Jayceon Terell Taylor (born November 27, 1979 in Los Angeles, California), better known by his stage name The Game, is a multi-platinum American rapper signed to Interscope Records. The Game rose to fame in 2005 following the success of his debut album, The Documentary and his two Grammy nominations. 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 grew up in Compton during his early life and lived primarily in a Crip gang neighborhood known as Santana Blocc. The rapper would grow up to become a member of the Cedar Block Piru Bloods. The rapper's nickname was coined by his grandmother, who said that he was always "Game" for anything. His mother and father were both affiliated with Crip gangs. After his older sister accused his father of sexual molestation[7] his family was split up and The Game lived with a foster family for eight years in Carson, a suburb of Los Angeles, (located immediately southwest of Compton) until he was reunited with his mother when he was 13. The Game had a short stint at Washington State University on a basketball scholarship before being kicked out because of drug allegations. It was then that he started fully embracing street life and turning towards selling drugs. At 18 years of age he began to follow his older half brother "Big Fase 100" who was the leader of the Cedar Block Pirus. The Game was shot five times after a failed drug deal in 2001, receiving bullet wounds to the heart, stomach, and arms. This attack put him in a three day coma and while recovering in the hospital, he decided to pursue a career in the rap industry. Studying various classic rap albums, he developed a strategy to become a rapper himself, and with help from Big Fase they founded The Black Wall Street Records. The Game then released his first mixtape called You Know What It Is Vol. 1 which found its way into the hands of Dr. Dre who eventually signed him to Aftermath Entertainment. To capitlize on the growing buzz, The Game continued to release albums independently through JT the Bigga Figga's label "Get Low Recordz".

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 also 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. Since then he made numerous cameo appearances in music videos by 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and Fabolous. Even at this early stage in his career he was embroiled in rap feuds associated with G-Unit including those with Joe Budden, Ja Rule, and Memphis Bleek. The first single The Game appeared on was "Certified Gangstas" by Jim Jones before his own single "Westside Story" was released in 2004.

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. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent were executive producers on The Game's major label debut album, The Documentary, which spawned the hit singles "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard music charts and was the tenth best selling album of 2005 in the United States. It also debuted at number 7 in the United Kingdom and sold over 5 million copies world wide.

In 2006 The Game had to leave Aftermath Entertainment and sign with Geffen Records, an imprint of Interscope, in order to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit. The rapper has finished working on his sophomore album Doctor's Advocate, which was released November 14, 2006. He is also working on getting his own label, The Black Wall Street Records, signed to a distribution label. While The Game originally claimed Dr. Dre would still do production work on the album in the November issue of XXL magazine, he admitted in September (after the interview was conducted) during an interview on radio station Power 105 that Dr. Dre would not be producing any tracks on the album.So far he has released 2 singles for his new album entitled "It's Okay (One Blood)" and "Let's Ride".

The Game is also venturing into acting. In 2006 he made his film debut in the movie Waist Deep and has been/is filming at least two more. 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.The Game announced that he was engaged to actress/model Valeisha Butterfield, the daughter of U.S. Congressman G. K. Butterfield. The couple were set to marry in March of 2007, but the engagement has since been called off

Controversy
Even before releasing his debut album The Documentary The Game has been involved with feuds with many rappers. The rapper has previously had rivalries with Suge Knight of Death Row Records, Joe Budden, Yukmouth, as well as Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and the Young Gunz of Roc-A-Fella Records. The most prominent rivalry he has is with 50 Cent and G-Unit.

Joe Budden

The origin of the feud with Joe Budden began when 50 Cent criticized Joe Budden's album for "lacking street credibility." Joe Budden took offense and released various insults directed at G-Unit. The Game previously 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. In defense, The Game made several records against Joe Budden, most notoriously the track "Buddens." Joe Budden mocked The Game's appearance on the dating game show "Change of Heart". The 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, but The Game has subsequently suggested in songs and videos that he won the feud. Also in a recent interview with Allhiphop, he was aked about sqashing beef with Budden to which Game replied "he aitn relevant to hip hop so I'm not even gona extend the olive branch


Yukmouth
Yukmouth first met The Game at a club, and at the time Yukmouth was engaged in a feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit. The Game released a diss track aimed at the rapper over the "I Got 5 on It" beat, a song which Yukmouth recorded when he was a part of The Luniz. Yukmouth responded with a track that mocked The 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 The Game dissed Yukmouth on the 'Peace' song (they recorded their verses separately). Since then, Yukmouth responded by releasing a free style music video over Fabolous' "Breathe" single. In the video there is a look-a-like of the rapper getting robbed and beaten up. In the song Yukmouth claimed that The Game had a tongue ring and was slapped by mogul Suge Knight. Since the West Coast Peace Conference both rappers ended the feud.

Death Row
Dr. Dre's old nemesis Suge Knight had an ongoing feud with The Game stemming from when 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. 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. Later The Game and various representatives of California's rap cliques formed a West Coast "peace treaty" to end many rivalries between various West Coast rappers. Although Suge Knight did not attend he and The Game declared their fued over.

Roc-A-Fella Records

The fued between The 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 The Game was previously signed to (Get Low Recordz). On the single "Westside Story," The Game raps that he "don't do button-up shirts or drive maybachs," which was perceived as being directed towards Jay-Z. Later Jay-Z performed a freestyle called "Dear Summer" and in it he repeatedly used the word "game" which many hip-hop fans believed Jay-Z was directing towards The Game. The Game apparently felt that the rapper was trying to discredit him and made several remarks directed at Roc-A-Fella Records.

In an interview with Ed Lover and Monie Love, The Game said the Maybach line on Westside Story was referring to Ja Rule, he also said he has a lot of respect for Jay-Z and would never take shots at a legend. Jay-Z later insisted that "game" references were just about the rap game itself, not the rapper. The Game still addressed Memphis Bleek and Young Gunz on some songs, but the beef between them cooled off. There were rumors that Jay-Z was planning on "declaring war" on The Game and others at a concert. Despite the feud, Jay-Z instead used the opportunity to make peace with many of his rivals.

50 Cent & G-Unit

Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin is a controversial documentary released by The Game in 2006.The Game is currently involved in a feud with G-Unit. Even before The Game's first album was released and their fued became public there was tension between The Game and 50 Cent. Soon after The Documentary's release, 50 Cent felt that the rapper was disloyal for saying he didn't want to participate in G-Unit's feud with other rappers, and even wanting to work with artists with whom G-Unit were feuding, such as Nas and Jadakiss.

50 Cent also claimed that he was not getting his proper credit for the creation of the album, including writing six of the songs. During that dispute, a member of The Game's entourage was shot after a confrontation at the Hot 97 studio in New York City. After the situation between them escalated, 50 Cent and The Game decided to hold a press conference to announce their reconciliation. Many fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt designed to boost the sales of the two albums the pair had just released. Nevertheless, even after the situation had apparently deflated, 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".

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 on the mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 3. Many of The Game's fans felt that the diss song was the pivotal rebuttal that destroyed the credibility of 50 Cent and G-Unit. While it addresses 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 negativly on the song. 50 Cent responded through his "Piggy Bank" music video, which features The Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll and parodies many other rivals.

The Game continued his attacks at G-Unit with a mixtape called Ghost Unit. Then later with a mixtape and DVD entitled Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin', released in January 2006, and was said to be the last of the "beef" between him and G-Unit. 50 Cent's rebuttal was "Not Rich, Still Lyin'. In the song he speaks about Game's fallout with his half brother Big Fase 100. Along with this, G-Unit started to respond on numerous underground mixtapes. G-Unit member Spider Loc, one of the newest member of G-Unit, began dissing The Game soon after. The Game responded with "240 Bars (Spider Joke)", a song mainly aimed at Spider Loc, but also addressing Tony Yayo and rap group M.O.P.

The Game had released images depicting the rap group in many parodies on some of his previous mixtapes. In response, G-Unit published a mixtape cover with the rapper's head on the body of an exotic dancer. on the cover of G-Unit Radio 21. In a response to the mixtape, The Game came out with the track "The Funeral 100 Bars" aimed at the whole G-Unit camp.

In October 2006 The Game extended a peace treaty to 50 Cent, which wasn't replied.However a couple days later on Power 106 he stated that the treaty was only offered for one day. The Game later released a diss song towards G-Unit called "SoundScan", which is mainly aimed at Lloyd Banks' disapointing sales of his second album Rotten Apple.


Other controversies
Lil Eazy-E, a young rapper and son of legendary N.W.A. rapper Eazy-E, was also in a feud with The 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 The Game misusing his father's name. 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 responded on "120 Bars" where he claimed that Lil Eazy-E doesn't write his own lyrics. However, The 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. To which Lil Eazy-E responded with "They Know Me". On October 30, 2006 The Game went on KDAY and said that he and Lil Eazy-E ended the fued between them.

The Game has had a falling out with his manager and half-brother Big Fase 100. The rapper claims that Big Fase 100 had extorted him out of over $1.5 million, and felt that his influence was holding him back. Later in interviews, Big Fase attacks The Game's street credibility, claiming that The Game being a "certified gangsta" is fabricated.The manager went on to claim that the supposed gangster life is based on his own life, and blamed selfishness on The Game's part as the main reason of their falling out.

A confrontation between The Game and Ras Kass took place at Club Element in Los Angeles. The stories are different from each party, but what is known is that The Game approached Rass Kass over a song that Ras Kass made regarding The Game's son and asked him to take back what he said, but he refused. The Game's entourage claimed that The Game punched and knocked out Rass Kass. The story from Ras Kass's representatives was that he walked away and got hit by a bottle in the head and then The Game's crew jumped him, but he escaped with just a black eye.


While on tour
On October 28, 2005 After making appearances with Akon, of Konvict Records nationwide, The Game was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in North Carolina. 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 leaked 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. The Game put footage of the incident on his "Stop Snitchin' Stop Lyin'" DVD. The 5 officers involved in the incident ended up suing The Game, which has yet to be taken to court.

Trivia

The Game voices the character B-Dup on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.The Game has one child, a son named Harlem Caron Taylor. Baron Davis is Harlem's godfather.[39]
The Game's standing height is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m).
The Game was chosen to play and has bought a large selection of shares for the now defunct Inglewood Cobras, an ABA franchise team.[40]
The Game has multiple tattoos on his body including homages to Eazy-E and N.W.A, the logo of The Black Wall Street, a portrait of 2Pac as an angel and G-Unot due to his feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit, as well as the Dodgers' "LA" logo tattoo below his right eye, covering a previous tattoo of a butterfly.[41]
The Game is the voice of B-Dup, a character featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[42]
The Game has 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 Katrina.
He is of African American, Spanish, and Native American descent.
The Game won the 2006 ASCAP Pop Music Awards honoring the most performed songs in the ASCAP repertory for the 2005 survey year. The Game won for "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It".[43]
The Game has been punked by Ashton Kutcher on the show Punk'd.
It has been reported that WWE plans on suing The Game over the rights to his name, which is a nickname for wrestler Triple H.[44]