Audio Mixers: J.R. Rotem; Steve Baughman.

Arranger: J.R. Rotem.

Long hailed as the savior of contemporary West Coast hip-hop, The Game throws an ironic curveball at these expectations with L.A.X. Despite the specific locale of the title, this is a record that actually feels geographically homeless. Production wise, the 19 tracks pull from cross-coastal influences, and guest MCs range from Chicago (Common), New York (Raekwon), Louisiana (Lil Wayne), and, of course, South Central (Ice Cube, who appears on the post-intro banger "State Of Emergency"). All this confusion finds cohesion on two counts: Game's undeniable authority on the mic--emitting double-tracked raspy aggression that covers topics both conscientious and boasting--and the continuous, if uncharacteristic, undercurrent of sonic weirdness. Like Wayne's THE CARTER series, L.A.X. has a certain loose, idiosyncratic vibe that rolls along with a minimalist futuristic funk. Not that this undermines the Game's allure as a menacing presence, still evident on tracks like "Dope Boys," which rely on concrete-rattling beats, hard scratching, and captivating tales of harder times.

XXL (Magazine) (p.100) - "The Game is doing what he has done since the beginning: rapping like there's no tomorrow, and assembling quality albums in the process."