Game – Blood Moon: The Year Of The Wolf

    Explosive and self-destructive tendencies have been as much a part of The Game’s life and lyrics as name-dropping and low riding. Almost a decade removed from the first time the world saw him sitting on gold Daytons on the cover of The Documentary, the man and the artist have learned to take things more gradually. Additionally, his entrepreneurial spirit has manifested in to a new label, Blood Money Entertainment, with up-and-coming DUBB and the already buzzing Skeme serving as cornerstones. Their first official offering, Blood Moon: The Year of the Wolf , however, is a project that is as fragmented and meandering as Game’s public persona can seem to be. Torn between proving his veteran status and his investment in new trends; torn between Blood Money’s style and the heavy features; the album ultimately fails in establishing a balance and plunges into unfocused aggression.

    “Bigger Than Me,” produced by Mosley is the song that first set the tone for fans’ expectations and it’s appropriately placed as track one. It is Game in his natural element — disrespectful, brazen and loving every minute of it. More essential though, is the several criticisms he makes over the sample of Polica’s “Warrior Lord”. Among his muting of BET cyphers and kicking people out of his VIP section, Game is overall dismayed by a “soft,” disingenuous new school that is unable to put real numbers on the board. This is the beginning of his goal to establish a clear line between himself and other rappers. 

    Along with a slight diss to G-Unit on the following “F.U.N.” and addressing more serious street beef on “Really”, Game successfully conveys a feeling of distance and division between the Rap world and the real one. Essentially, he’s stating that “there’s levels to this,” and at this point his argument — as well as the music — is rock solid. 

    The same can’t be said for the rest of the album, but as far as mishaps go, the worst of them are the muddled messages. It’s hard to digest auto-tune on the Lil’ Wayne assisted “Fuck Your Feelings” after being told that the “industry is soft.” Additionally, other major feature songs such as “Best Head Ever” featuring Tyga and Eric Bellinger, “On One” featuring King Marie and Ty Dolla Sign, and “Married to the Game” featuring DUBB, French Montana, and Sam Hook, offer little beyond the same old two-step charges he leveled at his competitors earlier in the album. Characterized by big R&B-style hooks, club-pandering and average lyricism, the album loses its cohesiveness and identity, turning it’s back on what initially made it excel. 

    Though, some features do actually resonate. Bobby Schmurda, Skeme, Freddie Gibbs and Game, propelled by Amedeus’ production, are a kick in the face in “Hit ‘Em Hard”. 

    Really, Year of the Wolf is an album split into three acts. As aforementioned, the audience becomes quickly acquainted (and enamored) with Game’s narrative through his take-no-prisoners tracks. Act two leads to a swath of superfluous and ill-timed features. Then, in act three, the last storyline passes the baton to Game’s BME signees, DUBB and Skeme.

    “Food “For My Stomach” is the most obvious example of DUBB and Skeme’s chemistry. DUBB raps with zeal and conviction, almost to the point of desperation. “Funeral home on a speed dial / When God call your number, man, trust me there won’t be a re-dial,” he threatens. Skeme takes the second verse, switching the rhyme scheme with confidence. “Blood Money rider, keep the chopper right beside ’em / F&N fully-loaded, that’s for any nigga want It/ This shit sound like I got the shit perfected, don’t it?” It is clear that they hold their end on the project. 

    On his previous Jesus Piece, Game was able to take Trap, heavy features, new trends and weave them into an overarching theme of a thug persona struggling with his faith. Now, with most of these very same components, he finds himself lost. The wolf motif is not far from the religious iconography that persisted in his last album. As evident by the raw emotion in “Bigger Than Me,” the empathy on “Purge,” and the album cover showing the wolf submitting to his daughter. Game seems to be trying to find a balance, but in an attempt to purge Rap and his album of any “softness,” he instead finds himself submitting to the pressures of having a hit single, thereby rendering his own project’s pursuits moot.

    181 thoughts on “Game – Blood Moon: The Year Of The Wolf

    1. 3 stars is being too generous in my opinion. The only person that stands out on this album is Skeme. Dude is one of the most underrated new cats from Cali. I’m done with Game. I thought Jesus Piece was bad but Year Of The Wolf may have the prize.

    2. I like Game, but this is by far his weakest project to date. I really don’t know if he can recover from that long slump he’s been and drop an album like ‘The Documentary’ or ‘Doctor’s Advocate again’ especially while he’s under Cash Money.
      Worth a listen if you’re a Game fan, but expect to be dissapointed.

      1. NIGGA GAME AINT ON CASH MONEY FUCK ARE U TALKIN ABOUT!!!! CLEARLY EVEN THIS ARTICLES SAYS GAME HAS BLOOD MONEY ENT NOW!!!! WHAT FUCKIN ROCK U BEEN UNDER OR SMOKIN???????

    3. Game is done people, accept it. This is by far his worst album and Documentary 2 will flop, especially if he puts so many damn features on it

    4. yeah I didn’t get that he talk about how rap is soft then half the album is some LA party shit??? BI FUCKIN POLAR IM OUT game OVER

    5. BITCH BIGGER THAN ME, FUN, FUCK YOU FEELINGS, THE PURGE…etc… its a fuckin compilation dummies …. Solid Shit… specially when most of u bitches get it for free… its top quality for what it is…. and The Documentary 2 is droppin anyway all the dope shit will be on there…. Dubb and Skeme are nicer than most these bitch ass new niggaz!!!! BLOODMONEY!!!! KILLIN UR FAVORITE RAPPERS!!!!!

      1. “The Documentary 2 is droppin anyway all the dope shit will be on there.”

        you mean that Nicki Minaj feature eh was talking about? LOL @ all the dope shit being on his next album… you know its gonna be the exact same features as this one

      2. nigga game in the studio wit dr dre workin on the documentary 2 fact he wont have heavy features on there like jesus piece or the red album or this and even if it does game drops dope albums yall niggaz is haters cause u know he will kill ur favorite rapper if they ever had beef!!!!!

      3. truth is Game don’t even have Dr. Dre’s number no more he was just saying that. I would expect him to maybe get 1 or 2 throwaway Dre beats for the project just so he leaves Dre alone.

      4. its not a Comp its games album stop making excuses the only hit he eer had was this is how we do with g been in the studio with dre for the last 10 years lol

    6. Started so strong, but fell flat after track six. Really disappointing, this is Games worst album and I’m a diehard fan.

    7. I completely agree with this review – very accurate and well-written! Decent album with:
      – 40% good songs
      – 20% shit
      – 40% okay now I have downloaded the album 😉

    8. AND ALL GAMES SOLO TRACKS ON THE ALBUM ARE BEASTIN ON THESE THESE BITCH NIGGAZ!!!!! BETTER THAN ANY RAP ALBUM BESIDES JEEZY SHIT THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR!!!!! FACT!!!!!!!

      1. BITCH GAME IS WORTH 25 MILLION DOLLARS!!! HASENT HAD A PROBLEM PAYIN RENT SINCE THE FIRST DOCUMENTARY DROPPED!!!!!! HES ABOUT 2 DROP THE DOCUMETARY 2…. funny how u silly muthafucka equate money to record sales!!!! For game not to be able to pay rent hes sure able to pay a massive budget to make every sinle album they all have features and they all are dope and never herd 1 nigga from 2 chainz to raekwon sayin game owes them some money!!!!!

      2. Game never even sniffed a Forbes list in his life! Mac fucking Miller makes more money than him!

        Why you think he got his car repossessed? It wasn’t even a lambo or a bentley it was a chevy corvette/camaro! LMFAO broke nigga shit

      3. the Game groupie seems upset hes replying to all the “haters” typings nonsense in all caps like hes going to change our minds about this abortion of an album with a few good songs

    9. fucking clown dissed everyone in the BET cyphers then put Kevin Gates on his album

      then he praises 50 on Bigger Than Me and disses G-Unit on FUN

      1. so fuckin what bitch does he have to single out every single wack ass nigga indivdually bitch you know what he means!!!!!!!

      2. do you know how fuckin long that would take to do he would have to write 600 bars to do that shit!!!!

        migos
        lil durk
        chief keef
        travis scott
        travis porter
        lil reese
        lil twist
        gucci mane
        trinidad james
        bobby schmurder
        future
        every nigga on love n hiphop
        iggy azelia
        etc……

        nigga would have to dis every nigga damn near in the rap industry cause most are weak as fuck you know what game means when he disses niggaz fuck boy!!!!!

      3. “so fuckin what bitch does he have to single out every single wack ass nigga indivdually bitch you know what he means!!!!!!!”

        Im saying how much of a hypocrite he is to diss someone then put them on the album or to praise someone then diss them 4 songs later on the same record. he needs to take his meds like you!

    10. NIGGA GAME AINT ON CASH MONEY FUCK ARE U TALKIN ABOUT!!!! CLEARLY EVEN THIS ARTICLES SAYS GAME HAS BLOOD MONEY ENT NOW!!!! WHAT FUCKIN ROCK U BEEN UNDER OR SMOKIN???????

      Birdman said last year that game was signed to his label. Game is dope and this is his best album yet. Blood Money is a part Of YMCMB.

    11. Wow this may be the worst album I have ever heard…..Talk about selling your soul….Horrible beats, horrible guests just terrible…1.5

    12. This shit is horrible. This nigga is a phony a lyer saying rap is soft and then use auto tune and pop rappers.

      He also has no indentity and follow trends real MCS set trends and dont follow. This nigga is done. Im getting sick with his namedropping, biting other peoples flows and his G-Unit disses.

    13. YOU DX FAG ASS CHIEF KEEF LISTIN TOO ASS NIGGAZ CAN DIE THIS GAME SHIT DOPE!!!!!!!! who gives a fuck about forbes you bitch niggaz will never see a mill let alone 25 like game has you little fuck boys kill me with ur ebts callin a nigga worth 25 million broke well he can afford to make an album for u bitch niggaz to hate on!!!!! and game aint on cash money fuckin dummy thats like sayin g unit not real cause the cd has interscope on the back tooo!!!!!! all you fags kill yoself today THE DOCUMENTARY 2 in january haters better hide the broke nigga is makin another CD after this for u niggaz to hate on…. how the fuck u hate on stolen music??????

    14. Heard it last night… Game has officially fallen off now. I think maybe two tracks were ok and that’s just ok. The rest of the shit was just really BAD… He clearly doesn’t give a fuck anymore. Game got lazy. It’s like he’s decided that he’s already made it and now he’s just become a trendy rapper, trying to take the easy way to remain relevant, by collaborating with the likes of Wayne and using auto tune to get on the radio, and it’s just embarrassingly bad. I hang my head in shame for Game. He could have been one of the great MCs but he refused to put in the work. I can’t even bring myself to give this a star. Should be 0 stars if anything.

    15. This album is dope for a compilation. It’s the perfect balance between showing off the new artists on his team and giving his fans dope new material from him. People hate The Game just for the sake of hating. Dope album..not classic but dope still. Skeme and Dubb are both dope af!!!!

      1. If he wanted to show off the artists on his team he probably should have went with a couple (dozen) less features from mainstream artists that arent on his team or label

    16. To start with i thought wtf with all the negative reviews, surely it cant be that bad????? Well let me tell you, yes it is!! Dont be fooled by the one decent track on there which happens to be the first song on the album, after that it goes downhill rapidly and this is coming from a big game fan or ex game fan maybe now, sad times 0.5/5

    17. This album is really good. It’s just as good Maybe better than OKE. And in my opinion he’s really focused. His new stuff (this and OKE) is miles above the R.E.D. album lackluster feel.

    18. Game built a massive fan base when he started out by making a certain type of aggressive music and behaving a certain type of aggressive way. He paid homage to the legends that came before him and represented his gang and his city.

      THAT is what built the fan base.

      THAT is the mentality and music that we want.

      We don’t want albums featuring clowns like 2chainz, Lil Wayne and Tyga. We don’t want the self professed ‘Mr Gangster Rap’ running around with faggots like Chris Brown. We don’t want reality TV shows.

      His current record sales reflect this, and I won’t even waste 1 minute of my life bootlegging this.

      1. his fans been saying that for years, his last 2 albums were nearly ruined and overrun by weak features and he doesnt seem to care

        what does he do? he makes a song singing in autotune with chris brown and lil wayne. thats gangsta.

    19. Got luv 4 game. First album a classic. Now he got all these albums with all these wack rappers that’s c-, d+ rappers. Sorry to say it, but the album be lucky to sell 50.

    20. he’s been promoting his crew, stop hatin’ a bit and wait for documentary 2, come january, you’ll be dickridin’ the game again

      1. his crew got outshined by all the major label mainstream artists though so he failed them and himself

        27k LMFAO thats worse than Khaled last album

      2. G-unit sold 15k n it was just a EP 6 songs dickriding ass nigga n this shit sold 27k n it was a album with all them features shit flop hard lol

      3. G-Unit was an itunes only EP, had zero promotion prior to it’s surprise release and had zero features and still doing half of what Game did with the whole industry featured.

    21. lax was last album I even gave a real listen too just tired of game name droppin n dickriding them features are embarrassing messin with tyga just shows ur a certified fuck-boy

    22. Blood Money ENT isnt a real thing dog, thats why it says eOne

      That’s the canadian distributor. US distributor is Republic Records/YMCMB.

    23. Big game fan and really disappointed in the album. Fuck yo feelings has to be one of the worst songs ever.
      Bigger than me and hit em hard are the only good songs.

      1. I totally agree man, lil wayne on autotune we can tolerate, but game too ahh shit that is so wack. the first three are the dopest, and the last one is also nice. Game should just go back to G-Unit records, so that they only let him make records like the first three on his albums, if he does that, then he will definitely sell more than 50 now

    24. GAMEBLOOD MOON: YEAR OF THE WOLF EONE30,544

      AT LEAST HE SOLD MORE THAN DJ KHALEDS SUFFERING FROM OBESITY AND BIRDMANS BITCH GANG!

    25. Game Blood Moon: Year of The Wolf eOne 30,544

      DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN HOMIE!!!!!!!!!!

      I REMEMBER GAME FANS CLAIMING HE WAS GONNA SELL DOUBLE WHAT 50 CENT DID HAHAHA WHAT HAPPENED?

      1. no its a full on album dumbass! released by an actual label and available to buy in actual stores on actual cds.

        make more excuses though HAH

    26. I loved these tracks. Game is harder than ever. I’ll agree the tracks are in a weird order, but if Game wanted it to be three parts, I wish he would have placed interludes throughout the album. It would have made more sense.

    27. im a huge Game fan and im so pissed.After RED,every mothafuckin mixtape he released was trash.Hes a sell out.RIP Game ,i guess there will never be another documentary..

    28. You’re all focusing on the negative shit, when Skeme and Dubb are the ones shining with an album that sold units, they’ve had no success in the past, give it up for them, quit talking shit about game. He’s actually putting dudes on. Remember all his signees in the past? Never featured on anything other than a mixtape, now he’s shown true growth by taking a risk, though he clearly had to label it as his album, it’s a step forward.

      1. they didnt get no shine though, weezy, chris brown, shmurda, 2 chainz, french montana, jeezy, tyga, etc all took it from them

    29. Had to stop and comment here….this guy speaks the truth. Give it up for the underdogs, ignore the big features if you must, this shit is the first step for Blood Money label

    30. This record is so dope, and after I listened to the first three tracks of this album, I was ready to put it the number 1 album of the year. Then I heard track 4 with lil wayne, it was wack as fuck and all the other records that followed coz he is doing the same shit that he said he does not like about the new generation on track 1, staff like autotune, I mean come on, Game on autotune and he is this gangster on this record loool. All in all, the album had potential but featuring guys like French and made it to be just average. This is my opinion.

    31. Yea, Dre will be involved in Documentary 2, but surely he will bring Wayne, chains and other snitches along which will make album a lot worse, anyway, hope its gonna be good.
      according this review, all spot on, agree. Lot of twisted feelings about it, basically Game dissed himself on some tracks. Reason of guest appearances, lets not forget its compilation album, not studio Game.
      3/5

      1. I believe Dre will be involved with this project as much as I believe that Detox will drop. Neither will happen.

      1. right so stop complaining about it..its just his style of rap thats unique to him, at least you cant say he sounds the same like 90% of everything else you hear

    32. Everybody saying they want the old game back lol you mean that album that dropped liked 10 years ago that 50 and banks co wrote ?

    33. Too much trash rap and not enough thought out, well crafted, mind testing rap. Salute Game you’ve added to the pile of RAP MUSIC that will be FORGOTTEN. Finna throw this in the toilet and piss on it like Skinny Black in Hustle & Flow

    34. Wait till MC Eiht drops his new album WHICH WAY IZ WEST . You will hear the best rapper from the westcoast back on his grind . GEEEEEAAAAAAH CHECK MC EIHT’S TWITTER PAGE FOR THE NEW ALBUM COVER FOR WHICH WAY IZ WEST

    35. CHECK MC EIHT’S TWITTER PAGE FOR HIS NEW ALBUM COVER FOR WHICH WAY IZ WEST COMING SOON TO A HOOD NEAR YOU GEEAAAAHH EIHT HYPES IN THE HOUSE FOR THE 2014 SHOT WAKE YO PUNK AZZ UP

    36. HEY YOU DUMB CUNTS YEAR OF THE WOLF ACTUALLY SOLD MORE THEN GUNITS BEAUTY OF INDEPENDANTS OR WHAT EVER THAT TRASH IS CALLED..YEAR OF THE WOLF SOLD 33K AND GUNIT SOLD 15 K..SO WHOS LAUGHING??GAME SOLD DOUBLE GUNITS NUMBERS HAHAHA G G G GGUNOT

      1. BUTT 50 JUST MOVED 100K INDIE HIS own LABEL GAME IS STILL UNDER A RECORDING CONTRACT ON A INDIE LABEL HOW LOW CAN YOU GO LOLOL

      2. fiddy still sold 25k more than game first week and g-unit was an ep and itunes only, when they release the next digital only ep it will do about 20k so when you add that up it will be more than game, 2 eps = 1 album

      3. If you want to play that game, 50 just sold 130k, G-unit put out an Ep (only 6 songs) overnight and only on the internet. Don’t say shit you don’t know about you bitch nigga. 33k is thrash why would you even defend it? The game had his album everywhere and still only did 33k smh.

      1. Learn how to comprehend, he won at being a crab (pun intended-see what I did there?) in a barrel game (pun unintended). Dumb ass.

      1. Shut up, turn off the CAPS LOCK and write like adults. Oh yes, you’re only 12. Both, Game and G-Unit, still make good music. Game has a few very good songs on this tape, but G-Unit’s EP is a bit better as a whole.

    37. Game’s Documentary is his best work, regardless whether 50 helped him write it or not. Game did follow up very well with Doctors Advocate, and then LAX wasn’t bad either but I wouldn’t call it a classic. All in all I think Game didn’t want to walk in 50’s shadow that’s how I feel all that beef started between them. I like 50 & Game music regardless if they had beef just like Big & Pac because what another nigga eat don’t make shit, or in other words I don’t take sides cause it don’t affect me.

    38. I love how this review has twice as many comments than any other review and they’re all shit talk. That’s DX for ya.

    39. funny tho game has been consistent on all albums and mixtapes and everyones on his dick but when he drops this trash everyone hates. next album and mixtape everyone will be a fan again smh

    40. Got about 4 tracks deep and couldn’t continue. Felt the same when OKE dropped. I think I just have to bang old Game albums and tapes now. Maybe I’ll revisit but Game is one of my all time favourites. It sucks I can’t even get through an album.

    41. First verse on fuck yo feelings is the worst game verse of all time, that said, album has 7 good songs to me. Doc2 better come with it

    42. Again, way too many features. “Really, Hit Em Hard” were the hardest tracks on the album, the rest was either mediocre or just flat out terrible.

    43. When i first heard bigger then me i thought that GAME is back. Then heard this trash album. WTF is wrong with this clown.

    44. I heard bigger than me and I thought that Game would have finally delivered on his promising start to his career but this album is absolute trash!

    45. couple good tracks but this nigga thinkin its 2006 got his t-pain on with that auto tune garbage. first OKE now this come on game stop playin games and get back to rappin REAL

    46. this could have been a good album … BUT GAME IS TRYNNA GET IN THE CLUB with shitty music … FUCK COMMERCIAL MUSIC ! FUCK THIS INDUSTRY …. I hope doc 2 will be better …….

    47. i don’t know what everybody on here talking about….this album is dope as hell…it should be considered a classic for a mixtape….different sounds different flows…this album is the best mixtape that that has came out in years….classic hiphop love!!

    48. LAX IS HIS BEST WORK BY FAR!!! This album is more of a mix tape/ compilation straight trash if you paid money for it it should of been a free download… I’m looking forward to the documentary 2…. This album lacked overall substance a couple of tracks is worth paying for…. Others(tracks) sound like throw away songs that didn’t make past albums. I was a big game fan I never thought such a talent could make mediocre music

    49. This has to be Game’s most disappointing album. It was Jesus Piece but this here takes the crown. Just trash. A result of Game trying to keep up with everything that’s going on today. It’s like he’s lost the creativity he displayed on previous albums like doctors advocate, documentary, red album etc. I was afraid he would turn into one of these corny rappers once he signed to cash money, but it’s official.. Game has fallen off. At least for now.. We will see what happens when he drops the documentary 2.

    50. THIS ALBUM IS PURE TRASH AND WACK . REAL TALK NOT HATING JUST STATING THE FACTS . The Game fell off , he yells and try’s to hard to be tough and makes shitty songs with weak ass beats .

      ADD ON

    51. Good Album,

      I guess with all the other releases, that this one just got overshadowed. But a solid unexpected album from the GAME. Lyrics are directed at other MC’s with deadly precision..

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