The Game brings the West Coast overseas

The sun has already set over Dublin’s iconic Temple Bar neighbourhood and dunked the Liffey, the Irish capital’s picturesque river, into a milky evening light, as the anticipatory calling and clapping in the 3Olympia Theatre swells and rises in the beautiful music hall with its red and white stucco ceilings that has been opening its doors to art connoisseurs since 1879.

It has been an unusually sunny and warm day in Dublin, and that certainly says something for the usually rainy Ireland – and yet, hundreds of spectators have found their way into the venue tonight to witness a live concert of the famous US rapper The Game, who, after five years of absence, has found his way to Europe again.

The Game, known for his outstanding contributions to the tradition of West Coast hip-hop, impactful rap hymns such as ‘Dreams’, ‘How We Do’ or ‘My Life’ and also for his collaborations (and feuds) with his former rap partner 50 Cent, has just celebrated the 20-year anniversary of his landmark album ‘The Documentary’, and how would such an anniversary be celebrated better than by a tour overseas?

Over the past weeks, The Game has visited all major cities in Europe to remind fans not only of his iconic rap songs but also of his energetic live performances.

And if there had been any doubts about the quality of his live act – there had been disappointments about the slim length and the delay of his shows in the previous years – this tour has made very clear that after twenty years in the industry, The Game is still offering an impressive live show that is a must-see for all fans of West Coast and gangsta rap.

Flawless in its delivery and powerful in its dynamics, The Game puts down a vivid show that does not leave out any of the classics. Inviting his youngest audience members on stage and signing merchandise in between, the rapper engages directly with his fans and incites them to celebrate and partake in the sound of hip-hop that reverberates through the concert halls.

Favourite stop on the tour

Dublin turned out to be the final tour stop of the rapper in Europe with its show on Wednesday, 9 April, and the fans certainly considered themselves lucky – The Game had, after all, rescheduled the show due to illness only a few days before.

The rapper, who had caught a tough cold during the tour, had cancelled his planned show in Athens, and fans in Northern and Eastern Europe could hear his sore voice.

While the audience in Paris witnessed him almost lose his voice on stage, many of them were certainly impressed with the performance he delivered nonetheless and his determination to do so. Dublin, however, The Game tells us with a grin, has been his favourite stop of all.

While the anniversary tour has been a reawakening for many fans in Europe who have been following his colourful musical career – from iconic song releases to rap beefs and collaborations – for the past decade, The Game is busy completing his upcoming album ‘The Documentary 3’, which is set to be released in October this year. 'The Documentary 3', Network Media Hub (NMH) has learned, is a return to the energy and storytelling of his first years and features a number of major rap artists as well.

New release

The album is produced by the controversial hip-hop mogul Kanye West, who, while being one of the most renowned hip-hop figures of this century, has, over the past months, increasingly and repeatedly been criticised for his antisemitic endorsements and often irrational statements.

While The Game’s collaboration with his long-time colleague has therefore sparked criticism, the hip-hop world is nevertheless anticipating the release of what could potentially become another West Coast classic by one of its most notorious rappers.

And while fans anxiously await the album release of ‘The Documentary 3’, they might just as well hope for another tour. This run might have been just the warm-up.