THE GAME

Biography

Jayceon Terrell Taylor's life has been a struggle for survival from day one. Born November 27, 1979, in Compton, California, The Game was raised in a notorious Crips neighborhood known as Santana Blocc. While most people recall their childhood as a time of innocence and exuberance, The Game's memories are mostly tainted with blood.

From an early age he witnessed his parents, both gang members, preparing to do drive-bys and he still recalls neighborhood friends who were murdered for little more than the shoes on their feet. "My childhood was f***ed up," he says, "but it wasn't really that different from anyone else who lived in the 'hood."

the game becomes piru blood gangster

By the age of 7, The Game was removed from his family and placed into foster care, staying there until he was 15 years old. Unfortunately, the situation at home changed little while he was gone. Soon after returning to his family, one of his older brothers was brutally murdered. The death proved devastating for the whole family and caused The Game to form a strong bond with another older brother named Big Fase. A member of the Cedar Block Piru Bloods, Big Fase ultimately introduced The Game into the gang, teaching him the skills he needed to survive on the streets.

In the years to come The Game found some degree of escapism in basketball, a game he excelled at. Already 6'4", he starred on his high school squad along with current NBA All-Star Baron Davis. The Game was even good enough to attract the attention of several college scouts and eventually accepted an offer to attend Washington State on a basketball scholarship.

the game loses two brothers

However, basketball couldn't keep the outside world at bay, and while he played the violence continued to rage all around him. Soon after graduating high school in 1999, another one of his brothers was shot and killed. "People don't know what type of toll that takes on your life," he says. "Especially being young and just fresh out in the world."

The Game tried his best to put the incident behind him and went off to Washington State. Unfortunately, his stay with the team was short-lived when he was found caught with drugs. Kicked off the team and thrown out of school, The Game returned to Compton, where he began a life of gangbanging and thievery.

the game gets shot five times

By 2000, The Game and Big Fase moved to the projects in nearby Bellflower, where they began selling drugs. The move was succesful at first, but ultimately nearly cost The Game his life. On the evening of October 1, 2001, a drug deal went wrong and The Game was shot five times with his own gun. He remained in a coma for two days.

In retrospect, he calls the traumatic event "the biggest learning experience ever in my life. I appreciate that happening to me because I'd probably be dead if it didn't," he explains. Anybody who gets shot and survives feels lucky... Now I could live out my dreams."

With little to do while he recovered, The Game spent much of his time in the hospital listening to music. "I listened to so much music that it started to consume me," he recalls. "I would jot down Jay-Z's rhymes, Snoop Dogg's rhymes, Ice Cube's rhymes, and kind of fix them so that they pertained a little bit more to me. And it went from that to me writing my own rhymes and it actually being my own story."

the game signed to aftermath

Soon after getting out of the hospital, The Game and Big Fase recorded an independently-produced demo, Untold Story, that eventually made its way into the hands of Diddy and Dr. Dre. Both men were impressed with what they heard and Dr. Dre beat Diddy to the punch by signing him to Aftermath Entertainment.

Even now, The Game still admits, "The best moment I've had in rap was walking into his studio in 2002 and Dre saying he heard a mix tape of my freestyles and wanted to sign me. Trying to act cool? I was frozen. I'm still starstruck with Dre."

Over the next two years, Dre showed him the ins and outs of the business and instructed The Game in the art of studio recording. It was at this time that he also chose his moniker. "The Game" was in fact a nickname his late grandmother had given him years before since he was always "game" for any activity.

the game partners with 50 cent

In the summer of 2003, The Game's girlfriend gave birth to his first child, Harlem Caron Taylor. According to The Game, it was a life-changing event. "I've never been so happy," he confides, "I wanted to bring him into the world so much that I was going, 'Come on!'"

After recording a number of mix CDs, Dre eventually chose to partner The Game with 50 Cent and G-Unit. The collaboration worked well with hit singles like "How We Do," and Dre and 50 Cent went on to executive produce The Game's debut album with Aftermath, The Documentary.

the game releases the documentary

Released on January 18, 2005, the album debuted at the top spot on the Billboard charts, thanks in part to singles like "How We Do," "Dreams" and "Hate It Or Love It." Even more impressive, it sold an astounding 586,000 units in its first week alone.

the game & 50 cent have a gun fight

Despite the album's undeniable success, The Game and 50 Cent had a very public falling out over The Game's perceived disloyalty and lack of respect. The feud resulted in The Game being dropped from G-Unit altogether.

Tensions reached a fever pitch on February 28, 2005, when The Game's entourage attempted to confront 50 Cent and G-Unit while they did a radio interview at New York's legendary Hot 97. Before the two groups could come face-to-face, a member of The Game's entourage was shot in the leg.

The Game and 50 Cent finally put an end to their rivalry on March 9, 2005, when they held a press conference. In addition to announcing their truce, the two men also donated $253,500 to the Boys Choir of Harlem and the Compton Unified School District music program.

The Game is currently working on a follow-up to The Documentary entitled The Doctor's Advocate. The album is scheduled for release in April 2006.