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Videos: The Game


Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy nominations. Since then, he is considered to be a driving force in bringing back the West Coast hip hop scene into the mainstream and competing with many of his East Coast counterparts.[3][4][5]

Aside from releasing two albums that debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, Game has gained notoriety for involvement in feuds with other rappers. His music falls under the gangsta rap sub genre, a style of hip hop popularized in Compton, California.

Game was born Jayceon Terrell Taylor in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Compton, California[1] in a primarily Crip gang neighborhood known as Santana Blocc,[6] although he grew up to become a member of the Bloods.[7][8] In an October 2006 interview with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway, Game described his family as "dysfunctional" and claimed that his father molested one of his sisters.[9] He graduated from Compton High School in 1999.[10] It was then that he started fully embracing street life and turned towards selling drugs and running with gangs.[11] In 2008, the Tacoma, Washington newspaper The News Tribune reported that Game's claim that he briefly played college basketball at Washington State was fictional.[12] At the age of 18, he began to follow his older half brother, George Taylor III, known as Big Fase 100, who was the leader of the Cedar Block Pirus.
Music career
Beginnings

Studying various influential rap albums, Game developed a strategy to become a rapper himself and with help from Big Fase, they founded The Black Wall Street Records. The label originally featured such artists as Glasses Malone, Vita, and Nu Jerzey Devil, along with Game himself.[13] His stage name was coined by his grandmother.[14] Game first gained prominence when he attended a hip-hop summit hosted by Russell Simmons and Louis Farrakhan,[15] releasing his first mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 1 in 2002, followed by a record deal with the independent label, Get Low Recordz owned by JT the Bigga Figga. Originally Sean Combs of Bad Boy Records was going to sign him to his label,[16] but Game's mixtape found the attention of famed producer Dr. Dre, who signed him to Aftermath Entertainment in 2003.[17] In October 2004, he released his first album Untold Story through Get Low Recordz, which sold over 82,000 copies within its first three months.[18] The album featured artists like Sean T, Young Noble (of the Outlawz), and JT the Bigga Figga.[19] Game also appeared on various mixtapes hosted by DJ's such as DJ Kayslay, DJ Whoo Kid, and DJ Clue. Game also released a second mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 2 through his own record label and appeared on the video game NBA Live 2004 on a song produced by Fredwreck called "Can't Stop Me".[20]

Rapper Joe Budden mocked Game's appearance on the dating game show Change of Heart.[21] Game has consistently defended his appearance on the show. Later, at a party in New York, the rappers mutually announced their intention to stop making hostile records about each other.[22]
Major label debut
With Kool G Rap (left) in New York, November 2004

In 2004 Dr Dre was passed Game's demo CD by D-Mack and had been suitably impressed.[23] According to Aftermath A&R Angelo Sanders in an interview with HitQuarters, when Dre then met him, "[He] saw the swagger in him and thought he could do something with him."[23] Game was signed to Aftermath Entertainment only a week later through a joint deal with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. Although originally signed as an artist, Interscope Records CEO Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre decided to have Game also work with 50 Cent and G-Unit. The arrangement was to help build a growing buzz around Game which would also fuel interest in G-Unit. Since then, he made numerous cameo appearances in music videos by 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and Fabolous, first appearing on the music video of "In da Club", dancing with a girl. His first single "Westside Story" was released in 2004.

The original title of the album was Nigga Wit' An Attitude Volume 1 (as heard 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. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent were executive producers on Game's major label debut album, The Documentary, which spawned the hit singles "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It" (the latter receiving two Grammy nominations).[24] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was the tenth best selling album of 2005 in the United States.[25] It also debuted at number seven in the United Kingdom and sold over five million copies worldwide.[26]

Lil Eazy-E, a young rapper and son of rapper the late Eazy-E, entered a feud with Game. The two used to be close associates and even recorded music together. Lil' Eazy-E has since directed numerous diss songs targeting the rapper and expressed his anger over what he felt was Game misusing his father's name. Game responded by claiming that Lil' Eazy-E was trying to establish himself off the success he had made since releasing The Documentary.[27] Game responded on "120 Bars" where he claimed that Lil' Eazy-E does not write his own lyrics.[28] However, Game states on the same track that he would rather not feud with Lil' Eazy-E due to the deep respect he feels for his father. Lil' Eazy-E later responded with "They Know Me". On October 30, 2006, Game went on KDAY and said that he and Lil' Eazy-E have ended their feud.

Dr. Dre's nemesis Suge Knight had an ongoing feud with Game stemming from when Yukmouth claimed that Game had been slapped by Suge Knight. Game responded on his website, saying that if Suge Knight had ever touched him, he would be "six feet under".[citation needed] 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 tried to steal Game's chain. Game stated on his Black Wall Street website 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.[29] Game vigorously denied involvement in the shooting, but the incident renewed efforts to pacify hip hop feuds and Game has consequently been discouraged from attending certain events in hopes of averting retaliation.[30] Later, Game and various representatives of California's rap cliques formed a West Coast "peace treaty" to end many rivalries between West Coast rappers.[31] Although Suge Knight did not attend, he and Game declared their feud over.[citation needed]
Feud with G-Unit
Main article: G-Unit vs. The Game feud

In early 2005, Game entered a feud (or "beef") with G-Unit. Even before Game's first album was released and their feud became public, there was tension between Game and 50 Cent.[32] Soon after The Documentary's release, 50 Cent felt that the rapper's actions in the strip club and not partnering with 50 Cent to react to Fat Joe and Jadakiss after the New York song written by Ja Rule were wrong and then booted Game out of G-Unit.

50 Cent also claimed that he was not getting his proper credit for the creation of the album and he claimed that he wrote six of the songs, which Game denied. During that dispute, a member of Game's entourage was shot after a confrontation at the Hot 97 studio in New York City.[33] After the situation between them escalated, 50 Cent and Game held a press conference to announce their reconciliation.[34] Fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt to boost the sales of the two albums the pair had just released.[33] Nevertheless, even after the situation had apparently deflated,[35] G-Unit continued to feud with Game, denouncing his street credibility in the media and claimed that without their support, he will not score a hit from his second album. Game responded during a performance at Summer Jam and launched a boycott of G-Unit called "G-Unot".[36]

After the performance at Summer Jam, Game responded with "300 Bars and Runnin'", an extended "diss" aimed at G-Unit as well as members of Roc-A-Fella Records on the mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 3. The track is unique in that it is nearly 14 minutes long, in which Game criticises all members of G-Unit, amongst others. 50 Cent responded through his "Piggy Bank" music video, which features Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll and also parodies other rivals.[37] Since then both groups continued to attack each other. Game released two more mixtapes, Ghost Unit and a mixtape/DVD called Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin.

50 Cent's rebuttal was "Not Rich, Still Lyin'" where he mocks Game.[38] In addition, G-Unit started to respond on numerous mixtapes and then-new G-Unit member Spider Loc began dissing Game. Game responded with "240 Bars (Spider Joke)",[38] a song mainly aimed at Spider Loc, but also addressing Tony Yayo and rap group M.O.P.,[38] and on the song "The Funeral 100 Bars".

In October 2006, Game extended a peace treaty to 50 Cent, which was not immediately replied to.[39] However, a couple days later on Power 106, he stated that the treaty was only offered for one day.[40] On Game's album Doctor's Advocate, he says the feud is over on a few of the songs. The feud seemed to have gained steam after Tony Yayo allegedly slapped the fourteen year old son of Czar Entertainment CEO Jimmy Rosemond. Game responded with "Body Bags" on You Know What It Is Vol. 4.[41] Since Young Buck was dismissed from G-Unit by 50 Cent, there has been interviews from both Game and Young Buck stating they never had a problem with each other. In an interview Young Buck said he was aware of Game's support and that Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo did not reach out to him.[42]
At the 2007 Hip Hop Jam festival in the Czech Republic
Label change and Doctor's Advocate

Due to his disputes with 50 Cent, Game left Aftermath Entertainment and signed with Geffen Records (another label under Universal Music Group's Interscope-Geffen-A&M division) to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit in the summer of 2006. The rapper's second album Doctor's Advocate was released on November 14, 2006. This album was set out by Game to prove that he is able to make good music and be a successful artist without the help of Dr. Dre or 50 Cent. He is also working on getting his own label, The Black Wall Street Records, signed to a distribution label. While Game originally claimed Dr. Dre would still do production on the album in the November issue of XXL magazine,[43] he admitted in September (after the XXL interview was conducted) during an interview on radio station Power 105 that Dr. Dre would not be producing any tracks[44] (although four previously unreleased tracks produced by Dr. Dre were released on the internet, but no reason was given as to why they were not included on the album). The album debuted at number one in the U.S., selling over 358,000 copies its first week.[45]

San Francisco Bay Area rapper Yukmouth, who was also engaged in a feud with G-Unit, first met Game at a nightclub. Game released a diss track aimed at Yukmouth over the beat of "I Got 5 on It", a song which Yukmouth recorded when he was a part of Luniz.[46] Yukmouth responded with a track that mocked Game's appearance on Change of Heart. The two later tried to bury the hatchet due to a personal friend and even recorded a song together named "Peace". However, the beef continued afterward, since Game dissed Yukmouth on "Peace" (they recorded their verses separately).[47]

In May 2007, Game said while filming Beef IV that his third album, LAX, would be his last, explaining that three albums will be enough to have allowed him to "[get his] point across".[48] "Game's Pain" was the album's first single.[49]

The feud between Game and Roc-A-Fella Records grew out of an earlier rivalry with Memphis Bleek over the name of his label (Get Low Records), which was similar to the one Game was previously signed to (Get Low Recordz). On the single "Westside Story", Game raps that "I don't do button-up shirts or drive maybachs", which was perceived as being directed towards Jay-Z, though Game stated it was directed toward Ja Rule. Later Jay-Z performed a freestyle on Funkmaster Flex's radio show on Hot 97 and in it, he repeatedly used the word "game", which some hip-hop fans believed was directed towards Game. Game responded with 'My Bitch" in which the first verse is directed at G-Unit, the second verse is directed at Jay-Z and the third verse at Suge Knight.[50]
LAX

LAX was released on August 22, 2008; Game confirmed that it was his final album. Singles from LAX included "Game's Pain" featuring Keyshia Cole, "My Life" featuring Lil Wayne, "Dope Boys" featuring Travis Barker, and "Camera Phone" featuring Ne-Yo. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.[51]

Former labelmate Bishop Lamont went on the offensive about Game on Hoodhype's satellite radion show in November 2008. For most of the interview, Lamont referred to Game as "Baby Girl," "Sweetheart," and "Star Face." He also said Game was "bipolar" and a "phony ass dude." He went on to say that 50 Cent had saved his career, as Game was going to get dropped until 50 Cent started writing his hooks.[52] Bishop further explained to HipHopDX.com "it's been that way for years," but he did not say anything because of a Dr. Dre-instituted gag order. Things changed when Game allegedly insulted Lamont and Glasses Malone at a Houston club. After challenging him to a fight in the parking lot, Lamont says Game backed down and later invited him and Malone onto the stage. The following day, Game appeared on the radio and insulted the two West Coast rappers.[53]

On February 5, 2009, Game, who 50 Cent has a long-standing "beef" with, called up Seattle's KUBE 93 Radio Station. When asked about the beef between 50 Cent and Rick Ross, Game sided with 50 Cent and said that things are not looking good for Rick Ross. However, he offered to help Rick Ross get out of this situation.[54]
The R.E.D. Album

Although Game had previously stated that LAX would be his last album, sometime after its release he said, "Interscope don't want me to retire; they want me to come back in February with another album, which is so far off my radar it's ridiculous. Now, if you give me like five, ten million dollars or something to do it . . . . I'm the biggest thing in that building now, with the recent demise of G-Unit, and that's just it, man."[55]

It was confirmed in May 2009 that Game began working on a new album, The R.E.D. Album, with Timbaland and Drumma Boy on the album.[56][57] He released the first single from the album, the Pharrell produced "It Must Be Me" on April 14, 2010.[58]

Game released "Better on the Other Side", a Michael Jackson tribute, on June 26, 2009, the day after Jackson's death. It features Diddy, Mario Winans, Chris Brown, Usher & Boys II Men saying that Michael Jackson told him to stop the feud between him and 50 Cent. A couple days later, he apologizes to 50 Cent and Interscope Records and officially ended the feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit.[59]

In July 2009, Jimmy Rosemond had stated that Game will definitely be signed to Interscope for his next album.[60]

Shortly after ending his beef with 50 Cent and G-Unit, Game began to refuel his beef with Jay-Z, taking shots at him repetitively. Game also took shots at Jay-Z's wife, Beyonce Knowles, and he recorded a diss track to Jay-Z with Jaz-O, the man who mentored Jay-Z throughout the beginning stages of Jay-Z's career.[61]

On October 3, 2009, Snoop Dogg posted a picture on Twitter of himself, Dr. Dre and Game in the studio together,[62][63] The picture was taken a day earlier and marks the first time Game has worked with Dr. Dre for some years.[64] Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath Entertainment is one of the labels that operates under Interscope. In early 2010 Game posted a twitpic of him wearing a lot of Aftermath chains with a caption saying "It's funny how things come Full Circle". Which was later confirmed that he had returned to Aftermath.
Other ventures

As a result of his fame, Game ventured into areas outside of rap. He was chosen to play and had bought a large selection of shares for the now defunct Inglewood Cobras, an ABA franchise team.[65] Game also ventured into acting. In 2004, he had a minor role voicing the character "B-Dup", in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He also voiced a character in the video game Def Jam: Icon. In 2006, he made his film debut in Waist Deep as a character named "Big Meat" and is currently filming two more movies.[66] Game has also partnered with 310 Motoring to create his own shoe called The Hurricanes. A portion of the proceeds of the shoe are donated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.[67]

In August 2007, Game and an entourage of 12 including Omarion performed a concert in Luanda, Angola with two dates on August 11 and August 12 at the Atlantico Cinema produced by Casa Blanca company.[68]
Personal life

Game has three children, two sons and a daughter. His first son is named Harlem Caron Taylor and was born on June 30, 2003. Baron Davis, a basketball teammate in high school,[11] and current NBA all-star was named Harlem's godfather.[69] The Los Angeles Times reported that as of 2006, Game is a resident of Glendale, California after purchasing a home in the Kenneth Village neighborhood. Game announced that he was engaged to actress and model Valeisha Butterfield, the daughter of U.S. Congressman G. K. Butterfield. The couple were set to marry in March 2007, but the engagement was called off in June 2006.[70]
Legal issues
Mug shot of Game taken on March 2008.

Game, Snoop Dogg, and Tha Dogg Pound, were sued for assaulting a fan on stage at a May 2005 concert at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington. The accuser, Richard Monroe, Jr., claimed he was beaten by the artists' entourage while mounting the stage.[71] He alleged that he reacted to an "open invite" to come on stage. Before he could, Snoop's bodyguards grabbed him and he was beaten unconscious by crewmembers, including the rapper and producer Soopafly; Snoop and Game were included in the suit for not intervening. The lawsuit focuses on a pecuniary claim of $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.[72] The concerned parties appeared in court in April 2009.

On October 28, 2005, Game was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in Greensboro. At one point, police said his companions were pepper sprayed when they surrounded officers in a threatening manner.[73] Mall security officers said the rapper was wearing a full-face Halloween mask, filming shoppers, cursing loudly, and refused to leave when asked. Game continued to act up and was arrested, a police statement said. Game claimed that officers overreacted and that he did nothing wrong when he was pepper sprayed by the mall security.[73] The five officers involved in the incident ended up suing Game for defamation,[74] which has yet to be taken to court.

On May 11, 2007, Game was arrested at his home reportedly in connection with an incident at a basketball game in South Los Angeles in February 2007. He is alleged to have threatened a person with a gun. The arrest took place after his home was searched for three hours. Game was released early the next day after posting $50,000 bail.[75] On January 9, 2008, a Los Angeles judge scheduled February 4 as the beginning date for Game's trial on assault and weapons charges.[76] After pleading no contest to a felony weapons charge on February 11, Game was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 150 hours of community service, and three years probation.[77]
Discography
Main article: Game discography

Studio albums

* The Documentary (2005)
* Doctor's Advocate (2006)
* LAX (2008)
* The R.E.D. Album (2011)[78]

Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas B-Dup Video game, voice only
2004 Life in a Day: The DVD himself small role
2005 The Documentary DVD himself
2005 Beef 3 himself small role
2006 Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin' DVD himself
2006 Waist Deep Big Meat
2006 Doctor's Advocate DVD himself
2007 Def Jam: Icon himself Video game, voice only
2007 Tournament of Dreams
2007 Beef 4 himself small role
2008 Street Kings Grill
2008 Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club G
2008 Life After the Math himself
2009 House Arrest
Awards

* BET Awards
o 2005: Best New Artist (Nominated)[79]
o 2005, Best Collaboration ("Hate It or Love It") with 50 Cent (Nominated)[79]

* Billboard Music Awards
o 2005: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist (Won)[80]
o 2005: Top Rap Albums (Nominated)[80]

* ECHO Awards, Germany
o 2006: International Hip-Hop/R&B Artist (Nominated)[citation needed]

* Grammy Awards
o 2006: Best Rap Song ("Hate It or Love It") with 50 Cent (Nominated)[24]
o 2006: Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group ("Hate It or Love It") with 50 Cent (Nominated)[24]

* MTV Video Music Awards
o 2005: Best Rap Video ("Hate It or Love It") with 50 Cent (Nominated)[81]

* Ozone Awards
o 2008: Best West Coast Rap Artist (Won)[82]
o 2007: Best West Coast Rap Album ("Doctor's Advocate") (Won)

  



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