The Game's Documentary 2 has been the subject of much buzz since its release last Friday. The west coast sound is alive with the release, as it falls in line sonically with the likes of YG, Jay Rock, and Dr. Dre's Compton. The samples help to give the record a nostalgic vibe amongst the dense production.
That vibe settles in pretty much immediately when you hear Erykah Badu atop "On Me." The Kendrick-assisted track manipulates the neo-soul classic into a G-funk banger, thanks to some great production by Bongo the Drum Gahd. As the record plays on, everything from Chic to Phantogram were sampled from The Game and his team.
We've decided to bring back our Origins segment to dissect The Documentary 2 properly. Here is your guide to the samples on The Game's newest album.
"On Me" (Prod. By Bongo the Drum Gahd, Co-Prod. By Pops)
On paper, Erykah Badu's "On & On" is a risky sample to begin your album with. It's a classic neo-soul track that isn't quite as old as traditional funk and soul samples from the '70s and '80s. Badu has ties to the hip hop world, wouldn't it make sense to just get her spitting some original vocals?
The sample actually works out great, and Game and Kendrick absolutely crush their verses. When The Game hits double time at the 2:43 mark, it's game over, no pun intended.
Erykah Badu - "On & On"
Sample appears at 0:00 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portions at 1:45
"Step Up" (Prod. By Bongo the Drum Gahd)
The Documentary 2 is Game's stab at creating another classic album, like he did with The Documentary. The Gang Starr sample employed on "Step in the Arena" is nostalgic enough for '90s hip hop heads, but has enough originality that it doesn't feel like he's biting the great Guru and DJ Premier.
Gang Starr - Step in the Arena
Sample appears at 0:02 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:13
Brandy - I Wanna Be Down
This is more of a melody jack than a proper sample, but we felt it was worth including at any rate. Brandy's luscious vocals worked pretty well in the chorus of a 2015 Game track...who would've thought?
Sample appears at 0:44 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:23
"Don't Trip" (Prod. by will.i.am)
Here's a track that uses multiple samples to create a great sound. Ohio Players' "Funky Worm" is a notorious G-funk sample used in tracks by Snoop Dogg, N.W.A., Beastie Boys, and even on The Game's track "California Vacation." Although the portion sampled this time isn't the synth, over-used by many.
The Digable Planets bassline gives the track a jazzy vibe, while Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s help to give it a little soul. It all equates to a really solid cut.
Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s - More Peas
Sample appears at 0:27 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 7:22
Digable Planets - Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
Sample appears at 3:56 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 3:26
Ohio Players - Funky Worm
Sample appears at 1:04
Hear the sampled portion at 0:11
"Standing on Ferraris" (Prod. by Jahlil Beats)
I'm sure Diddy helped out with this one, because it was done by Biggie back in the day. Game hit a sweet spot between new school and old school with this release, and a large part of that is thanks to his ability to repurpose familiar samples. This is a prime example of that.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell on You
Sampled at 0:00 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:03
Main Ingredient - California My Way
Sample appears at 0:10 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:00
"Mula" (Prod. By Sevn Thomas, Boi-1da & Kanye West)
Indie-pop group Phantogram just released a project with Big Boi, so they have a little bit of street cred in the hip hop world already. Game and Kanye using their track "Fall In Love" is huge for the duo, and the sound works well in Sevn Thomas, Boi-1da, and Kanye West's collaborative production vision.
Phantogram - Fall In Love
Sample appears at 0:11 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 1:01
"Documentary 2" (Prod. By DJ Premier)
Premo laced this one with a classic '90s hip hop chorus. He cut up samples from The Game and Joell Ortiz to create a hook like the one he did on Nas' "Nas is Like." With a James Brown sample and a more obscure bit taken from American composer Jerry Goldsmith, "Documentary 2" is about as good as rap gets.
Jerry Goldsmith - Rickard Escapes
Sample appears at 1:08 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:00
James Brown - Make It Funky
Sample appears at 1:13
Hear the sampled portion at 0:08
Joell Ortiz - Project Boy
Sample appears at 1:17 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:27
"100" (Prod. By Cardo)
Cardo is best known for his work with Wiz Khalifa, but he's been working to diversify his resume recently. Producing a massive single for The Game and Drake is a pretty good step in that direction. Peabo Bryson's "Feel the Fire" provides the soulful backdrop for these two to kick a slow joint.
Peabo Bryson - Feel the Fire
Sample appears at 0:00, 0:07 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 2:06, 2:01
"Just Another Day" (Prod. By Bongo the Drum Gahd)
Is sampling yourself dope, or a little conceded? It boils down to the sample, and like Nas before him, Game gets the pass on "Just Another Day."
The Game - Where I'm From (ft. Nate Dogg)
Sample appears at 1:00 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:16
"LA" (Prod. By will.i.am)
Nile Rodgers probably gets stacks of royalty checks every month, because Chic is constantly getting sampled on great rap songs. This one was sampled by Rick Ross and Xzibit before, and Chic's catalogue has been taped by the likes of LL Cool J, Nas, DJ Premier, and many more.
Chic - Savoir Faire
Sample appears at 0:00 (and throughout)
Hear the sampled portion at 0:01