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My Life (The Game song)

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"My Life"
Song

"My Life" is the third single from The Game's third studio album, LAX which was released on August 22, 2008. The song, produced by Cool & Dre, features Lil Wayne, and like many recent Lil Wayne songs, he uses the vocoder effect for the hook. The Game also mentions Kanye West and the death of his mother Donda West, stating:

"Sometimes I think about my life with my face down,
Then I see my sons and I put on that Kanye smile,
Damn I know his momma proud,
And since you helped me sell my dream - we can share my momma now."[2]

Recording

Producers Cool & Dre have released a video documenting how they created the beat.[3]

The Game spoke on his working with Lil Wayne stating:

When you're in the studio with Wayne, you could pretty much chill, man, because everything is so easy. He's so melody-driven. Once he hits you with an idea, or I come up with an idea, we're straightforward, man. The process is easy. I think me and him could do an album probably in, like, seven days. A classic album! He keeps it 100, I keep it 100. We're both talented MCs. I appreciate him in hip-hop.[4]

Release

The song started to receive airplay on July 22, 2008, but was leaked in early July.[5] As of early August 2008 the song was released for download on iTunes.[6]

Controversy

When the song first leaked, many believed The Game was "dissing" Eminem. However, later on his website, Game explained that this was not the case, and apologized to anyone who might have misunderstood what he had intended to say:[7]

When I originally wrote the song "My Life" I was trying to think back on events that affected my life and how they changed me. When I first got signed to Aftermath and G-Unit I was exposed to so many different people from Dre to Em to 50 to Proof. I always identified with Proof. We were always cool and he would reach out to me when ever I was going through something. I remember when Proof died vividly and now every time I think about going to Detroit I get depressed. That is what I was trying to say in that verse and the more I looked at I realized that people would take it the wrong way…the way they are taking it now that it leaked. So I decided to change it so that this bullshit wouldn’t happen and now it’s happened anyway. For the record, this is not the version on my album, this is not the version that radio will get and this is not the version that I just shot the video to. Furthermore, I apologize to anyone who took this the wrong way as that was never my intention.

The exact lines which many mistook as a diss were:

You see them 24's spinning? I earned 'em
And all the pictures of me and Em, I burned 'em
So there ain't no proof that I ever walked through 8 Mile
And since there ain't no Proof, I'll never walk through 8 Mile[8]

Although, on the version used in the music video,[9] the lyrics have been changed to:

You see them 24's spinnin'? I earned 'em
And I ain't no preacher, but here's my Erick Sermon
So eat this black music, and tell me how it taste, now
And fuck Jesse Jackson cause it ain't about race, now

Samples

Lil Wayne re-sings sections of "So Tired", a song by Birdman in which Wayne is featured.[10][11] Also at the beginning of the second verse, The Game samples a twice used Lil Wayne line from the remix of "Party Like a Rockstar", and "Phone Home", from Tha Carter III:

We are not the same, I am a Martian[12][13]

Although multiple samples were used for the song, the album credits only list the sample of "So Tired".[14]

Music video

The video which was filmed on July 23, 2008,[15] was directed by Bryan Barber, and premiered on FNMTV on August 15, 2008.[9] The setting takes place mostly within a graveyard and other areas in and around Compton and features Lil Wayne, with appearances by Birdman, Cool & Dre, and Young Buck, with references to the deceased Sean Bell.[9] The video also makes references to the gang the Bloods,[16] of which The Game is a member.[17][18] Also in the video is a reference to the "Beats by Dr. Dre" headphones[19] made by Monster.[20] In the video The Game also wears a shirt that reads "Hip Hop Broke My Heart", which, in an interview with website HipHopDX.com, he stated, among other things,

[When] Hip Hop evolved and changed and got thrown in a bucket of Kool-Aid, somebody threw too much sugar in it. Now it tastes a little funny. That's why I say Hip Hop broke my heart.[4]

Build up

In addition to the controversy surrounding the supposed "diss" to Eminem and deceased rapper Proof, on August 1, 2008, DJ Skee released a behind-the-scenes video on his official "SkeeTV" YouTube account. The video has many people speaking to the camera including director Bryan Barber speaking on different subjects within the video. Young Buck is seen speaking about his label, Cashville Records, and artists signed to the label such as the Outlawz, and C-Bo.[21] Also on "SkeeTV", a trailer was released to promote the video, on August 14, the day before the video was officially released.[22]

Charts

Chart (2008) Peak
position
Canadian Hot 100 42[23]
Hot Canadian Digital Singles 22[24]
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Tracks 8[25]
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 21[26]
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs 6[26]
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 29[26]
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks 10[26]
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 32[26]
UK Singles Chart 85

References

  1. ^ a b c According to single cover.
  2. ^ (August 16, 2008) The Game - My Life Video Accessed August 18, 2008.
  3. ^ 305 Uncut Presents Making The Beat Cool & Dre "My Life" Part 1 Accessed August 23, 2008.
  4. ^ a b Andres Tardio (August 18, 2008) Why Did Game Say "Hip Hop Broke My Heart?" HipHopDX. Accessed August 21, 2008.
  5. ^ World Video Premiere: The Game's "My Life" Featuring Lil Wayne Accessed August 18, 2008.
  6. ^ (August 6, 2008) The Game: News: "My Life" feat Lil Wayne available on iTunes Interscope. Accessed August 18, 2008.
  7. ^ The Game Clears Up Eminem “Diss”
  8. ^ Archie Fucque (July 25, 2008) Pulse Report: The Game Explains Alleged Eminem Diss... SOHH. Accessed August 16, 2008.
  9. ^ a b c The Game - "My Life" on FNMTV MTV. Accessed August 16, 2008.
  10. ^ Birdman featuring Lil' Wayne - "So Tired"
  11. ^ The Game feat. Lil' Wayne - My Life > The Hype Factor Accessed August 23, 2008.
  12. ^ Da Shop Boyz feat. Jim Jones, Lil Wayne, & Chamillionaire - Party Like a Rock Star (rmx) DefSounds. Accessed August 23, 2008.
  13. ^ (June 10, 2008) LIL' WAYNE 'THA CARTER III' REVIEW Accessed August 23, 2008.
  14. ^ LAX (Media notes). Geffen/Interscope. 2008. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |bandname= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  15. ^ (July 25, 2008) Young Buck at The Game - My Life Video Shoot Accessed August 16, 2008.
  16. ^ Arch Sagesse (August 16, 2008) The Game ft. Lil Wayne - My Life Accessed August 20, 2008.
  17. ^ Sarah Godfrey (May 10, 2005} The Game Fizzles and Snoop Dogg Sizzles Washington Post. Accessed August 20, 2008.
  18. ^ The Game's biography on MTV MTV Accessed August 20, 2008
  19. ^ Universal Music Group The Game - My Life: Pre-Roll, closed Captioned YouTube. Accessed August 20, 2008.
  20. ^ "Beats by Dr. Dre" Official website Accessed August 20, 2008.
  21. ^ DJ Skee (August 1, 2008) The Game ft. Lil Wayne "My Life" Music Video OFFICIAL BTS Skee.TV **LAX YouTube. Accessed August 21, 2008.
  22. ^ DJ Skee (August 14, 2008) The Game ft. Lil Wayne "My Life" Music Video TRAILER PREVIEW from SkeeTV YouTube. Accessed August 17, 2008.
  23. ^ Billboard Canadian Hot 100
  24. ^ Hot Canadian Digital Singles - "My Life"
  25. ^ Hot Digital Tracks - "My Life"
  26. ^ a b c d e Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - The Game
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