Artists plagued by perpetual album delays historically haven’t fared too well critically or commercially once their projects finally hit stores. In the two years since the initial release date of Game’s The R.E.D. Album, the Compton MC dropped four mixtapes and half a dozen poorly received promotional singles, suffering numerous leaks along the way. Now, with some momentum on his side—partially due to the controversial Lil Wayne–assisted single “Red Nation,” and the radio-friendly “Pot of Gold,” featuring Chris Brown—Game is on a focused mission to avoid becoming a label purgatory statistic. He sets the tone on R.E.D.’s introductory cut, “The City,” ...