The Game

The Game, whose real name is Jayceon Terrell Taylor, is an American rapper and one of the defining voices of West Coast hip-hop in the 2000s and 2010s — known for his Compton roots, his mentorship under Dr. Dre, and a catalogue that helped reshape the modern landscape of mainstream rap.

The Game was born on November 29, 1979, in Compton, California. Raised in the heart of Los Angeles County in an environment shaped by gang culture and street life, his upbringing has remained the central reference point of his artistry. He has spoken openly throughout his career about the Bloods, the violence he witnessed growing up, and the way music became both a way out and a way to document what he saw.

Beginnings under Dr. Dre: The Game’s career took off in the early 2000s when he caught the attention of Dr. Dre, who signed him to Aftermath Entertainment in 2003 in a joint deal with 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records and Interscope. Dr. Dre personally took on his development, pairing him with the era’s most in-demand producers and writers and positioning him at the centre of the new West Coast wave.

His debut studio album, “The Documentary” (2005), is now considered a modern hip-hop classic. Anchored by the singles “How We Do” and “Hate It or Love It” — both featuring 50 Cent — the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, sold over 5 million copies, and was credited with revitalising West Coast rap at a time when Atlanta and the South dominated the mainstream charts.

In the years following his split from G-Unit, The Game continued to release albums independently and through major label partnerships, including “Doctor’s Advocate” (2006), “LAX” (2008), “The R.E.D. Album” (2011), “Jesus Piece” (2012), “Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf” (2014), and the two-volume “The Documentary 2” (2015) — the latter projects featuring guest appearances from nearly every major rapper of the era, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Future, Kanye West, and Ice Cube.

His later catalogue — “1992” (2016), “Born 2 Rap” (2019), and “Drillmatic — Heart vs. Mind” (2022) — has continued to extend his reach, with the latter pulling in contributions from Kanye West, Cam’ron, Pusha T, Tory Lanez, and many others, and proving that nearly two decades after “The Documentary” he remained a central voice in the genre.

Beyond his discography, The Game founded Black Wall Street Records and built his own label imprint Blood Money Entertainment, championing both his own artistry and a generation of West Coast talent. His sound — built on classic G-Funk references, soulful samples, and dense storytelling — has had a lasting influence on Compton-rooted artists who followed him, including Kendrick Lamar and YG.

In 2025, The Game brought his live show to Paris for a sold-out night at L’Olympia — La Pépite 47 covered the show on the ground, on stage with the artist, capturing the production, the crowd, and one of the most singular West Coast rap voices of the modern era at one of the world’s most iconic venues.