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Hot young West Coat rapper The Game seems to have the music industry in a tight chokehold. Using both hype and talent, The Game can move albums fast, and he has been doing just that since his multi-platinum 2005 debut, The Documentary. Famously, The Game got his big jump working with 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew. In hindsight, it seems like destiny that the two rappers would eventually become involved in an epic ego clash, which is exactly how things played out, with The Game ultimately striking out on his own to forge a solo career. But before Fiddy and platinum records, The Game was Jayceon Taylor of Compton, CA. Jayceon says he got his stage name from his grandmother, because he was always "game" for anything that anyone could suggest. The Game had a troubled home life, and spent his early years in foster care before his mother won full custody. Though he tried to go to Washington State University on a basketball scholarship, street life ultimately got the best of The Game, and he would go on to join the Bloods gang. In 2001, The Game was involved in a drug-related gunfight and was shot five times, leaving him in a coma for three days. While recovering, The Game decided it was time to get out of the drug trade, and he focused on the rap industry as a viable alternative. When questioned about his distinctive butterfly face tattoo, The Game has said that it represents his new life. The entrepreneurial rapper founded his own Black Wall Street Records with the help of his older half-brother, Big Fase 100. The Game's mixtapes quickly caught the attention of industry players, and he ultimately signed with Dr. Dre and Aftermath records. It was there that The Game was paired up with 50 Cent, the idea being that having two rappers with street-tough reputations would create massive buzz for both artists. Even though singles like "How We Do" and "Hate It Or Love It" were huge, The Game's feud with Fiddy ultimately led him to jump to Geffen records for the release of his second album, Doctor's Advocate.

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