The album includes production from high-profile producers such as Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Scott Storch and Timbaland, among others, and guest appearances from 50 Cent, Eminem, Nate Dogg and Faith Evans, among others.

Since the album's release, the Game was credited as a "driving force" in reviving the once-dominant West Coast hip hop scene that had since been overshadowed by artists from the East, Midwest and South during the early 2000s.

[3] The Game was also inspired to revive the hip hop scene in the West Coast, which had been overshadowed since its heyday in the 1990s by rappers from the East and the South.

[4] In 2005, in the interview with Vibe magazine, 50 Cent stated that he was brought in by the Interscope Records to work on the album, claiming that was on the verge of being shelved and the Game was being dropped from the label.

[5] 50 Cent also wrote 6 choruses of The Documentary's eighteen tracks—"Hate It or Love It", "How We Do", "Church for Thugs", "Special", "Higher", and "Westside Story"[6]—and didn't receive proper credit for his work.

"[4] 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.

[14] "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".

[11] Although "Start from Scratch" features R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius, the beat "eschews the traditional R&B vibes" for more "aural intimidation".

"[11] "The Documentary" features a "busy backing track" of "crashing symphonics and tinny flares of synth", which one critic believed overshadowed the lyrics.

[16] "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.

1" (a reference to N.W.A),[19] but was changed to "The Documentary" because legal issues with an injunction filed at the request of Eazy-E's widow Tomica Woods-Wright prevented him from using N.W.A's name in the album title.

[20] On September 28, 2004, the Game released a promotional mixtape entitled Westside Story through Aftermath Entertainment and G-Unit Records.

In October 2004, the Game released his first independent album, titled Untold Story, through Get Low Recordz (owned by JT the Bigga Figga).

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".

The song features guest vocals from American rapper 50 Cent, while the production was handled by Dr. Dre and Scott Storch.

[25] 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.

"[9] 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."

and their song "New York", Westside Connection, Michael Jackson with his album Thriller, DJ Pooh, and Kool G Rap.

The song features guest vocals from American rapper 50 Cent, while the production was handled by Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo.

[31] 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.

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.

[34] 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".

[12] 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.

"[35] Rolling Stone noted the Game was "going for emotional impact rather than dazzling wordplay or laughs"[9] and PopMatters described him as "a self-conscious, malicious, nihilistic gangsta rapper with a heart and lyrical content".

[15] 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".

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.

"[13] Billboard declared it "one of the best rap albums of the year"[42] and Entertainment Weekly suggested "with the brightest hip-hop stars aligning for him, the Game may have willed himself a popular masterpiece.

"[11] 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".

[43] 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.

[48] The Game is often credited as a driving force in bringing the West Coast hip hop scene back to recognition.