminiscing about listening to Bobby Womack and pointing to the corner where Eazy-E dealt drugs. He invokes the EPMD model for rap success with "Business Never Personal," while displaying a KRS-One tongue-rolling style on "Born & Raised In Compton (Raised As A G)." UNTOLD STORY: VOLUME II reveals yet more dimensions of one of the the sharpest minds in the rap world.

California rapper the Game had been lighting up the mix-tape circuit for years before catching the eyes and ears of Aftermath Records. The Game's lyrics are about as hard as they come, and no one could dare question the sincerity of his rhymes. The young MC turned to lyrics after he was shot and coming out of a coma. The former hustler's brutal, precise rhymes captured the attention of many, including impresario JT the Bigga Figga, who signed up to produce the Game's debut. (This record is riddled with controversy, as the Game and JT had a falling out.)

Personnel: Get Low Playaz, JT the Bigga Figga, San Quinn, Sean T, Telly Mac, Young Noble, Blue Chip.