What the Game's Been Missing!

Juelz Santana comes fully into his own on his second album

Juelz Santana was introduced to most of the rap world in 2000 when Cam'ron granted him a guest spot on Double Up. Shortly after, he joined Harlem's Diplomat Set (aka Dipset) crew and made his full-length album debut with From Me to U in 2003. It took him two years to release his sophomore album, but he was hardly absent from the scene. Plenty of proper Diplomat releases and twice as many mixtapes have flooded the hood since his debut. Now after dwelling in the shadow of his mentor Cam'ron, Juelz Santana comes fully into his own on his second album, What the Game's Been Missing!, an excellent disc of club-bangers and street parables. Both here and on his mixtapes, Santana delivers simple phrases with enough oomph to break a dinosaur rib cage. He's a master minimalist who can take a single word and make a song of it. Few MCs say more with so little, and Santana compensates for what he lacks of Cam'ron's 3D-goggled imagism or Young Jeezy's raze-the-block charisma with a knotty, nunchucking delivery style.

What the Game's Been Missing! is not as guest heavy as you'd expect

On What the Game's Been Missing! Santana hits listeners from all angles. He brings the thugged-out bravado, the grimy hood narratives, the energetic club joints and of course the unique Diplomatic flavor. Dipset's in-house producers Heatmakerz provide beats for five tracks, including the blazing Oh Yes, which chops up the Marvelettes' Please Mr. Postman, and Daddy, which loops Aerosmith's I Don't Want to Miss a Thing like it was an old soul sample. The first two singles – the Jeep shakers There It Go (The Whistle Song) and Mic Check – are full of Santana's trademark brags. What the Game's Been Missing! is not as guest heavy as you'd expect, with just a few cameos, including Young Jeezy and Lil' Wayne, plus Cam'ron of course. Diplomat’s brother Cam'ron makes a big splash with his appearance on Murda Murda, a track that cops the same Ini Kamoze sample as Damian Marley's massive Welcome to Jamrock. Sizzla returns the favor by bringing the Harlem duo to Jamaica, injecting his dancehall influence on the bouncy Shottas. Juelz shines on his own though too. I Am Crack features the Harlem rapper setting the record straight on his addictive yet deadly nature over an almost rock-style beat. Tracks like Rumble Young Man Rumble and This Is Me deviate from the Dipset style and evince some originality.

Santana does prove he has something to add to the game

With the swift wit and relaxed swagger that marked his many guest appearances for Cam'ron, Harlem rapper Juelz Santana quickly established himself as the one to watch in that rapper's Dipset crew. Especially after the disappointment of Jim Jones's previous album, Juelz is helping Diplomats end on a positive note for 2005. Santana does prove he has something to add to the game on this consistently inventive sophomore release. Even at a lengthy 76 minutes long, the disc never drags. It is more mature and way more focused. Juelz spits a lot fewer meaningless bars in favor of thoughts and ideas. This album shows that dude is talented; that he’s more than catch phrases and cliches. Using his versatility, improved lyrical aptitude, and radio appeal, Santana molds the album into a diverse and entertaining listen. Plus we finally we get to see him come out from behind the Dipset banner and assert his own identity, perspective and ideas. Once Santana breaks free from his team, he will be a formidable force.