Review: Crooked I – The Puzzle (100 Pieces To The Game)

Crooked I – The Puzzle (100 Pieces To The Game) is 1 out of the 3 albums Crooked I recorded for Death Row Records. Only hardcore Death Row fans know about this album. The album had songs such as The Puzzle, Riddler, Ya Really Don’t, and more. This album is completely different from the Untouchable album as this album uses more heavy lyricism.

Crooked I – The Puzzle (100 Pieces To The Game) was supposed to be Crooked I’s other album on Death Row Records back in 2001. However this did not happen because the album was not up to Suge’s liking. So The Puzzle album was shelved indefinitely. Suge had Crooked I record a new album which would be known as Crooked I – Say Hi To The Bad Guy.

Crooked I explains why you do not want to fuck with him on Ya Really Don’t.

Ya really don’t wanna fuck with Crooked I. He keeps them pistols in the stash no matter what. So you don’t want to clash with him. These niggas out here talkin’ about Crooked I everyday. But if they come at him, he’ll have to blow them niggas away. They’re nothing but rats stuck in the trap. Crooked I is killin’ you niggas over oil like President Bush. That sherm oil.

So if you don’t want you heartbeat to stop, then walk away before his gun pop.Leave him alone.
That known cat is gonna leave a niggas back blown. A nigga won’t even make it back home. His gat cracks bones.

You don’t want to go up against the West Coast nigga that squeezes the most triggers. Crooked I has fucked the most bitches and touched the most riches. The 4’s are on switches. The Benz’s so vicious.
We stay ghetto for life, my nigga. See you niggas really don’t understand what we doin’ at Death Row. We trying to organize them gangsta hits to flood the industry with and if you with that shit then cop everything with the Death Row logo on it.

This Is My Life Man is a song recorded at the time The Puzzle was being recorded. The song was used in the Waist Deep soundtrack. The song This Is My Life Man explains the life of Crooked I from his childhood.

Here’s how it started out. One day his father suddenly and never came back. There are 7 kids who live at his mother’s house. So now there is drama. They were financially struggling. Crooked I set out to get that green paper by any means since that’s what he is all about. Utilities to the house have been cut off. His little brother is freezing.

Late night to the cut he is creeping. Them streets were under handed and he was too young to understand it. It makes his nerves bad thuggin as the youngest bandit. But he couldn’t run or panic. Crooked I wanted to go to college but poverty fucked up his plans. He wanted to be a scholar. How did he end up in handcuffs? Every night his mother cries but he has to stand tough. Life as a shorty shouldn’t be so rough.

This is his life man, You say you understand. You claim you feel his pain but you really don’t give a damn. You see Crooked I in them streets. He speaks the truth in the booth.

Crooked I wishes he could solve the puzzle and get past all the mysteries. People don’t understand him. He has to help his family. That’s why his focus is uncanny. Enemies wouldn’t care to twist him. Gun shots barely missed him. It’s risky when you’re thuggin out there. But the man upstairs was with Crooked I.

He has lost so many homies. Some even burned alive. They have all been part of this sick war before they learned to drive. Only thing you hear’ in both ears is that word ‘survive’.

This is his life. It’s way more than music. It’s therapy. Music is therapy to Crooked I. This is a young man’s medicine right here. You know I’m talkin’ about. Ghetto America.

I rate this album 4/5****.