Album Review: Paisley Dreams by The Game & Big Hit
Album Review: Paisley Dreams by The Game & Big Hit
The Game teams up with Big Hit for a New Year's Day surprise-release produced by Hit-Boy.
Emerging from the sun-kissed streets of L.A. and the gritty shadows of Compton, Paisley Dreams presents a lyrical summit between two titans of West Coast rap. Big Hit, fresh off his decade-long debut The Truth is in My Eyes, joins forces with Compton veteran The Game, whose Drillmatic album, which came out in 2022, was bloated and laced with filler. What began as a chance encounter in Hit-Boy’s studio blossomed into a nine-track project the same night that has the transformative power of collaboration.
“Backfade” sets the scene with its smoky boom-bap, an ode to loyalty painted in classic West Coast slang. The title track, however, subverts expectations, showcasing a personal hierarchy where fatherhood reigns supreme over street cred. Hit-Boy steps onto the mic in “P Fiction,” a trap anthem where these lyrical assassins stake their claim with swagger. “Bang Freestyle” follows a new twist with Mobb music threads (its freestyle has gone viral), its verses echoing unwavering commitment to a shared cause.
The mood shifts as G-funk’s swagger saunters through “Cutthroat,” TeeFLii’s hook channeling the spirit of the late Roger Troutman. “The Game Won’t Stop” offers a moment of melodic respite, its lyrics a fugitive’s lullaby, evidence of perseverance in the face of adversity. “Crisis,” featuring Half-a-Mil, blends gospel whispers with street grit, hardship transmuted into a poignant harmony. New Year’s revelry explodes in “Happy Ru Year,” a hyphy-infused celebration of fresh beginnings. To close the project out, “Body for Body” strips the beat bare, confronting the stark realities of life with unflinching honesty.
From a serendipitous studio jam to a New Year’s Day surprise, Paisley Dreams has the enduring power of West Coast rap-filled Hit-Boy’s masterful production blends boom-bap whispers with hyphy roars, creating a production landscape where L.A. sunshine meets Compton shadows. This is a must-listen for some West Coast bangers who are on a raw and unfiltered journey through the streets devoid of sugar-coated gloss.
Solid (★★★½☆)
Favorite Track(s): “Backfade,” “The Game Won’t Stop,” “Happy Ru Year”
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