The Game (rapper)
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The Game | |
|---|---|
| File:Bjillyjoe.jpg Compton rapper The Game | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Compton, California |
| Years active | 2002-present (solo) |
Jayceon Terell Taylor, known as The Game (born November 27, 1979 in Compton, California), is an American rapper signed to Aftermath Entertainment [1]. The Game is considered by many to be a driving force in bringing back the West Coast hip hop scene and competing with many of his East Coast counterparts.
Biography
The Game was born in Compton, CA. He grew up in a primarily Crips neighborhood and was a member of the Bloods. The rapper's nickname is said to have been coined by his grandmother, who supposedly said that he was always "Game" for anything. His mother and father were both affiliated gang members of hoover crips gang. The Game was shot five times in the chest, arms and legs after a failed drug deal in 2001. This attack put him in a three day coma. While recovering in the hospital, he decided to pursue a career in the rap industry. The Game stated that he studied various rap albums in order to develop a good strategy to become the greatest rapper ever. After being signed independently to JT the Bigga Figga, The Game was discovered by Dr. Dre.
The Game was originally signed as an artist on Aftermath Entertainment, but Interscope Records CEO Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre decided to have The Game work with 50 Cent and G-Unit. The arrangement was to help build a growing buzz around The Game which would also fuel interest in G-Unit. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent were executive producers on The Game's debut album, The Documentary. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard music charts and spawned hit singles such as "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It" featuring 50 Cent.
The original title of the album was Nigga Wit' An Attitude Volume 1, as can be seen in the lyrics to Dreams, but an injunction filed at the request of Eazy-E's widow prevented him from using N.W.A.'s name in the album title.
Controversy
The Game has became involved with numerous feuds with rappers, as well as a target for the police surveillance. The rapper has previously had rivalries with Suge Knight of Death Row Records, Joe Budden, Yukmouth, Young Gunz, Jay-Z and Memphis Bleek of Roc-A-Fella Records. The most recent rivalry is with labelmate 50 Cent and G-Unit.
Joe Budden
In 2004, 50 Cent criticized Joe Budden's album for "lacking street credibility." Budden took offense and released various insults directed at G-Unit. The Game did a freestyle for DJ Clue, and then Joe Budden used the end of the freestyle without notifying The Game. While on the end, Joe Budden took shots at G-Unit. During 2004, The Game made several records against Joe Budden, notoriously the track "Buddens." The Game threatened Joe Budden and supposedly flew to New York to confront him. Joe Budden mocked The Game's appearance on the dating game show "Change of Heart". On his web site, The Game defended his embarrassing appearance on the show, saying that he was young and needed the money, also he stated on his Stop Snitchin' Stop Lyin' DVD that he was on the show with two girls making him a pimp. Later, at a party in New York, the rappers mutually announced their intention to stop making hostile records about each other, but The Game has subsequently suggested in songs and videos that he won the feud. [2]
Yukmouth
Yukmouth confronted The Game at a party and stated to him that he had a beef with 50 Cent. Soon a video surfaced on the Internet in which Yukmouth appeared in a studio with rapper Domination, who was making a disrespectful song aimed at G-Unit. At the end of the clip, Yukmouth claims that The Game had a tongue ring. (The piercing is viewed as effeminate.) The Game fired back by performing an Ice Cube move by dissing the rap veteran over his own "I Got 5 On It" beat. Yukmouth responded with a diss track of his own which referred to the Change of Heart and tongue ring incidents. Yukmouth released a mixtape called "All Out War," attacking The Game on several tracks. The two tried to bury the hatchet and even recorded a song together in hopes of squashing the beef. However, Game wanted Yukmouth to record the track with him in Compton. Yukmouth recorded his verse and sent it to Game because he feared it was a setup. Game took this as a sign of weakness and dissed Yukmouth on the track. Yukmouth and Game have both recently said they ended the rivalry this time and recorded another song together.
Death Row
Dr. Dre's old nemesis Suge Knight has an ongoing feud with The Game. Yukmouth claimed that The Game had been slapped by Suge Knight. The Game responded on his website, saying that if Suge Knight had ever touched him, he would be "six feet under". After the 2005 BET Awards, associates of Death Row had their invitations to a party hosted by Ciara rescinded. Supposedly, a member of Death Row had tried to steal The Game's chain. The Game stated on his Black Wall Street web site that he dislikes Suge Knight because of "the lives he has endangered." In Miami for the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Suge Knight was shot and wounded at Kanye West's party by an unknown gunman.[3] The Game vigorously denied involvement in the shooting, but the incident renewed efforts to pacify hip hop feuds and The Game has consequently been discouraged from attending certain events in hopes of averting retaliation.[4]
Previously The Game and various representatives of California's rap cliques formed a West Coast "peace treaty" supposedly ending the rivalry between Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Suge Knight that began when they left Death Row Records. Although none of these individuals attended the discussions, The Game represented Dr. Dre and Harvey represented Suge Knight. This feud has persisted in spite of the West Coast Peace Treaty. [5]
Roc-A-Fella Records
This feud grew out of an earlier rivalry with Memphis Bleek over the name of his label. The label was similar to the one to which The Game had been previously signed. On the single "Westside Story," The Game raps that he "don't do button-up shirts or drive Maybachs," many believed that this was a shot at Jay-Z. On Memphis Bleek's 534 album, Jay-Z says in his rap; "It's like when niggas make subliminal records/if it ain't directed directly at me I don't respect it. You keep entering the danger zone/you gon' make that boy Hov put your name in this song/if you that hungry for fame then fuck it come on". Many hip-hop fans believed Jay-Z was calling out The Game. On Hot97, Jay-Z performed "Dear Summer" and another freestyle. In his freestyle he repeatedly used the word "game". The Game apparently felt that the rapper was discrediting him and made several remarks directed at Roc-A-Fella Records. In an interview with Ed Lover and Moni Love, The Game said the Maybach line on "Westside Story" was actually a diss at Ja Rule, he also said he has a lot of respect for Jay-Z and would never diss legends. Jay-Z later insisted that "game" references were just about the rap game itself, not the rapper. The Game still addresses Memphis Bleek and the Young Gunz on songs. He put out a song called "Old Gunz" which stated that the Young Gunz grew up in nice neighborhoods and that they had no right to call themselves young guns. Another member of The Game's Black Wall Street said that they were young but they weren't guns, they had never shot at anyone in their lives.
The Game avoids dissing Kanye West. He says Kanye West is what hip hop has been missing. There were rumors that Jay-Z was planning on "declaring war" on The Game and others at a concert in October 2005, but Jay-Z instead used the opportunity to make peace with rivals. [6]
50 Cent and G-Unit
The Game was in an escalating feud with 50 Cent in mid 2005. Fans mostly believed that the rapper was bonding with 50 Cent at the time of The Documentary's release. The Game's major debut album was surrounded by controversy. Soon after its release, 50 Cent felt that the rapper was disloyal for saying he wanted to work with artists with whom G-Unit were feuding, and he formally dismissed the rapper.
50 Cent also claimed that he was not getting his proper credit for the creation of the album. During that dispute, a member of The Game's entourage was shot after confrontation at Hot 97.[7]. After the situation between them escalated, 50 Cent and The Game decided to hold a press conference to announce their reconciliation [8]. Many fans had mixed feelings as to whether this truce was legit or along with the incident at the radio station, was a publicity stunt designed to boost the sales of the two albums the pair had just released [9]. Nevertheless, even after the situation had apparently deflated [10], 50 Cent and G-Unit continued to feud with The Game, denouncing his street credibility in the media and claiming that without their support, he will not score a hit from his second album. The Game responded during a performance at the Summer Jam and launched a boycott called "G-Unot" [11].
After the performance at Summer Jam, The Game responded with "300 Bars and Runnin'", a hard hitting diss going at G-Unit as well as members of Roc-A-Fella Records. 50 Cent had mixed feelings about the situations and placed blame on Dr. Dre for his slow response to end the feud. Nevertheless, he responded through his "Piggy Bank" video, which features The Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll and parodies many other rivals. 50 Cent has recently responded to the rapper's rebutals with a diss song titled "Not Rich, Still Lyin." The song imitates The Game and attacks his credibility and his recent feud with his brother, former manager Big Fase 100. The Game has recently replied to mixtapes recordings aimed at G-Unit with the song "240 Bars (Spider Joke)" which goes at G-Unit signed artists Spider Loc, Mobb Deep and M.O.P.. This was the first of many feuds where two rappers from the same label were involved against each other.
The Radio One Incident
While promoting his debut album, The Game was in Washington, D.C., with his manager, Jimmy Henchmen. They were being interviewed on WKYS-FM by DJ Zxulu and by the Hip Hop Zone's Kwasi Jones. A comment made by Zxulu about the earpiece Henchmen was wearing started a confrontation with 20 members of The Game's entourage. Zxulu and Jones were injured and hospitalized. The incident at the radio station caused Radio One to ban The Game's music from its stations in major markets. The ban was lifted after The Game and his Black Wall Street group issued an apology to the radio station. The remix of the single "Hate It or Love It" featured The Game rapping, "I'm rap's MVP/Don't make me remind ya'll what happened in D.C." Jones apparently sued The Game for $280 million over the song and the incident itself, but the suit was thrown out and never came to trial. Prince George's County authorities filed assault and battery charges against The Game.[12]
Other Controversies
Lil' Eazy-E, an up-an-coming rapper who is a son of Eazy-E is also in a feud with The Game. Lil' Eazy-E has responded in numerous disses targeting the rapper. The Game responded by claiming that Lil' Eazy E is trying to establish himself off of the success he had made since releasing The Documentary.
The Game stated on "Don't Need Your Love" his dislike for The Source, and he also recorded a scathing freestyle rap responding to the long-standing feud between Benzino and Eminem taking his labelmate's side. Benzino has replied on the song "Look Into My Eyes" his reply to Eminem's "Like Toy Soldiers". The Source believes that Dr. Dre and 50 Cent encourage the rapper to feud with the magazine.
The Game's hardcore "image" has been refuted by several rappers as his popularity grew. These attacks include questioning a butterfly tattoo on the lower corner of his eye. The Game has said that the butterfly represents "rebirth" and that the butterfly was also the topic of one of the last poems written by his father before his death. However, many fellow rappers view it as effeminate and goes against his gangsta image. Later that year the rapper had changed the tattoo.
The Game has also had a falling out with his manager and half-brother Big Fase 100. What the rapper claims that Big Fase 100 had tried to extort him out of money, and felt that his influence was holding him back. Later Big Fase 100 in interviews attacks The Game's street credibility. Big Fase 100 claimed that "certified [The Game's] gangsta", is fabricated. The manager went on to claim that the supposed gangster life is based on experiences Big Fase had. He claims that selfishness on The Game's part as the main reason of their falling out.
While On Tour
The Game and Snoop Dogg joined the promoted tour "How The West Was One." They made a stop in Seattle, and a supposed fan came onstage and approached Snoop Dogg, setting off a brawl between 12 members of bodyguards. The incident was captured on a home video that appears to show the fan leaning his arm on Snoop Dogg's shoulder during a performance of the song "Gin and Juice." The bodyguards respond by wrestling the man to the floor and repeatedly punching and kicking the fan. Some members of the audience claim that Snoop Dogg invited fans onstage to perform with him, and there are other reports that The Game punched or kicked the fan during the incident. Representatives of the venue have defended the performers' bodyguards, stating that the safety of the performers is always a high priority and that fans are not permitted on stage.
In North Carolina, The Game was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. At one point, police said, his companions were sprayed with pepper spray when they surrounded officers in a threatening manner. The Greensboro police had warned him to not videotape at a mall. It was also believed that the rapper had behaved disruptively and used foul language. The Game was videotaping shoppers and it caused concern for the police. Mall security officers said the rapper was wearing a full-face Halloween mask and cursing loudly, and refused to leave when asked. When police arrived, The Game continued to act up and was arrested, a police statement said. The Game claimed that officers overreacted. A video has been linked over the internet detailing the full event. The Game claims to have been giving a young girl an autograph when he was pepper sprayed by the mall security.
Life After G-Unit
Within the rap community, many of The Game's fans felt that the diss song entitled "300 Bars and Runnin'" was the rebutal that destroyed the credibility of 50 Cent and G-Unit. While it addressing his labelmates, The Game made clear that his attacks are also meant for Memphis Bleek, Benzino, and the Young Gunz. The Game chose to distance himself from addressing Jay-Z and Dr. Dre as well as others on this single. Although it's unclear whether or not the feud is squashed, but as of today The Game still feuds with various G-Unit and Roc-A-Fella artists. The song is considered a first for it being the only song by far to last almost 15 minutes through various instrumentals from many of hip-hop's elite. The fans consider this single a major success to the rapper's career. [13]
The Game planned on releasing a mixtape and DVD titled "Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin'", and is said to be the last of the "beef" between him and G-Unit. On the prequel to "300 Bars and Runnin'" the rapper released the final diss towards G-Unit. The single "120 Bars" and the DVD discloses that the song would be the end of the feud between him and his rivals. The "Stop Snitchin', Stop Lyin'" DVD contains controversial images and is proposed to be an insider's look at what occurred after being dropped from G-Unit including the beginnings of the "G-Unot" movement. It was finally released in January 2006 after a few set backs.
In April 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that The Game is now a resident of Glendale, California after having purchased a home in the Kenneth Village neighborhood.[14]
Trivia
- The nicknames The Game goes by include Chuck Taylor, Hurricane, and Cali Kid.
- The Game's first child is named Harlem Caron Taylor. Baron Davis is his godfather.[15]
- The Game has been chosen to play and has bought a large selection of shares for the Inglewood Cobras, an ABA franchise basketball team. [16]
- The Game's height is 6'4".
- The Game has multiple tattoos on his body including the LA logo which covers the previous tatoo of a butterfly, homage to Eazy-E, N.W.A, The Black Wall Street, and G-Unot due to the feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit.
- The Game is the voice of B-Dup, a character featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
- The Game is said to be still signed to G-Unit while feuding with 50 Cent, however there is talks with legal agreement in leaving the label.
- The Game has partnered with 310 Motoring to create his own shoe called The Huricanes. The name was picked before the 2005 Hurricane Katrina tragedy. The rapper delayed the release of the shoe. Proceeds of the shoe are said to be donated to the victims of Katrina.
- He is of African-American , Spanish , and Indian descent.
Discography
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
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The Documentary
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The Doctor's Advocate
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Mixtapes
- JT the Bigga Figga Presents... Untold Story (2004) (FastLife)
- West Coast Resurrection (2005) (Get Low Records)
- Untold Story, Vol. 2 (2005) (FastLife) #61 US[17]
- Untold Story (Chopped And Screwed) (2005) (FastLife)
- You Know What It Is Vol. 1
- You Know What It Is Vol. 2
- You Know What It Is Vol. 3 - (2005)
- Ghost Unit - (2005)
- Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin - (2005)
- G.A.M.E. - (2006) (FastLife) #151 US[18]
- Welcome To Compton - {2006}
DVD
DVD appearances
- 50 Cent: The New Breed (2003) (segment "In Da Club")
- Beef 3 (2005)
Movies
- Waist Deep - (2006)
- Tournament of Dreams - (2006)[19]
- Millionare Boyz club - (TBA)
Video Games
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, voice of B-Dup - (2004)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/ Hip Hop | US Rap | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 2004 | "Westside Story" (feat. 50 Cent) | #93 | #55 | ?? | ?? | The Documentary |
| 2004 | "How We Do" (feat. 50 Cent) | #4 [Platinum] | #2 | #2 | #5 | The Documentary |
| 2005 | "Hate It or Love It" (feat. 50 Cent) | #2 [Gold][20] | #1 (2 weeks) | #1 (4 weeks) | #4 | The Documentary |
| 2005 | "Dreams" | #32 | #12 | #5 | #8 | The Documentary |
| 2005 | "Put You on the Game" | - | #96 | ?? | #48 | The Documentary |
Featured Tracks
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/ Hip Hop | US Rap | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 2004 | "Certified Gangstas" (Jim Jones feat. Cam'ron & The Game) | - | #80[21] | ?? | - | The Diplomats Presents Jim Jones: On My Way To Church |
| 2005 | "Players Only" (R. Kelly feat. The Game) | #65 | #36 | ?? | #33 | TP-3: Reloaded |
| 2005 | "MJB Da MVP" (Mary J. Blige feat. The Game and 50 Cent) | #75 | #19 | ?? | Not Released | The Breakthrough |