The Game
Before Jayceon Terrell
Taylor burst onto the rap scene in 2005 with his debut album, ‘The Documentary’,
West Coast hip hop had been largely eclipsed by artists from the East of
America. Despite being the birthplace of gangsta rap, and producing such acts
as Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Ice T and N.W.A., output from the West Coast had
fallen in quantity and quality in recent times, while a number of artists from
the East Coast and New York
in particular had come to prominence. However, lead by the success of Taylor, better known as
Game, perhaps it is time for West Coast hip hop to rise once again.
Taylor was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the Crip-patrolled neighboured of Compton known as Santana Bloc. It was here that Taylor learned the ways of the street, eventually joining the rival Bloods gang and selling drugs after graduating from high school in 1999. However, this world was not for Taylor, who was desperate to escape the poverty of street life. After years of listening to the most influential rap musicians of past and present, Game and his older half-brother, George ‘Big Fase 100’ Taylor III, started their own record label, The Black Wall Street Records in 2004. This gave Game a platform to write and produce his music, although it was wasn’t until he was signed to Aftermath Entertainment by the legendary Dr Dre that Game really began to make his mark on the scene.
Under the tutelage of Dre, Game worked with 50 Cent and G-Unit, eventually releasing his first single, ‘Westside Story’, in 2004. After cameo appearances on tracks by other artists, Game then finished recording his major label debut album in 2005. ‘The Documentary’ smashed into the Billboard 200 album chart at number one, and sold over 5 million copies across the world. However, despite previous alliances, there had been tension brewing between 50 Cent and Game. Claiming that he had not been credited for writing six of the songs on ‘The Documentary’, and also angered that Game had not supported him during his own feud with Ja Rule, Fat Joe and Jadakiss, 50 Cent kicked Game out of G-Unit. This feud continued for a number of years, with tit for tat retaliations coming from both sides. However, although the conflict was never formally reconciled, it seems that hostilities have now ended between the two rappers.
After the problems with 50 Cent, Game left Aftermath Entertainment and signed up with Geffen Records, who released his 2006 album ‘Doctor’s Advocate’, and his 2008 follow-up, ‘Lax’, which Game claimed was his last album. This proved not to be the case! Switching to Interscope records after the record’s release, Game is currently working on ‘The R.E.D. Album’, which is due for release in 2010. As Aftermath is owned by Interscope, it would appear that Game has come full circle. Maybe he has finally settled at last?
