Big Hit & The Game Surprise-Release Collab Mixtape “Paisley Dreams” Prod. by Hit-Boy (Mixtape Review)

This is a brand new collaborative mixtape between Big Hit & The Game. One of whom hails from Los Angeles coming fresh off his debut album The Truth is in My Eyes a few weeks ago after being in the making for a decade & the other is an established Compton veteran at this point mentored by both Dr. Dre & 50 Cent who put out Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind a year & a half ago, which was the most I’ve enjoyed a project from him in quite some time. Both projects where executive produced by Big Hit’s son Hit-Boy, who eventually produced Paisley Dreams to start 2024.

“Backfade” is an ominous boom bap opener talking about having each other’s backs using the old school west coast terminology whereas the title track takes a more soulful approach admitting to being fathers first & real ones secondly. “P Fiction” featuring Hit-Boy finds the trio shifting into trap territory declaring themselves to be menaces leading into “Bang” talking about banging for the cause over a Mobb instrumental.

Meanwhile, “Cutthroat” starts off the 2nd leg ballin’ on top of a g-funk beat & TeeFLii’s hook being inspired by the late Zapp frontman Roger Troutman just before “The Game Won’t Stop” returns to a more soulful sound talking about shaking the cops. “Crisis” featuring Half-a-Mil has a gospel flip to it discussing the struggle while “Happy Ru Year” is a hyphy-tinged New Year’s anthem. “Body for Body” rounds out the tape by smelling homicide over a trap instrumental.

Wild to think that Game pulled up on Big Hit & Hit-Boy to only do 1 track with each other only to end up with a 9-song tape to release out of nowhere on New Year’s Day. If you’re a west coast head, you gotta check out Paisley Dreams at some point. Hit-Boy’s production mixes boom bap, trap, g-funk, Mobb music & hyphy altogether as his dad teams up with the Compton vet on the mic to rep their sets.

Score: 8/10