The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Taylor, also known as The Game (or Game) is a rap artist signed to Aftermath Records. Until March 2005, he was a member of G-Unit, a rap group headed by [50 Cent].
The Game is from Compton, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, notorious for more than three decades for its crime and gang violence. A member of the Blood, Taylor was shot in 2001, possibly by a member of the Crips. While recuperating from his injuries, Taylor set three goals: to rap, to become active in real estate, and to go back to school. He tried rapping and it paid off: rapper Dr. Dre found him in Compton and signed him to Aftermath records. The Game is also currently featured on various mixtapes released from DJ Kay Slay, DJ Whoo Kid, DJ Clue, and other rap DJ's.
In late 2004, The Game released his debut single, "How We Do", featuring 50 Cent. As of March 2005, "How We Do" had hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On 18 January 2005, The Game's first full album, The Documentary, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. It was the biggest January album debut since SoundScan began tracking album sales in 1991, with 587,000 sales in it's first week. His album also debuted at #7 in the UK albums chart.
The Game is also founder of The Black Wall Street Records which includes former Murder Inc. Records rapper Vita.
Rivalries
Even though The Game is a new artist, he already has made some hip-hop enemies: among them Death Row Records and Suge Knight, and reportedly Memphis Bleek and Jay-Z. There is probably some animosity because of the success of yet another Dr. Dre artist being compared to the languishing state of Death Row. On Game's 2002 mixtape, he featured ex-Row member Crooked I, and also rapped daringly on a Big Mike mixtape: "Niggaz think we just boyz n tha hood/City of angels got poisoned by Suge/I'm wheelin' through the Wilshire District/Thinkin' how Big and Pac got shot by pistols/L.A. Times call it the Death Row conspiracy/Run up on my '64, I'll take you out your misery." About the story that Suge slapped him: "New York, New York Diss": "Left the VMA Awards/Went back to the hood/Streets is talkin'/Game got slapped by Suge/False: I was face to face wit 'em". fuck JA
Another rivalry is based on a line from The Game's "Westside Story" track where he says "And I don't do button up shirts or drive Maybacks", which Jay-Z took this as a direct insult to him. The result of this is a Jay-Z freestyle that Game percieved was disrespecting him, with lines like "The game's through." However, Jay insists the "game" references were just about the rap game itself, not the rapper The Game.
Recently The Game was dropped from G-Unit Records by 50 Cent. The reason 50 had given for this is that, "The Game is disloyal and I would appreciate it if he would stop saying G-Unit!" During a radio interview with Hot 97 in New York City on March 1, 2005, 50 Cent, while discussing the growing riff between the two rappers, was rushed out of studio as The Game's posse attempted to gain entrance to the studio to confront 50 Cent. In the process, a man from Compton was shot, reportedly by a member of 50 Cent's posse.
Although many have known of the problems between the two rappers, many believe the reason for his exclusion is down to 50 unable to handle The Game's record sale's, and even though they are unable to compete with those from Get Rich Or Die Trying, he felt The Game would present competition to him and thus dropped him. However, albeit he is dropped from G-Unit, The Game is still tied to Aftermath records. This could result in a beef developing between the G-Unit and The Game camp, or even the Shady/Aftermath camp with G-Unit. If such a beef develops it could result in the Shady/Aftermath/G-Unit connection to drop, with Dr. Dre likely to stand by The Game and Eminem by his mentor, G-Unit could be battling with two of hip hops legends, and two people to whom they owe all their success.