Game
's eighth proper studio album came out during an active 2016. Earlier in the year, he released soundtracks for a documentary,
Streets of Compton
, and a mobile app game,
Block Wars
. On a personal level, he and
50 Cent
made amends following a prolonged period of mutual antagonism, and then he went after
Meek Mill
, as documented on the forceful but controlled "92 Bars," included here. Although it's titled
1992
and is heavily nostalgic (even by
's standard), stacked with references to the state of hip-hop circa the early '90s, it's inspired by the era more than it is a period piece. Anachronism chasers might prefer to call this album Nineties-ish. Pre-1992 classics by
Ice-T
,
the D.O.C.
, and
Soul II Soul
are among the sampled material, as are later tracks from
Mystikal
and
Clams Casino
.
references numerous figures who ascended post-golden age and frames a track, backed by "The Message" -- like the 1993-issued remix of
Ice Cube
's "Check Yo Self" -- around
O.J. Simpson
, referencing the tense 1994 ride with
A.J. Cowlings
. Granted, that same track is purposefully 2016 with allusions to the U.S. presidential election and a blunt rejection of "[
Simpson
's] whole TV show" (presumably the documentary or series about him) that recalls
's opinion of The Arsenio Hall Show. Regardless,
frequently evokes his age-12 year with references to the 1992 NBA all-star game, the unrest in response to the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King, and the general condition of life in South Central Los Angeles. The constant flow of pronouns is not bound to sway
critics, but the rapper's narrative aptitude is indisputable, most evident in track six, where he richly details a close friendship severed by gang alliances. Moreover, the rapper's fervor is tireless. The melodious single "All Eyez," produced by the re-emergent
Scott Storch
with
Jeremih
on the hook, preceded the album by four months and appears as a bonus. For the compact edition, the track, one of
's most pop-oriented moments, was given its own disc to help distinguish it as a disconnected work. ~ Andy Kellman