Artist: NuJerzey Devil & DJ Skee Present…Title: You Know What It Is Vol. 3 (Mixtape)Rating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Conan Milne
“Chuck” Taylor, aka The Game, is angry. He’s angry with his former labelmate 50 Cent and his G-Unit clique, and he’s so angry with his one-time comrades that he spends the majority of this mixtape’s running time showering them with some of the most vicious disses since Hov and Nas collided. Indeed, should a copy of You Know What It Is Vol. 3 reach the headquarters of Mr. Cent I’d wager that he might regret labeling his scorned protégé ungrateful and booting him from his Unit.
Beginning with the sweeping “300 Bars” Game verbally assaults 50 (“You sell records, but a G-G-G-U-Not!”), Lloyd Banks (“I’m a G-Unit toy soldier, on ‘Sesame Street’ doing voice-overs”-in a rather distinct vocal impression), while the street credibility of Young Buck and Tony Yayo are placed under question. Game also remains shamelessly adamant that the First Lady of G-Unit, Olivia, is actually a man. At fifteen minutes, the cut inevitably lags in certain places but Game’s lyrical barbs are nonetheless rewind-worthy and some classic instrumentals serve as the cut’s backdrop.
Listening to the rest of the mixtape is a somewhat uncomfortable experience, as the tone certainly doesn’t lighten as the mix progresses. “Poison Bananas” is ‘car-crash’ music, in that you’re immediately aware that nothing good can come of such an intense track, and yet it’s extremely difficult to hit that “skip” button as a direct result of such intensity. Game’s lyrics are past aggressive here (“Olivia, get back in the car ‘fore I slap you like 50 did Fredro Starr”) whilst his group M.O.B, consisting of the frequently overlooked Techniec and previous Death Row inmate Eastwood, refuse to keep their verses free of punch-lines at 50 and company’s expense. A few recent Game collaborations with the likes of R. Kelly and T.I. break up the otherwise constant drama (albeit a little too briefly) yet make no mistake: on this project Game seems focused purely on bringing about the downfall of an empire he was once a member of.
There are several high points on You Know What It Is Vol. 3, although it feels strange referring to them as such. The mixtape proves that Game’s flow has progressed already since the release of debut set The Documentary, and the Compton reviver sounds more confident here than he ever did as part of 50 Cent’s legion. There’s no denying that Dr. Dre’s young gun has come out swinging with this release, but let’s pray that this ferocious lyrical onslaught remains just that: lyrical.
