The Documentary is the commercial debut studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on January 18, 2005, by Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. The record serves as his major-label debut, preceded by his independently released debut Untold Story in 2004. In 2001, while the Game was in hospital recovering from a shooting, he decided to pursue a career in music. He released the mixtape, "Q.B. 2 Compton" under his then record label "Get Low Recordz" in 2002, which was later discovered by Dr. Dre and led to him signing the Game to his label, Aftermath Entertainment. The album includes production from high-profile producers such as Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Scott Storch and Timbaland, among others, and guest appearances from 50 Cent, Eminem, Nate Dogg and Faith Evans, among others. This would be the Game's only album on all three labels, as he left them later in 2006 after a feud began between him and fellow G-Unit label-mate 50 Cent.

The Documentary debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 586,000 units in its first week. In March 2005, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album double Platinum, and by November 2005 the album sold 2.5 million copies in the U.S. The Documentary received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the album's production. It is also often debated by critics between itself and Doctor's Advocate as Game's best album.

Since the album's release, the Game was credited as a "driving force" in reviving the once-dominant West Coast hip-hop scene that had since been overshadowed by artists from the East, Midwest and South during the early 2000s. The Documentary remains the Game's best-selling album to date. On June 16, 2014, the Game announced a sequel to the album, The Documentary 2, which was released on October 9, 2015, followed by the release of The Documentary 2.5 a week later.

Recording

After the Game signed with G-Unit, he recorded nine songs with fellow American rapper 50 Cent in his home studio in Farmington, Connecticut, and then went back to Los Angeles, California to complete the album with American record producer Dr. Dre. While continuing the recording sessions on the album, he began working with rapper and record producer Kanye West on a song, where Kanye did the chorus. However, the song was left on the cutting room floor. The Game was also inspired to revive the hip hop scene in the West Coast, which had been overshadowed since its heyday in the 1990s by rappers from the East and the South. In 2005, in the interview with Vibe magazine, 50 Cent stated that he was brought in by the Interscope Records to work on the album, claiming that it was on the verge of being shelved and the Game was being dropped from the label. However, in the interview with Funkmaster Flex, the Game said that his status was never uncertain that he would be dropped from the label. 50 Cent also wrote 6 choruses of The Documentarys eighteen tracks—"Hate It or Love It", "How We Do", "Church for Thugs", "Special", "Higher", and "Westside Story"—and didn't receive proper credit for his work.

According to Aftermath A&R Mike Lynn, an early version of the album was rejected as the music was deemed unsatisfactory; "Dreams" was the only song from this iteration that made the final tracklist, with both Lynn and Dr. Dre considering it the song that proved to them The Game was capable of putting together a quality record.

Music

Lyrics

The Game for the album recorded tracks based on his life experiences from his childhood to his success as a rapper. When asked about the album, he stated: The rapper commented on the album's perception before its release, saying, "I know everybody was expecting gang-bang, 40-ounce, low-rider music, but that's not what I gave them... I'm telling a real story, and maybe there are people out there who can relate to my experiences." The first half of the album contains "upbeat, gangsta boogie" tracks with the other half relegating "smoothed out R&B maneuvers". At seven tracks, Dr. Dre co-executive produced the album with his "stripped-down cinematic" approach. "Don't Need Your Love" samples Mary J. Blige's "Not Gon Cry" and is one of the album's more soulful songs. "Church for Thugs" delivers a "sing-song stylee over an accentuated sonic bed" and "Put You on the Game" is a club track containing "dark dirge[s] of synth". that takes inspiration from early 1990s production. "We Ain't", which samples Dr. Dre's "The Watcher", takes Eminem's "chug laden synth gurgle" and is described as "one of the most menacingly catchy numbers on the entire album." "Don't Worry" is an R&B flavored track and despite its "minimal production", one reviewer wrote the song "still hits hard."

Title

The album's title was initially called "Nigga Witta Attitude Vol. 1" (a reference to N.W.A), but was changed to "The Documentary" because legal issues with an injunction filed at the request of Eazy-E's widow Tomica Woods-Wright prevented him from using N.W.A's name in the album title. On September 28, 2004, the Game released a promotional mixtape entitled Westside Story through Aftermath Entertainment and G-Unit Records. The mixtape was used to promote his major-label debut album, The Documentary. In October 2004, the Game released his first independent album, titled Untold Story, through Get Low Recordz (owned by JT the Bigga Figga). The album sold over 82,000 copies within its first three months. The album featured artists such as Sean T, Young Noble (of the Outlawz) and JT the Bigga Figga. The Game also appeared on various mixtapes, which has been hosted by DJ's such as DJ Kayslay, DJ Whoo Kid and DJ Clue?. The Game also released a second mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 2 through his own record label and appeared on the video game NBA Live 2004 on a song produced by Fredwreck called "Can't Stop Me". On November 15, 2004, the Game released a promotional mixtape, titled Charge It to the Game: The Mixtape, through Westside Records. The tape was also used to promote The Documentary.

Singles

"Westside Story" was the first official single to be released from The Documentary. The song features guest vocals from American rapper 50 Cent, while the production was handled by Dr. Dre and Scott Storch. The single entered on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 93, charted at number 55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and at number 29 on the Rhythmic Top 40 charts. Rolling Stone described it as "a kind of L.A. version of "In Da Club" with "a simple keyboard part, a spare 808 beat and strings that manage to sound both stressed-out and catchy." The music video was directed by Hype Williams". The Recording Industry Association of America certified the single Gold.

"Hate It or Love It" was the third official single to be released from The Documentary. The song features guest vocals from American rapper 50 Cent, while the production was handled by Cool & Dre. The single was the most popular single from the album. The single entered on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number two, charted at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, at number one on the Hot Rap Tracks, at number six on the Hot Digital Songs, at number 39 on the Latin Tropical Airplay, at number nine on the Pop 100, at number 13 on the Pop 100 Airplay, at number one on the Rhythmic Top 40, and at number 16 on the Top 40 Mainstream charts. The single attained respectable international charting. In the United Kingdom the single entered on the UK Singles Chart at number four, in Germany the single entered on the German Singles Chart at number 14, in the Republic of Ireland the single entered on the Irish Singles Chart at number five, in Australia the single entered on the Australian Singles Chart at number 23, and in Denmark the single entered the Danish Singles Chart at number 17. The track uses a sample from the song "Rubber Band" performed by the Trammps. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rap Song. The music video, which was directed by the Saline Project, was nominated at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video, but lost to Ludacris' "Number One Spot". The Recording Industry Association of America certified the single Gold. One critic wrote the Game "sews together a soulful Martin Luther King Jr. type speech with the acerbic wit and hustler charm of Malcolm X." The music video features the Game with many appearances by his current and former Black Wall Street affiliates. The video shows various places in Los Angeles County; including downtown Los Angeles and Compton. The music video showed these landmarks down at Los Angeles such as Staples Center, the Watts Towers, and LAX. The Game refers to a number of artists, songs and albums in "Put You on the Game"; including The Chronic, N.W.A, Makaveli, the Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, Flavor Flav, G-Unit, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre and his song "Let Me Ride", Eve, and Snoop Dogg. During the DVD Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin, the Game watches the video for this song pausing at specific spots in the video which shows a dead man on the ground blocked off by police tape. The Game then repeatedly states that he is wearing G-Unit sneakers, a diss at 50 Cent saying his career is dead. Damon Johnson directed the music video. Entertainment Weekly called it a "club track so crunkalicious, it's almost shocking that a California newbie — not a Ludacris — was the recipient of its deep-fried Southern charms."

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score =

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2Score =

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = B+

| rev4 = Los Angeles Times

| rev4Score =

| rev5 = NME

| rev5Score = 8/10

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 8.3/10

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7Score =

| rev8 = Spin

| rev8Score = B+

| rev9 = USA Today

| rev9Score =

| rev10 = The Village Voice

| rev10Score = C−

The Documentary received generally positive reviews. On Metacritic, The Documentary received an aggregate score of 72 out of 100 based on 19 reviews. and Entertainment Weekly suggested "with the brightest hip-hop stars aligning for him, the Game may have willed himself a popular masterpiece." Stylus Magazine wrote "no one disappoints" and despite the record being "so obviously and deeply grounded in marketing, it's still an outstandingly solid and enjoyable" debut. The Village Voice criticized the rapper's lyrical skills, saying, "the Game's rhymes are about six degrees from totally artless". Yahoo! Music also panned the lyrics for "almost totally lacking in shock value, humour or insight", but praised the production, writing that "musically, this is probably the greatest major label hip-hop album of recent years – a near faultless succession of hi-tech beats and ominously catchy hooks". At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the Game was nominated with a total of two nominations, including Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the smash single "Hate It or Love It". In 2012 Complex named the album one of the classic albums of the last decade.

Commercial performance

The Game is often credited as a driving force in bringing the West Coast hip-hop scene back to recognition. Before its release, he expressed his desire to have high opening week sales, saying, "I want to sell a million albums in my first week. And if I only sell one album the following week, I'm good." The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album double Platinum on March 23, 2005, As of March 2005, the album has sold over 2.5 million units in the United States.

The Documentary peaked at the top fifteen in most European charts it entered. It peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and remained on the chart for thirty-three weeks. It reached the top ten in the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Switzerland, and the top twenty in Belgium, Germany, and Norway. The album topped the Canadian Albums Chart for three weeks and on March 8, 2005, it was certified Platinum with 100,000 units shipped. It has since sold over five million copies worldwide.

Track listing

;Notes

  • signifies an additional producer.
  • signifies a co-producer.

;Sample credits

Information taken from The Documentary liner notes.

  • "Intro" contains a sample of "Down into the Magic" performed by Hanson.
  • "Dreams" contains a sample of "No Money Down" performed by Jerry Butler.
  • "Hate It or Love It" contains a sample of "Rubberband" performed by The Trammps.
  • "Don't Need Your Love" contains a sample of "Not Gon Cry" performed by Mary J. Blige.
  • "Put You on the Game" contains a sample of "Baghon Mein Bahar Hai" performed by Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar from the soundtrack to Aradhana.
  • "The Documentary" contains an audio excerpt from the 2003's film Livin' tha Life.
  • "No More Fun and Games" contains a sample of "You Can't Love Me If You Don't Love Me" performed by Lyn Collins and "Gangsta, Gangsta" performed by N.W.A.
  • "We Ain't" contains a sample of "The Watcher" performed by Dr. Dre, "One Day at a Time (Em's Version)" performed by Tupac Shakur, Eminem, and the Outlawz, and "Patiently Waiting" performed by 50 Cent and Eminem.
  • "Where I'm From" contains a sample of "Amanda" performed by Dionne Warwick.
  • "Special" contains a sample of "Catherine Howard" performed by Rick Wakeman.
  • "Like Father, Like Son" contains a sample of "Mariya" performed by The Family Circle.

Personnel

Credits for The Documentary adapted from AllMusic.

  • 50 Cent – executive producer, writer, vocals
  • Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica – assistant engineer
  • Mark Batson – producer
  • Steve Baughman – engineer
  • Jeff Bhasker – musician, producer
  • Jose Borges – assistant engineer
  • David Brown – assistant engineer
  • Buckwild – producer
  • Tony Campana – engineer
  • Demacio Castellon – engineer
  • Mark Catson – keyboards
  • Larry Chatman – production coordination
  • Kevin "KD" Davis – engineer
  • DJ Hi-Tek – engineer, producer
  • Michael Dobmeier – assistant engineer
  • Dr. Dre – executive producer, mixing, producer
  • Jimmy Douglas – mixing
  • Mike Elizondo – bass, keyboards, musician
  • Eminem – mixing, producer, vocals
  • Focus... – musician, producer
  • Scott Gutierrez – assistant engineer
  • Robert Hannon – engineer
  • Havoc – producer
  • Nathaniel "Danjahandz" Hills – producer
  • Keenan "Kee Note" Holloway – bass
  • Lionel "LJ" Holwan – keyboards
  • Ken Huffnagle – engineer
  • Mauricio "Veto" Irragorri – engineer, mixing
  • Glenn Jefferies – guitar
  • D. Diana Jenkins – vocals
  • Just Blaze – producer
  • Rouble Kapoor – assistant engineer
  • Wayne Kee – guitar
  • Steven King – bass, engineer, guitar, mixing
  • Mike Lynn – A&R
  • Jonathan Mannion – photography
  • Natasha Mathis – vocals
  • Kyla Miller – engineer
  • Needlz – producer
  • Ervin Pope – keyboards
  • Oscar "Filtrate" Ramierez – engineer
  • Jeff Reed – engineer, producer
  • Luis Resto – keyboards, producer
  • Angelo Sanders – A&R
  • Jason Schweitzer – engineer
  • Ed Scratch – engineer
  • Justin Smith – mixing
  • Scott Storch – musician, producer
  • Tank – scratching
  • Jayceon Taylor – writer
  • Timbaland – mixing, producer, vocals
  • Che Vicious – producer
  • Joe Warlick – engineer
  • Kanye West – producer
  • Ryan West – engineer, mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

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!align="left"|Chart (2005)

!align="left"|Peak<br />position

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|Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)

|align="center"|7

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Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

!scope="col"|Chart (2005)

!scope="col"|Position

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|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)

| style="text-align:center;"|49

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|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)

| style="text-align:center;"|56

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|French Albums (SNEP)

| style="text-align:center;"|104

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|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)

| style="text-align:center;"|75

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|New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)

| style="text-align:center;"|27

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|Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)

| style="text-align:center;"|100

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|UK Albums (OCC)

| style="text-align:center;"|66

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|US Billboard 200

| style="text-align:center;"|16

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|US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)

| style="text-align:center;"|5

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|Worldwide Albums (IFPI)

|style="text-align:center;"|18

|}

Certifications

References

  • The Documentary at Discogs
  • The Documentary at Metacritic