Customer Reviews

What the Game's Been Missing (W/Dvd) (Dlx)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I will be the first to admit that I am not the most avid rap listener. My musical tastes spans various genres and generally I am very selective about what kind of rap/hip-hop music that I listen to. Upon initially hearing the ubiquitous "There It Go (The Whistle Song)", I didn't think that Juelz Santana's second album WHAT THE GAME'S BEEN MISSING would be my cup of tea where listening is concerned. However, I'll admit that I was wrong.

Upon listening to WHAT THE GAME'S BEEN MISSING, there is a much more substance than I expected this album to have. For me, critically praised rappers include LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Common, Kanye West, and etc... Here on this album, Juelz proves that he could (with of course a lot more development and etc) to be a very credible rapper who could possibly see a mass following.

Going back to first single "There It Go (The Whistle Song)", I initially thought it was nothing but a copy of the overused "Wait Whisper Song" and David Banner's "Play", but it definitely did grow on me. The positive thing is that there is material just as good, if not better than that song on this album. "Oh Yes" is definitely a show stealer with the excellent sample used within it. Other favorites of mine included "Shottas","Kill Em", "This is Me", "Make It Work For You", and "Whatever You Wanna Call It".

The biggest flaw with What The Game's Been Missing is that Juelz does alude a bit too much to Dipset, which is his clique. It grows a bit annoying after hearing it a repeated number of times. Also there is filler material (such as "I Am Crack", "G Sh*t") and at 76 minutes long, most of the filler material could be alleviated just by cutting the length between 45 and 60 minutes. The trend of long rap albums has been a problem with some rap artists this year such as Young Jeezy, Lil'Kim, and The Game, who respectively had awesome albums released that rank at the top of the list as the best of 2005.

On a positive note, production is excellent throughout the album.Production is best on such tracks as "Clockwork" where the producers aren't afraid to experiment with different sounds and different settings. I wouldn't call this the best of the best rap albums of 2005, but it is definitely one of the stronger contenders. 4 Stars.

The Dipset movement is now moving at full steam. Under the wing of Cam'Ron since the age of 14, Juelz Santana has played a vital role in the crew's growing popularity. Since being named Vice President of Diplomat Records, Juelz has developed a knack for starting his own buzz, with self funded videos and mixtapes. Building off of that hype is his sophomore effort, What The Game's Been Missing! (Diplomat/Def Jam). Santana does not live up to the album's bold title, but does provide some fire along the way.

Wasting no time, Juelz hits us with the energetic "Rumble Young Man Rumble." The tracks aggressive guitar riffs sets a perfect tone for Juelz, as he flows with flair and arrogance about what he was taught as a youth that makes him triumphant. The self proclaimed "human crack in the flesh," showcases his story telling skills successfully on "Lil Boy Fresh" and "Gone." Both tracks caution listeners about the usual dangers of the block that come along with drugs, violence and sex.

Doing what he does best, Santana reaches his full potential when attending to females with addictive club jump offs like "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" and "Oh Yes." On the latter, The Heatmakerz use a classic Motown sample, "Please Mr. Postman," by The Marvelettes, to help compliment Juelz and his light hearted flow. The festive "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" is every deejays favorite with its tickling whistles and thunderous drums to give everybody the urge to hit the floor.

The sluggish track "Clockwork," does little to keep up with the dynamic energy of What The Game's Been Missing! with its dull production that can surely put someone to sleep. Tracks like "Kid Is Back" and "Freaky," also sabotage the album's enjoyment because of the simplistic lyrics and bland content.

Getting too comfortable in his original rhyme scheme made popular by Dipset, Juelz's lyrical prowess does not show on What The Game's Been Missing!. Though he comes through with unique style and energy, it does little to push the envelope beyond what he has already been known to do. Is Mr. Crack Cocain in the Flesh what the game has been missing? No! Yet, he will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.

Solid sophomore effort from young Juelz. He brings it back to NY with the storytelling on two standout tracks, "Lil' Boy Fresh" and "Gone". "Make It Work for You", a track produced by New Orleans newcomer Develop (look out for him on Lil' Wayne's Carter 2) with Jeezy and Wayne is that Dipset, gutta, crack muzik at its best. "Daddy" shows a different side of Juelz; it gives you a glimpse of the real dude, Laron James and his new role as a father and the responsibilities that come with it. "Oh Yes" is anutha Dipset certified track with a Supremes sample that's too infectious to deny. There's a Santana's Town Pt. 2 on the Dipset CD 'More than Music', but "Violence" seems more like a sequel to the original Santana's Town than the aforementioned track. These are just my favorites but this CD packs a lotta punch. You can tell ol' boy put his heart and soul in this one. For those who weren't ready or just don't know... 'From Me to U' was a overlooked classic. Go back and listen to that, really listen to it. Juelz is not a gimmick. No sophomore jinx here ladies and gentleman. Aye!

This right here is Santana's best album.I mean this nigga killed it on this album,this is definitely fire!

my fav songs are...
#2 - rumble young man rumble
#3 - oh yes (even though it may be played out by now)
#8 - make it work for you (very good song)
#9 - whatever you wanna call it
#16 - kid is back
#18 - i am crack (hot banger)
#21 - daddy (hot beat)
the other songs are good except for some i could skip...

Been waitin on this one since i heard Mic Check~ Finally got myself a copy. Tracks is straight fiya! Aside from the obvious singles (such as the whistle song), the album cuts is straight gangsta all the way through. Tracks like Shottas & Killem make u just wanna bang out. Then theres the staight from the heart tracks like Good Times. Juelz is one of the nicest from the Dips, this album was definately worth the wait. Much better than his first album in my opinion. And he ain't gone soft either, this one's for the streets.

this album is a must. probably the best rap album in 2006. santana spits dopeness on the mic while he got hands on some of the dopest productions over the past few years. don't sleep on this one !

This cd was better than I expecte but what diappointed me was that most of these songs were on most of my damn mixtapes! I wasted 20 dollars on the same damn songs. But it's all right I love Juelz and the whole dipset crew. Anyway, that's all I had to say.

First off Juelz Santana isn't a new rapper. His first release was From Me To U, and he release several mixtapes but didn't emerge into the spotlight till Cam'ron let him hop aboard on his hits "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma" Then he made a huge splash when it came time for his solo joint "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" was very overrated IMO. That's not to say isnt some good stuff in his sophmore album What The Game's Been Missing that's worth checking out.

"Shottas" featuring Cam'ron and Sizzla is good for dancing too, and even though Sizzla brings a reggae feel to the song it's not anything close to that type of music. Of course everyone has already heard the anthemic "Mic Check" although for some reason it's censored on here. There's gotta be a hood song on here of course and "Whatever You Wanna Call It" doesn't fail although Hell Rell fails to impress (not that I thought he would). "Daddy" shows that Juelz has a soft side talking about what would happen if he lost his kid, and "Gone" is his strongest track lyric wise.

So after naming all those good songs why the low rating? Well, for starters this album is 76 minutes long, and with 22 tracks 5 songs doesn't cut it. "Oh Yes" was a guilty pleasure for me, but the chorus worn on me and got annoying after a while. The same goes for the constant screaming in the chorus on "Murda Murda" featuring Cam'ron.

There's plenty of filler tracks too like the ridiculous "I Am Crack", "Gangsta S**t", and "Rumble Man Rumble". And I don't know who Juelz thinks he is with his constant screaming (your not in M.O.P.) thorough the skippable "Violence".

Production fails on "Make It Work For You" with the music sounding like it was produced off a keyboard. It doesnt help that both Young Jeezy and Lil' Wayne outshine him on here too. And when I heard "Clockwork", I was like "Who wasted their time writing this?" Juelz Santana shows that he has potential but he just doesn't have what it takes to carry a whole album.

I'm not the biggest Dipset fan but do frequently pick up some of the releases (mainly cos i like cam), when I got the new Juelz I found out what Dipset has been missing. Juelz has significantly stepped up his lyrical game since his debut. On a couple of tracks he tells stories "lil boy fresh" & "gone" are two very good stories warning youngsters of the dangers of the streets. On "changes" Juelz is consious and contemplative offering his look at what is wrong with the world at the moment. Probably the best cut on the album is "daddy" where he raps to his son, telling him his worth and prommising to take care of him.

For the usual Dipset fans there are enough nursery rhymes on here but are listenable thanks to hot beats (thanks to no-name producers) and Juelz's charisma and flow. "I am crack" & "Mic check" are also infused with cleaver punchlines that i did not expect.

Juelz surprised me and the game has been missing a mainstream artist spitting this well.