The Game

### Labels

100 Entertainment, virgin, Profilic, Blood Money,E1, Aftermath, DGC, Geffen, G-Unit, Interscope, Get low, The Black Wall Street

### Religion

Christian

Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game, is an American rapper. Born in Compton, California, he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper JT the Bigga Figga. After releasing his debut independent album *Untold Story* in 2004, he was eventually discovered by record producer Dr. Dre and signed to his Aftermath Records label imprint. The Game rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his major-label debut album *The Documentary* and found continued success with the 2006 follow-up *Doctor's Advocate*. The Recording Industry Association of America certified *The Documentary* Double Platinum in March 2005.

A rising artist in the 2000s, the Game was 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. The Game was placed into G-Unit by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. As a result of his disputes with 50 Cent, Game left Aftermath and signed with Geffen, another label under Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M unit, to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit in the summer of 2006. The Game's second major label album *Doctor's Advocate* was released on November 14, 2006, and it became his second album to debut at number one on the U.S. *Billboard* 200 chart. *Doctor's Advocate* did not feature any production from Dr. Dre. Pitchfork Media placed *The Documentary* at number 35 on their list of Top 50 Albums of 2005. The Game was nominated with a total of two nominations, including Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the smash single "Hate It or Love It". *The New York Times* named *Doctor's Advocate* best hip-hop album of 2006.

His next album *LAX* was released in 2008. With his fourth studio album *The R.E.D. Album*, the Game again debuted at number one on the *Billboard* 200. In addition to music, the Game has starred in motion pictures and founded The Black Wall Street Records. In September 2011, the Game started working on his fifth studio album, *Jesus Piece*, which was released on December 11, 2012, his final album released by Interscope. In 2015, the Game released two albums, *The Documentary 2* on October 9, and a week later on October 16, *The Documentary 2.5*. His next album *1992* was released on October 14, 2016, and spawned two official singles. In 2019 he released *Born 2 Rap*, which he announced to be his final studio album; however, it was announced that in 2022 his career would continue with the release of his tenth studio album *Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind* .

### Early Life

The Game was born Jayceon Terrell Taylor on November 29, 1979, in Compton, California, to parents George Taylor and Lynette Baker, who both were members of the Crips street gang. He grew up in a primarily Crip-controlled neighborhood known as Santana Blocc, although Taylor himself grew up to become a member of the Cedar Block Piru Bloods through his brother. In an October 2006 interview with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway, the Game described his family as "dysfunctional". His older half-brother, George Taylor III, a.k.a. the rapper Big Fase 100, was a Cedar Block Piru Bloods leader in West Compton, California.

Taylor and his sibling spent six years in foster care. Taylor attended Compton High School. He went on to attend the community colleges Antelope Valley College, Harbor Community College and Cerritos College each for a time before leaving school.

By the early 2000s, Taylor had become heavily involved in selling drugs and participating in gang activities.