Domingo had a hit with the Mario Bros. inspired Cocoa Brovaz’ anthem “Supa BK”. It was something new and fun, marring contemporary NYC-thuggery with clippity-clap video game samples provided an irresistible head nod from Flatbush to the left coast. But to ride a concept fueled by a gimmick isn’t always as surefire as one would like to believe. Because somewhere between his Atari and Playstation 2, Domingo seemingly threw out the video game themes and settled for neo-thug music.

With a track list that surely would of caused record store riots 7 years ago Game Over does score points for its effort; Big Daddy Kane, KRS-ONE, Masta Ace, K-Solo, Das Efx, Craig Mack, Jeru The Damaja, the list goes on but taking in consideration some of the questionable music these artists have released in the dusk of their career’s might generate overall questioning of this album as a whole. It’s difficult to hear some of yesterday’s tastemakers fall victim to blase production and tired concepts, which brings up the question, if say a Buckwild or Showbiz had the same artists to work with, would the result compare?

Does lazy production constitute lazy rapping? And if so, could artists like Heltah Skeltah and Royal Flush make valiant returns given truly solid beats? That’s not to say Domingo is a lazy producer by any means (his career has spanned similarly to that of his emcee counterparts), tracks like Masta Ace’s “Rap 2K1″ and “Things On My Mind” by Punch & Words bubble up hot. Kane’s “Flame On” is somewhat noteworthy and Agallah’s fiendish “Get Da Game Right” will bump, but put in the context of the true-blue jams these people used to make and damn well should still be making might possibly sadden a listener or two. This is NYC Gangsta shit maximized. The optimum listening environment would probably be in NYC itself, preferably out of Manhattan and somewhere deep in Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx. 2001 anthem music, with a middle-finger pointed at major radio while almost pleading for long lost mass appeal.