By Tracy F. Harris
A lot should be expected of the newest G-Unit member and Dr. Dre protégé. The Game, a.k.a. Jayceon Taylor, a 24-year-old Compton native, has big shoes to fill.
“The Documentary,” currently number one on the Billboard charts, is a solid revival of West Coast gangsta rap. Taylor has plenty of experience to draw on, though.
Family problems forced Taylor to grow up in foster homes from third grade until high school. After he finally returned home, one of his older brothers was shot and killed. Another brother was a Blood gang member, and Taylor spent too much time with his brother to not become involved. Taylor graduated high school in 1999, the same year his adopted older brother was murdered. Although Taylor was a great point guard in high school who was recruited by several colleges, the death of a second brother was too much for him. He and the brother who was still living were in deep, stealing cars, shooting people, dealing drugs. They were kicked out of their mother’s house and moved to the projects where they dominated the area’s drug trade and acquired some rivals.
Three not-so-friendly neighbors busted into their house on Oct. 1, 2001, guns blazing. Taylor was shot five times; one bullet nicked his heart and nearly killed him. While recovering at home, Taylor began listening to all the old school rap albums he had loved. Writing rhymes became therapy.
His 30-track mix tape was received by Dre in 2002 and Taylor was signed immediately — a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark life.
Taylor hopes to revive the N.W.A.-style West Coast rap. “A lot of rap today is bubblegum bulls–t that says nothing and means nothing to anybody living in the ’hood,” he told http://www.contactmusic.com.
“The Documentary,” released in early January, features 18 tracks of smooth, strong beats and vocals. Taylor raps about a little of everything, from his childhood to gangbangin’ to the birth of his son.
Being part of the G-Unit crew allowed him to get with other notable artists for the album — 50 Cent, Faith Evans, Eminem, Nate Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Busta Rhymes are all featured on the album.
“How we do,” featuring 50 Cent, is sitting at number two on the Hot Rap Tracks Billboard chart. Similar in content to a number of popular club tracks, 50 and Game (a nickname his grandmother gave him for being “game for anything” when he was growing up) rap about girls, rivals and fancy cars.
“I put gold Daytonas on that Cherry Six-Four / White walls so clean it’s like I’m ridin’ on vogues,” Taylor raps.
Not all the tracks fit the stereotypical genre. “Like father, like son,” with Busta Rhymes, documents the day Taylor’s first son, Harlem Caron, was born.
“June 30th, 11:07 I got that call / She eight centimeters, my lil’ man about to fall / Scuffing my Air Forces, running through the hospital hall,” the song begins.
Overall, the rhymes and rhythms make it easy to hear why The Game has already spent four weeks on the charts. The album has gone platinum — and Taylor probably has a few more up his sleeve.
