Hip Hop Wednesday 1-19-05

The future = The Game


In last week's rant I talked about Who is Old School. This week I want to discuss the Future and Giving Props and Name Dropping. Which brings me to Compton's own The Game (aka Jayceon Taylor). In his album titled the Documentary he manages to give props to the likes of the late Eazy-E, (when's the last time you've heard Eazy-E mentioned on a record), Tupac (saw that one coming), and Bigge Smalls (showing love for the east coast).

Compton's own The Game got his name from his grandmother "because he was game for anything" as a kid but when he went to high school things changed.

"But once I got to high school that shit was out. My brothers were gangbangin and I just followed in their footsteps."

In 2001 he was shot seven times and left for dead while in the hospital he reevaluated his life and listened intently to music by N.W.A. and Kool G Rap and to classic hip-hop albums like Biggie Smalls's "Ready to Die," Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt," Snoop's "Doggystyle" and Tupac Shakur's "All Eyez on Me." And he taught himself to rap. Eventually he got on the mixtape circuit and built up an underground following. He was passed over by some of the top record companies in the industry (DefJam, Bad Boy, and The Inc.) Until he was discovered by Dr. Dre and Co. And the rest is history.

From what I've heard in his music and read in interviews about him he seems like he's had a troubled past. "It all started the day that my dad decided to molest my sisters, his own daughters.

His music tells the story of a troubled man trying to make sense of it all. The bottomline is that this album is good; the production is flawless but he does tend to sound like a cross between Kool G. Rap and Shyne from time to time. This shows that the 25 year old man has studied the greats. His delivery is the most clear out of any West Coast rapper to date.

I have to admit that I really didn't like him when I heard about his battles with Joe Budden and other rappers but you cannot deny talent. The Game is for real and his skill is just what the West Coast needs to be put back on the map. He's got a big mouth but he can back it up

Next week: What ever happened to Lauryn Hill?