In the past year The Game has become one of Hip-Hop’s most entertainingly troubled public figures. While many other rappers have seen their creative output suffer in the face of highly publicized personal difficulties, The Game seems to have drawn a wealth of inspiration from setbacks that might have brought less determined rappers to their knees. Since the release of the brilliantly produced, but occasionally sterile debut The Documentary The Game has carried on a vicious mixtape feud with his former allies in G-Unit, honed his skills as an MC, and broken with his star-making mentor Dr. Dre. The Game’s troubled relationship with Dr. Dre is Advocate’s thematic backbone. Throughout The Game spins a riveting narrative of hero-worship, triumph and ultimate disillusion that culminates with the title track: a drunken regret-filled missive to Dre that finds The Game wildly vacillating between affection and outrage. Along the way producers Scott Storch, Will.i.am, and Just Blaze furnish a set of serviceable beats steeped in West-Coast nostalgia. The dark piano laced compositions of N.W.A’s Efil4Zaggin serve as Advocate’s main point of reference. While The Game sounds great over these beats, the albums production definitely takes a backseat to the compelling lyrical psychodrama.