The Documentary

For other uses, see Documentary (disambiguation).

Untitled

The Documentary is the debut studio album by West Coast rapper The Game, released on January 18, 2005, through Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. After recovering from a shooting in late 2001, The Game pursued a rap career and was discovered by Dr. Dre who signed him to his Aftermath Entertainment label. The album features production provided by but not limited to Dr. Dre, Kanye West, and Timbaland, and guest vocals from 50 Cent, Nate Dogg, and Faith Evans, among others.

The Documentary debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 586,000 units in the first week. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album two times platinum in March 2005 and it sold over five million copies worldwide. The album received generally favorable reviews, with music critics praising the album's production. Since the album's release, The Game has been credited as a driving force in reviving the West Coast hip hop scene, which had been overshadowed by artists from the East and South.

Conception

Background

The Game was born Jayceon Terrell Taylor on November 29, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Compton, California in a primarily Crip gang neighborhood known as Santana Blocc, although he grew up to become a member of the Bloods. He was born into a life of gang-banging and hustling. In an October 2006 interview with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway, Game described his family as "dysfunctional" and claimed that his father molested one of his sisters. When later interviewed, Taylor, aka The Game says at a young age, he recalls seeing both of his parents preparing to do drive-bys. His father was a Nutty Block Crip and his mother a Hoover Crippelette. Drugs and guns were all around Taylor growing up. At around the age of 6, Jayceon says that a friend of his was murdered in the neighborhood by a teenager, for his clothes and shoes. At the age of 7, Taylor went into foster care. In foster care he was teased by other children. He didn't go unnoticed however. Game's intelligence was acknowledged by his caretakers and he usually helped his foster brothers and sisters with their homework. Around 1989, The Game met his idol, Eric Wright aka Eazy-E founder of N.W.A. This was a defining moment in his life. The Game's adolescence was one of many hardships. At 13, one of Game's older brothers, Jevon who was just 17 at the time was shot at a gas station. His brother had just received a record deal. Taylor says that he felt his father played a hand in this by not being there and felt that if he had, his brother would not have been shot. Jevon died the day after Game visited him in the hospital promising that things would be better and lost time would be made up. Two years later at the age of 15, teenage Jayceon was removed from the foster care system and back into his mother's home. Lynette (Taylor's mom) and Taylor had troubles in the beginning. The Game's father was not around.

Taylor attended Compton High School and most of the students that were gang affiliated were Crips. His older brother Big Fase 100, attended Centennial High School and was a Cedar Block Piru Blood. The Game followed in his brother's footsteps. Taylor's natural abilities in althletics led him into a spot as point guard on the basketball team. He also ran track and did various other sports. After graduating from Compton High School in 1999 and had received many scholarship offers from various colleges, Taylor chose to go and attended Washington State University on a basketball scholarship to play basketball. His ticket and way out was shortlived after being found with drugs in his possession. Game's scholarship was revoked. Before being suspended in his first semester because of drug allegations. However, the university's athletic department refutes these claims. It was then that he started fully embracing street life and turned towards selling drugs and running with gangs. At the age of 18, he began to follow his older half brother, George Taylor III, known as Big Fase 100, who was the leader of the Cedar Block Pirus. Taylor and his brother Big Fase had an apartment on the outskirts of Compton in Bellflower. Shortly after moving there, they quickly had a monopoly on the drug trade. That was shortlived however.

In October 1, 2001 while at the apartment alone, Jayceon heard a knock on the door at 2 a.m. Wanting to make a late night sale, he opened the door to see a regular customer. His regular however brought two others with him. He and another man fought. Reaching for his pistol, he was shot execution style by one of the assailants five times. After laying still for several minutes, Jayceon used his cell phone and called the ambulance. The Game was shot five times and put in a three day coma after being attacked by three assailants in his drug dealing area. While recovering in the hospital, he told his brother to go out and buy all of the classic hip hop albums. He studied seminal hip hop albums such as Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die, Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, Dr. Dre's "The Chronic", Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me and albums by Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. In the course of five months, he studied these albums in an almost scientific manner. In the beginning, his flows were weak, but The Game was a quick study and eventually learned better freestyling skills. He took elements from his favorite rappers and formulized them into his own persona and style.

Studying various influential rap albums, The Game developed a strategy to become a rapper himself and with help from his half-brother Big Fase, they founded The Black Wall Street Records. The label originally featured such artists as Glasses Malone, Vita, and Nu Jerzey Devil, along with The Game himself. His stage name was coined by his grandmother. The Game first gained prominence when he attended a hip-hop summit hosted by Russell Simmons and Louis Farrakhan, After recovering, Big Fase and The Game made a mixtape together. Releasing his first mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 1 in 2002, followed by a record deal with the independent label, Get Low Recordz owned by JT the Bigga Figga. The mixtape reached the hands of Sean Combs aka P. Diddy. Diddy was on the verge of signing him when the mixtape reached the hands of super producer Dr. Dre.

Five months later, he was discovered by Dr. Dre who listened to the mixtape produced by his brother Dr. Dre contacted Taylor and the deal was sealed. Originally Sean Combs of Bad Boy Records was going to sign him to his label, but The Game's mixtape found the attention of famed producer Dr. Dre. The Game spent the next two-and-a-half years working on the album and being mentored by Dr. Dre who signed him to his Aftermath Entertainment label in 2003. In late 2003, Interscope Records CEO Jimmy Iovine decided to have The Game join G-Unit and be signed under a joint venture with Aftermath Entertainment and G-Unit Records.

Taylor wanting to carry on the N.W.A legacy signed on in 2002 and began recording songs. Dr. Dre taught him the ropes of the studio and Taylor learned how to count bars. Taylor chose the alias The Game because his grandmother (deceased) used to call him Game saying he was game for anything. Being on the Aftermath Entertainment label, he appeared in a few music videos including "In Da Club" and "Wanna Get To Know You". In the summer of 2003, Game's son Harlem Caron Taylor was born. Not having dropped an album despite being signed onto Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records for awhile, The Game still created hype around just his image alone. He appeared in ads for P. Diddy's Sean John clothing company and had an endorsement deal with Boost Mobile appearing in a commercial alongside Kanye West and Ludacris. Game also appeared heavily on the mixtape circuit and guest starred on mixtapes for DJ Green Lantern, The Diplomats, and G-Unit. The first single released with The Game on it was "Certified Gangstas". Game guest starred on it alongside Jim Jones and Juelz Santana. Though the single wasn't considered mainstream, the buzz increased around the west coast rapper.

Recording

After The Game signed with G-Unit, he recorded nine tracks with 50 Cent in his home studio in Farmington, Connecticut. He then went back to Los Angeles and finished up the album with Dr. Dre. In a 2005 Vibe magazine interview, 50 Cent stated he was brought in by Interscope Records to work on the album, which he claimed was on the verge of being shelved and The Game being dropped from the label. However, in an interview with Funkmaster Flex, The Game said his status was never uncertain nor was he close to being dropped. 50 Cent also claimed he wrote six of The Documentary's eighteen tracks—"Hate It or Love It", "How We Do", "Church for Thugs", "Special", "Higher", and "Westside Story"—and was not receiving proper credit for his work. The Game denied the claim, saying 50 Cent helped write two songs. The Game confirmed that guests on the album would include 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Faith Evans, Marsha Ambrosius, Dion, Nate Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Busta Rhymes.

Music

Musical style

Such goings on, of course, are as much a part of a West Coast rapper's life. For it's the West Coast where The Game's musical heritage lies, and he never lets us forget it. Dr Dre, no less, is the producer, Eazy-E and Jam Master J his other major influences. This album puts them all in the same breath. Dre's production is immediately apparent in the percussive piano sound of Westside Story, where 50 Cent makes the first of several appearances. Church For Thugs goes widescreen with screaming trumpets and the serious, self-important We Ain't brings out the album's dark side with a guest slot from Eminem.

More stars abound - Mary J. Blige trades with The Game's rap over rolled piano chords on Don't Worry, and Faith Evans appears on the anti love song bump and grind of Don't Need Your Love. The Game's gravelly tones mean his voice is already instantly recognizable, and he almost justifies his self importance by holding his own alongside all the A-listers. Most moving of all is Dreams, a song recorded with Kanye West. It becomes something of an elegy to lives cut tragically short on the West Coast - Aaliyah, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, and most poignantly of all, Yetunde Price, the sister of Serena and Venus Williams, who was shot in Compton in 2003. On similar lines is Start From Scratch, where the confident façade drops slightly next to Marsha of Floetry's shaky, vulnerable vocal.

Like many rap albums The Documentary is too long, but it maintains a high level of interest right up to and including the end, with Busta Rhymes appearing on the final track, The Game intoning "Lord forgive me for my sins, I know it's last minute". It's a confession that almost nullifies the lyrical put downs that have gone before, with Mariah Carey and The Source magazine in particular taking a heavy beating. It's an impressive effort though, a debut album to file alongside that of 50 Cent, and it introduces a strong presence to the West Coast (like they need another one!). The Game should be around for some time, providing he can keep clean.

Lyrics

The Game recorded tracks based on his life experiences from his childhood to his success as a rapper. When asked about the album, he stated:

I grew up in a boys home and I was taken away from my parents when I was like 8 years old... Here I am, 24. When my album drops I will be 25 so that's 17 years I have been going through my struggle by myself. There are 17 tracks on my album and every track sheds light on a different situation I went through the last 17 years.

The rapper commented on the album's perception before its release, saying, "I know everybody was expecting gang-bang, 40-ounce, low-rider music, but that's not what I gave them... I'm telling a real story, and maybe there are people out there who can relate to my experiences." Rolling Stone observed that "every song has a well-massaged hook and some immediate appeal, and verses that don't waste a lot of time getting to the point."

Production

The Documentary's big budget production from high profile hip hop producers was well received from critics. The first half of the album contains "upbeat, gangsta boogie" tracks with the other half relegating "smoothed out R&B maneuvers". At seven tracks, Dr. Dre co-executive produced the album with his "stripped-down cinematic" approach. "Westside Story" contains an "evil sounding piano plink", "Dreams" has a "simultaneously smooth and eerie" beat, and "Hate It or Love It" unveils a "smoothed out R&B funk vibe". "Higher" revolves around a pounding synth blast and "How We Do" contains syncopated hand claps with a beat described as "a hypnotic blast of sinister seduction powered by a deliciously primitive 808 pattern and a slinky synth." "Don't Need Your Love" samples Mary J. Blige's "Not Gon Cry" and is one the album's more soulful songs. "Church for Thugs" delivers a "sing-song stylee over an accentuated sonic bed" and "Put You on the Game" is a club track containing "dark dirge[s] of synth".

Although "Start from Scratch" features R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius, the beat "eschews the traditional R&B vibes" for more "aural intimidation". IGN called it "the most haunting inclusion on the album." "The Documentary" features a "busy backing track" of "crashing symphonics and tinny flares of synth", which one critic believed overshadowed the lyrics. "Runnin'" is a "dark, Stygian tune augmented by tinges of R&B mellowness." "No More Fun and Games" has a fast-paced beat that takes inspiration from early 1990s production. "We Ain't", which samples Dr. Dre's "The Watcher", takes Eminem's "chug laden synth gurgle" and is described as "one of the most menacingly catchy numbers on the entire album." Nate Dogg features on two "smoothed out" tracks; "Special" and the g-funk-inspired "Where I'm From". "Don't Worry" is an R&B flavored track and despite its "minimal production", one reviewer wrote the song "still hits hard." The final track, "Like Father, Like Son", is driven by a "melodramatic, string-laden" beat.

Title

The album's title was originally "Nigga Witta Attitude Vol. 1" (a reference to N.W.A), but was changed to "The Documentary" due to legal issues. It was set for a late 2004 release, but since other high profile albums—including Eminem's Encore -- were to be released around the same time, it pushed back to January 18, 2005. The Game worked on the album with the goal of reviving the West Coast hip hop scene, which had been overshadowed in the past few years by artists from the East and South.

Release and promotion

On September 28, 2004 The Game released a promotional album entitled Westside Story through Aftermath Entertainment and G-Unit Records. The album was used to promote his debut studio album, The Documentary. In October 2004, The Game released his first independent album entitled Untold Story through Get Low Recordz owned by JT the Bigga Figga, The album sold over 82,000 copies within its first three months. The album featured artists like Sean T, Young Noble (of the Outlawz), and JT the Bigga Figga. Game also appeared on various mixtapes hosted by DJ's such as DJ Kayslay, DJ Whoo Kid, and DJ Clue?. The Game also released a second mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 2 through his own record label and appeared on the video game NBA Live 2004 on a song produced by Fredwreck called "Can't Stop Me". On November 15, 2004 The Game released a promotional Mixtape entitled Charge It to the Game: The Mixtape through Westside Records. The Mixtape was also used to promote his debut studio album.

Promo singles

"Westside Story" was the first official promotional single to be released from The Documentary. It features 50 Cent. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number ninety-three, it charted at number 55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and it charted at number 29 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. Rolling Stone described it as "a kind of L.A. version of "In Da Club" with "a simple keyboard part, a spare 808 beat and strings that manage to sound both stressed-out and catchy." The Game has stated that this song is a tribute to Tupac Shakur, with a direct reference to him, saying "I got California love fuckin bitches to that Pac shit." The Game also makes references to Tupac's songs, California Love and Against All Odds. Other references include: Nate Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound (D.P.G.) and their song New York, Westside Connection, Michael Jackson and his album Thriller, DJ Pooh , Kool G Rap. There is a remix featuring Snoop Dogg singing the hook and a version with both Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent on it. The song was produced by Dr. Dre and Scott Storch.

"Put You on the Game" was the second and final official promotional single from the album. The single was the lowest charting single from the album, reaching only ninety-six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The single attained respectable international charting. In the United Kingdom the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 46, and in the Republic of Ireland the single entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 22. The single was produced by Timbaland and co-produced by Danja. This was the first single released by The Game after his truce with 50 Cent fell apart and after The Game released You Know What It Is Vol. 3. As of recently a lawsuit has been filed from a Major India Record Company Saregama India,, Timbaland, co-producer Nate "Danja" Hills, The Game, Interscope Records, along with a few other Production companies are being sued for using an uncleared sample from artist. The music video features The Game with many appearances by his current and former Black Wall Street affiliates. The video shows various places in Los Angeles County, including downtown Los Angeles and Compton. The video shows many Los Angeles landmarks such as Staples Center, The Watts Towers, and LAX. The Game refers to a number of artists, songs and albums in "Put You on The Game", including The Chronic, N.W.A., Makaveli, The Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, Flavor Flav, G-Unit, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre and his song "Let Me Ride", Eve, and Snoop Dogg. During the DVD Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin The Game watches the video for this song pausing at specific spots in the video which shows a dead man at on the ground blocked off by police tape. The Game then repeatedly states that he is wearing G-Unit sneakers, a diss at 50 Cent saying his career is dead. Damon Johnson directed the music video. Entertainment Weekly called it a "club track so crunkalicious, it's almost shocking that a California newbie — not a Ludacris — was the recipient of its deep-fried Southern charms." The song was placed 44th on about.com's Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2005.

Singles

"How We Do" was the first official single to be released from The Documentary. The song features rapper 50 Cent. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 4, for four weeks. The single also charted at number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it charted at number 2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, it charted at number 1 on the Rhythmic Top 40, it charted at number 3 on the Hot Digital Songs, it charted at number 38 on the Latin Tropical Airplay, it charted at number 11 on the Pop 100, it charted at number 14 on the Pop 100 Airplay, also charting at number 14 on the Top 40 Mainstream, and at number 16 on the Top 40 Tracks. The single attained respectable international charting. In the United Kingdom the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 5, in Germany the single entered the German Singles Chart at number 9, in the Republic of Ireland the single entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 8, and in Australia the single entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 18. The single was an instant hit with major air play. It was also moderately successful worldwide, reaching the top twenty in most countries. The music video was directed by Hype Williams". The Recording Industry Association of America certified the single Gold.

"Hate It or Love It" was the second official single to be released from the album. The song features rapper 50 Cent. The single was the most popular single from the album. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 2, it charted at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it charted at number 1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, it charted at number 6 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, it charted at number 39 on the Latin Tropical Airplay, it charted at number 9 on the Pop 100, it charted at number 13 on the Pop 100 Airplay, it charted at number 1 on the Rhythmic Top 40, and at number 16 on the Top 40 Mainstream. The single attained respectable international charting. In the United Kingdom the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 4, in Germany the single entered the German Singles Chart at number 14, in the Republic of Ireland the single entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 5, in Australia the single entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 23, and in Denmark the single entered the Danish Singles Chart at number 17. The track uses a sample from the song "Rubber Band" performed by The Trammps on their album The Legendary Zing Album. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rap Song. The music video, which was directed by the Saline Project, was nominated at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video, but lost to Ludacris' "Number One Spot". The Recording Industry Association of America certified the single Gold.

"Dreams" was the third and final official single to be released from the album. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 32, it charted at number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it charted at number 5 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, it charted at number 74 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, it charted at number 62 on the Pop 100, and charted at number 13 on the Rhythmic Top 40. The single attained international charting. In the United Kingdom the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 8, in Germany the single entered the German Singles Chart at number 71, in the Republic of Ireland the single entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 11, and in Australia the single entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 42. It is produced by Kanye West and features a sample of "No Money Down" by Jerry Butler. Co-Written by Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemonds' artist, "Beloved". The song is dedicated to Yetunde Price who was shot dead in 2003. One critic wrote The Game "sews together a soulful Martin Luther King Jr. type speech with the acerbic wit and hustler charm of Malcolm X." Phillip Atwell directed the music video. The song is also known for having an incorrect lyric in 'I woke up from that coma 2001, about the same time Dre dropped 2001'. This references the Dr. Dre album 2001, actually released in the year 1999. The song was placed 16th on about.com's Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2005. And had singer Mya Harrison in the music video.

Reception

Commercial performance

The Game is often credited as a driving force in bringing the West Coast hip hop scene back to recognition. Before its release, he expressed his desire to have high opening week sales, saying, "I want to sell a million albums in my first week. And if I only sell one album the following week, I'm good." He also admitted feeling nervous about not being able to live up to the industry expectations, saying, "Yeah, I've got some butterflies. I'm worried about my first-week numbers, and I'm worried about living up to the hype." The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 586,000 copies in the first week. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album two times platinum on March 23, 2005, and it was the tenth best-selling record of the year. The album has since sold over 2.5 million units in the United States.

The Documentary peaked at the top fifteen in most European charts it entered. It peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and remained on the chart for thirty-three weeks. It reached the top ten in the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Switzerland, and the top twenty in Belgium, Germany, and Norway. The album topped the Canadian Albums Chart for three weeks and on March 8, 2005, it was certified platinum with 1,000,000 units shipped. It has since sold over five million copies worldwide.

Critical response

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Blender	(favorable)
Robert Christgau	(C-)
Entertainment Weekly	(B+)
Los Angeles Times
The New York Times	(favorable)
Pitchfork Media	(8.3/10)
PopMatters
Rolling Stone
The Village Voice	(favorable)

Upon its release, The Documentary received general acclaim from music critics. On Metacritic, The Documentary received an aggregate score of 72/100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". Pitchfork Media called it "the best West Coast street-rap album since DJ Quik's 2002 LP Under tha Influence" and described the production as "a rich, triumphant sonic tapestry". Allmusic wrote the album was an "excellent debut" that "hints at a lot of potential" and observed the "most remarkable aspect of the Game is how he can be such a blatant product of gangsta rap... and leave a mark so fast." Rolling Stone noted The Game was "going for emotional impact rather than dazzling wordplay or laughs" and PopMatters described him as "a self-conscious, malicious, nihilistic gangsta rapper with a heart and lyrical content". On the other hand, Robert Christgau believed the album was "dull even when he isn't describing his medical problems, this no-talent is masscult rock at its most brazen". The A.V. Club praised the production for being "a sonic classic of slow-rolling G-funk and glossy hyper-soul", but panned The Game for his name dropping, suggesting if he "cut all the references to rappers and albums... it'd be a good 15 to 20 minutes shorter—and probably a lot more compelling." Billboard declared it "one of the best rap albums of the year" and Entertainment Weekly suggested "with the brightest hip-hop stars aligning for him, the Game may have willed himself a popular masterpiece."

IGN criticized the large number of guest appearances, stating "the propensity of guest artists makes it hard to actually get a grasp on the rising star's own voice." MusicOMH observed "like many rap albums The Documentary is too long, but it maintains a high level of interest" and overall, it was "an impressive effort" that "introduces a strong presence to the West Coast". Stylus Magazine wrote "no one disappoints" and despite the record being "so obviously and deeply grounded in marketing, it’s still an outstandingly solid and enjoyable" debut. The New York Times noted The Game's "tough but straightforward rhyme style is appealing but not, usually, enthralling... This is a rapper who almost never forgets himself, who almost never loses himself in syllables just for the fun of it." The Village Voice criticized the rapper's lyrical skills, saying, "the Game's rhymes are about six degrees from totally artless". Yahoo! Music also panned the lyrics for "almost totally lacking in shock value, humour or insight", but praised the production, writing that "musically, this is probably the greatest major label hip-hop album of recent years – a near faultless succession of hi-tech beats and ominously catchy hooks".

Accolades

The album appeared on numerous music critics' and publications' end-of-year albums lists. Pitchfork Media placed the album at number 35 on their list of Top 50 Albums of 2005. At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, The Game was nominated with a total of two nominations, including Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the smash single "Hate It or Love It".

Track listing

Information taken from The Documentary's liner notes.

#	Title	Producer(s)	Sample(s)	Time
1	"Intro"	Dr. Dre, Che Vicious	*"Down into the Magic" by Donald Kerr	0:32
2	"Westside Story" (feat. 50 Cent)	Dr. Dre, Scott Storch		3:43
3	"Dreams"	Kanye West	*"No Money Down" by Jerry Butler	4:46
4	"Hate It or Love It" (feat. 50 Cent)	Cool & Dre, Dr. Dre, BG Knocc Out	*"Rubberband" by The Trammps	3:26
5	"Higher"	Dr. Dre, Mark Batson		4:05
6	"How We Do" (feat. 50 Cent)	Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo		3:55
7	"Don't Need Your Love" (feat. Faith Evans)	Havoc, Dr. Dre	*"Not Gon Cry" by Mary J. Blige	4:26
8	"Church for Thugs"	Just Blaze		4:00
9	"Put You on the Game"	Timbaland, co-produced by Danja		4:14
10	"Start from Scratch" (feat. Marsha Ambrosius)	Dr. Dre, Scott Storch		4:07
11	"The Documentary"	Jeff Bhasker, co-produced by Jeff Reed	*Audio excerpt from the film Livin' tha Life	4:11
12	"Runnin'" (feat. Tony Yayo & Dion)	Hi-Tek		4:26
13	"No More Fun and Games"	Just Blaze	*"Gangsta, Gangsta" by N.W.A	2:37
14	"We Ain't" (feat. Eminem)	Eminem, co-produced by Luis Resto	*"The Watcher" by Dr. Dre, "One Day at a Time" by Tupac Shakur and "Patiently Waiting" by 50 Cent	4:46
15	"Where I'm From" (feat. Nate Dogg)	Focus...	*"Amanda" by Dionne Warwick	3:08
16	"Special" (feat. Nate Dogg)	Needlz	*"Catherine Howard" by Rick Wakeman	3:57
17	"Don't Worry" (feat. Mary J. Blige)	Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo		4:11
18	"Like Father, Like Son" (feat. Busta Rhymes)	Buckwild	*"Mariya" by The Family Circle	5:27

Personnel

Credits for The Documentary adapted from Allmusic.

• 50 Cent - Executive Producer
• Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica - Assistant Engineer
• M. Batson - Composer
• Mark Batson - Producer
• Steve Baughman - Engineer
• Jeff Bhasker - Musician, Producer
• Jose Borges - Assistant Engineer
• David Brown - Assistant Engineer
• Buck Wild - Producer
• Tony Campana - Engineer
• Demacio Castellon - Engineer
• Mark Catson - Keyboards
• Larry Chatman - Production Coordination
• Kevin "KD" Davis - Engineer
• DJ Hi-Tek - Engineer, Producer
• Michael Dobmeier - Assistant Engineer
• Dr. Dre - Executive Producer, Mixing, Producer
• Jimmy Douglas - Mixing
• B.H. Edwards - Composer
• Mike Elizondo - Bass, Keyboards, Musician
• Eminem - Mixing, Producer
• Focus... - Musician, Producer
• Scott Gutierrez - Assistant Engineer
• Robert Hannon - Engineer
• Havoc - Producer
• Nathaniel "Danjahandz" Hills - Producer
• Keenan "Kee Note" Holloway - Bass
• Lionel "LJ" Holwan - Keyboards
• Ken Huffnagle - Engineer
• Mauricio "Veto" Irragorri - Engineer, Mixing

• Glenn Jefferies - Guitar
• D. Diana Jenkins - Vocals
• David Jenkins - Composer
• Just Blaze - Producer
• Rouble Kapoor - Assistant Engineer
• Wayne Kee - Guitar
• Steven King - Bass, Engineer, Guitar, Mixing
• Mike Lynn - A&R
• Jonathan Mannion - Photography
• Natasha Mathis - Vocals
• Kyla Miller - Engineer
• Tim Mosley - Composer
• Needlz - Producer
• Ervin Pope - Keyboards
• Oscar "Filtrate" Ramierez - Engineer
• Jeff Reed - Engineer, Producer
• Luis Resto - Keyboards, Producer
• Angelo Sanders - A&R
• Jason Schweitzer - Engineer
• Ed Scratch - Engineer
• Justin Smith - Mixing
• Scott Storch - Musician, Producer
• Tank - Scratching
• Jayceon Taylor - Composer
• Timbaland - Mixing, Producer, Vocals
• Che Vicious - Producer
• Joe Warlick - Engineer
• Kanye West - Composer, Producer
• Ryan West - Engineer, Mixing
• A. Young - Composer

Charts and certifications

Chart positions

Charts (2005)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart	31
Austrian Albums Chart	44
Belgian Albums Chart	17
Canadian Albums Chart	1
Dutch Albums Chart	10
French Albums Chart	7
German Albums Chart	11
Irish Albums Chart	6
New Zealand Albums Chart	3
Norwegian Albums Chart	11
Swiss Albums Chart	8
UK Albums Chart	7
US Billboard 200	1
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1
US Billboard Top Rap Albums	1
US Billboard Top Internet Albums	1
US Billboard Top Heatseekers	34

Certifications

Country	Provider	Certification
Australia	ARIA	Gold
Canada	CAN	Platinum
Republic of Ireland	IRE	Platinum
New Zealand	NZ	Platinum
United Kingdom	BPI	Platinum
United States	US	2× Platinum

External links

• The Documentary at Discogs
• The Documentary at Metacritic