by Sean Kang ’14

A year since the release of his fourth album, “The R.E.D. Album,” veteran West Coast rapper, The Game, returned to the hip-hop scene in December with his newest album, “Jesus Piece.”

“Jesus Piece” is The Game’s first concept album, in which all the songs contribute to a single overall theme. Despite the name, Game explained that the album’s concept is not spiritual but relates to a “gangster” who enjoys life but also has faith in God.

One aspect of the album that might stick out to listeners could be the incredible number of guest appearances. “Jesus Piece” is a 13-track album but 22 different guests make appearances on the album, with even more on the deluxe edition. But it’s not only the number that makes it impressive but also how the featured guests are some of the biggest names in hip-hop today, from rising stars such as Kendrick Lamar, to veteran rappers such as Common. Although the great-line up of performers can make the album more exciting to listen to, it can also be detrimental to The Game because it can lead to listeners forgetting that he is the actual star of the album when there are so many artists featured.

The production in The Game’s albums have always been praised in the past and “Jesus Piece” only further The Game’s great ear for instrumentals, especially on songs such as “Ali Bomaye” and the title track, “Jesus Piece.” The two songs reflect not only The Game that people fell in love with when “The Documentary” was released but also the original, powerful sound of hip-hop music that existed before the modern-day radio “hip-hop.”

The Game has always been recognized as a great lyricist but his music has consistently revolved around his gang-associated lifestyle. He attempted to change this by making the primary focus of “Jesus Piece” to be his Christian faith. Although he fails to rap about the subject in all of the songs, a few tracks, such as “Pray” and “Can’t Get Right,” reveal a side of The Game that has not been seen before. In “Can’t Get Right,” The Game admits that he has committed many sins but he asks the Lord for forgiveness, explaining that no matter how many times he attempts to change his ways, he can’t seem to get it right.

“Jesus Piece” has many great aspects to it back it lacks the most important one: cohesion. While some songs feature a fantastic instrumental, they lack the excellent lyrics found in others. It also lacks the quality of a well-made concept album, where all songs relate or contribute to a singular idea. There are a few songs, such as “Scared Now” and “Name Me King,” that have no relevance to the concept at all, while some songs, especially “Hallelujah,” capture the idea completely. The Game’s talent for picking powerful beats and writing great lyrics are evident throughout the album but he fails to bring the two elements together and unify the album under a single idea, making “Jesus Piece” a poor attempt by The Game to create a concept album.