Early life
Jayceon Taylor was born to an African American mother, Lynette Baker, and his father George Taylor, who is of Spanish and Native American descent, in Los Angeles, California in 1979. He spent the earliest years of his life in the district of La Brea before his family moved to Compton, California when he was four years old.[1] After his older sister accused his father of sexual molestation[7] when Taylor was five, his family was split up and young Taylor lived with a foster family for eight years in Carson, a suburb of Los Angeles (located immediately southwest of Compton). When Taylor was 13 his mother was regranted custody and he was reunited with his family in Compton. He spent his later life living in a primarily Crip gang neighborhood known as Santana Blocc,[8] although the rapper would grow up to become a member of the Bloods.[9] Taylor claims that his mother and father were both affiliated with Crip gangs. After graduating from Compton High School,[10] Taylor had a short stint at Washington State University on a basketball scholarship. However, he was kicked out in his first semester because of drug allegations.[11] It was then that he started fully embracing street life and turning towards selling drugs.[12] At the age of 18 he began to follow his older half brother "Big Fase 100", who was the leader of the Cedar Block Pirus. Taylor was shot five times after a failed drug deal in 2001,[10] receiving bullet wounds to the heart, stomach, and arms. This attack put him in a three day coma and while recovering in the hospital, he decided to pursue a career in the rap industry.
Early career
Studying various influential rap albums, The Game developed a strategy to become a rapper himself, and with help from Big Fase they founded The Black Wall Street Records. The label originally featured such artists as Glasses Malone, Vita, and Nu Jerzey Devil, along with The Game himself. The rapper's stage name was coined by his grandmother, who gave him the nickname because she claimed he was always "Game" for anything. The Game first gained prominence when he attended a hip-hop summit hosted by Russell Simmons and Louis Farrakhan,[13] releasing his first mixtape named You Know What It Is Vol. 1 in 2002, followed by a record deal with the independent label, Get Low Recordz owned by JT the Bigga Figga. Originally Sean Combs of Bad Boy Records was going to sign him to his label,[14] but Game's mixtape found its way into the hands of famed producer Dr. Dre, who proceeded to sign him to Aftermath Entertainment. To capitalize on the growing buzz, The Game continued to release music. In October, 2004 The Game released his first album Untold Story through Get Low Recordz, which managed to sell over 82,000 copies within its first 3 months.[15] The album featured artists like Sean T, Young Noble (of the Outlawz), and JT the Bigga Figga.[16] The Game also appeared on various mixtapes hosted by DJ's such as DJ Kayslay, DJ Whoo Kid, and DJ Clue. The Game also released a second mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 2 through his own record label, and appeared on the video game NBA Live 2004 on a song produced by Fredwreck called "Can't Stop Me".[17]
The Game has one child, a son named Harlem Caron Taylor, who was born on June 30, 2003. Baron Davis, a basketball team mate in high school,[12] and current NBA all-star was named Harlem's godfather.[26] The Los Angeles Times reported that as of 2006 The Game is a resident of Glendale, California after having purchased a home in the Kenneth Village neighborhood. The Game announced that he was engaged to actress/model Valeisha Butterfield, the daughter of U.S. Congressman G. K. Butterfield. The couple were set to marry in March 2007, but the engagement was called off in June 2006.[27] In February 2007, The Game revealed in an interview with Mistah F.A.B. on radio station Wild 94.9 that he was expecting his second child in April, with former substitute teacher Tiffany Webb.[28]
