5 Things We Want From The Game's "Documentary 2"

In the past few weeks, we've been stoking our curiosity about rappers' new albums by coming up with wish lists of the various things we'd think would ensure dopeness. We've already dreamed up idealized versions of Childish Gambino's upcoming project and Lil Wayne's quickly approaching Free Weezy Album, and now it's time to tackle a long in-the-works sequel to one of Cali's most celebrated albums of the 2000s.

Arriving in in January 2005, The Documentary put The Game on the map as the next big torchbearer for the West Coast's legacy, staying unflinchingly true to Compton's history while also staying current by employing beats from some of the rap game's finest. Now, more than a decade later, Game's finally ready to start rolling out the long-awaited sequel. 

We just got "100," the Drake-featuring single, and although we don't yet have a release date or tracklist, we can be sure that the album's on its way. Here's what we think would make it a worthy successor to its classic forebear. 

As of right now, the last beat Dr. Dre produced was Marsha Ambrosius' "Stronger," which dropped in July last year. He only did three total in 2014, so it seems like a long shot that he'll pop up in any production credits this year, let alone The Game's (as the last time they worked together was on a bonus track from Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2). That being said, his fingerprints were all over The Documentary, especially the first half, and we could definitely see Game making a convincing case for his presence on the sequel. Scott Storch is definitely on board, so how's about a "How We Do Pt. 2"?

There's no denying it-- diss tracks have been a huge part of Game's career, and with good reason. The Compton MC knows how to lace his bars with barbs and make whoever's he's beefing with look like a fool with a few carefully-worded quips. As good as these tracks are for headlines and remaining relevant, though, they can often prove distracting from the rest of the music, as evidenced by the titanic Game/G-Unit feud that dominated the conversations about all artists involved in the mid-2000s. There's definitely still a place for Game to air out his anger and frustration with other artists, but that place isn't The Documentary 2. 

Game showed incredible foresight when he chose to feature Kendrick Lamar on The R.E.D. Album just a month after Section.80 was released, as the fellow Compton native was just about to blow up. "Game came through, put the city on his back," he rapped on that track ("The City"), showing his appreciation for the new wave of L.A. rap he Game spawned. Now, Kendrick's definitely surpassed Game in industry stature, but we're pretty sure he'd agree to be on the sequel to such a historic Compton album in a heartbeat. 

Saying that The Game has never devoted tracks to politics would be totally untrue, but it's usually taken a backseat to other lyrical content. When you consider that Game's become more outspoken about social issues in the past year or so-- commenting on Freddie Gray, Darren Wilson and becoming one of the "Black Lives Matter" movement's loudest advocates in the rap game-- it seems only right that this mentality should carry through into his music. "100" was a great, celebratory single to lead off the project, but we hope that the deep cuts are more substative, lyrically speaking. 

Game already linked up with 2/3s of the Pushaz Ink core, Ty Dolla $ign and DJ Mustard on OKE's "Same Hoes" in 2013, but somehow, he still hasn't notched a collab with YG. He shouted him out on OKE's "Compton," and they both rallied to get the Grammys to recognize gangster rap last year, so it seems like they're on the same page. Normally, Mustard and Ty are on a little bit poppier of a tip than Game, but as evidenced by My Krazy Life, they can both get gritty if necessary.

Basically, what we're trying to get at here is that The Documentary 2 should be a celebration of all the talent L.A.'s churned out over the years, from old heads like Dr. Dre (maybe even Ice Cube or DJ Quik?) to the new standard bearers. Game is the glue in between that holds it all together and bridges the two eras.