The game don't wait, at least that's what Warren G once said. However, The Game says that Hip Hop may have to wait on him to hear more after three largely-publicized, arguably classic albums. The third in the trilogy, L.A.X., is the topic at an early afternoon conversation in a Geffen Records corner office in New York City.

Surrounded by his homeboys from Compton and industry mastermind Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond, The Game discusses Hip Hop in its purest form. Spouting off artists of yesteryear, recounting famous battles and quoting lyrics, The Game might seem like an unlikely lecturer for the university circuit. However, The Game is both a diligent student of Hip Hop and one of its biggest headline drivers. The 27 year-old needs no inquisition to speak about separation from Dr. Dre, a self-proclaimed victory over G-Unit and a sleeping giant perspective on Jay-Z.

Although it seems it's impossible to get The Game to not be controversial, the first Compton rapper since his mentor to further the city's legacy seems to be about bigger issues than feuds, bravado and half-stepping rumors of retirement. Whether his promises are to be believed or not, the rapper who has been one of the few platinum superstars to still serve time, demonstrates his love of Hip Hop history, and use his underdog status to do what EPMD, Too Short, Master P and Jay-Z did before him - threaten to hang it up if we don't wake up. HipHopDX shows you an artist, a dreamer and a victim of circumstance - Game, the man, versus the machine.

HipHopDX: One of my favorite singles of the year is “Game's Pain" [click to view]. I think it might be the first time Kool Herc’s name, or maybe even Red Alert have been mentioned in a mainstream rap single, ever. You even have a line about that with Big Daddy Kane. I know early in your career, critics including myself joked around with your name-dropping. Do you feel at this point in your career that you’re actually educating these kids?
The Game: Yeah, I definitely think that. I think that I’m a big enough artist to be vocal enough for kids. What I did with “Game’s Pain” is, I want new school cats to know where it started, where Hip Hop comes from, who did it before us, and who we should pay homage to – and who we shouldn’t. On the second hand, I want to remind these old school cats and these cats existing in Hip Hop now, let’s not forget; let’s not get too far away from the essence of what true Hip Hop is supposed to be.

So every now and then, I’m gonna name-drop some of my favorite artists of my career. I write the lyrics, I can do whatever I want, and I sell millions of records every time, so it’s obviously not too painful to hear about it. And if you think about it, there’s a lot of people that say, “Game name-drops too much,” but then I listen to everybody else, like every other rapper, and they be doing the same thing, but nobody catches it when they do it. My whole career, man, people have always been trying to find shit to render me helpless, but it don’t work, ‘cause I don’t give a fuck, I just rap how I rap, and you can hate it or love it. You can buy my shit or you can leave it on the shelf. I don’t ever try to over-sell myself, my albums, my records; I don’t a give a fuck if you don’t buy my records, don’t buy my shit – buy the one next to it, like who cares? I make music for me and my fans and the people who appreciate me. All the people who judge, criticize and knit-pick like little bitches and shit, just buy somebody else’s shit, that’s it. You ain’t gonna buy Game; leave my shit on the shelf.

DX: You said “Hate It Or Love It.” That’s the “Juicy” of the new era, in terms of a rags-to-riches story. This is your third album in a very successful career, do you still feel like an underdog?
G: Yeah, I’m still an underdog. ‘Cause you know the whole…success, me bein’ a big rapper, none of that still ain’t hit me. I think for the last five or six years, I’ve just been coastin’. I never got a chance to go Hollywood or act different or be funny or none of that; I’m just enjoyin’ myself, man. That’s what a lot of people don’t understand. Cats come at me. Rappers want beef and say shit; I got the reckless tongue, and I don’t know you, really, I don’t give a fuck about you. I’ve got my homies, my friends, my family, people I care about, so to go rip somebody’s head off on a mixtape song…it’s underground, period. And it ain’t nothin’ to me; I do it all day. Ten out of 10 times, ain’t nobody ‘bout to pick up a gun, drive by my house and do a drive-by; 50 [Cent] [click to read] ain’t comin’ by with no gun sprayin’ at my house; I ain’t goin’ by his house, ‘cause that’d be stupid. For the most part, it’s just a wax war. If you think about it, beef, these days, people just got it misconstrued. Continued on page 2 »