2 new Game Interviews: VIBE & LA Times - Talks DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, Wayne on RED

[--Vance--]

First of all I think Game showed us all he still got it. Since he put out that much trash the past two years, he definately had to prove something with the P&P + Hangover.

I love almost every track, especially "Lost" (GREAT DRE BEAT!!), "I'm Home" or "Violin" on that new "Hangover" tape.

I'm just not sure if Game can really live up the hype for RED. I mean how the fuck can someone throw great Dre beats on a mixtape? Hopefully he'll drop it until summer!

And what I really don't understand is why Pharrell gave Game his weakest beats!!! "In my 64", "Ain't no doubt about it" are awful. Only decent one was "It must be me", but also nothing special.



Here are the two interviews:



Great tape! The tracks "violin", "I'm home" and "lost" are pure heat. I really don't know how game can throw them on a mixtape and not to save them them for his RED album. Hopefully he can really bring tracks that are atleast as good as on P&P for his album.

Cannot wait to hear the "Premo" tracks. BTW here are 2 new Interviews he did:

Game talks 'Purp & Patron' and 'The Hangover'
Comments (2)
January 31, 2011 | 12:41 pm

J7rj34nc Last week, Game gave away "Purp & Patron," his third mixtape in the last nine months. Today he's offering "The Hangover," comprised of tracks that didn't make the cut of its 29-song predecessor. Presumably, Jayceon Taylor is massively inspired by the editing decisions employed in Olivier Assayas'  Carlos the Jackal biopic -- after all, Ilich Sanchez may be the last remaining person who hasn't yet collaborated with the Compton rapper.

The Interscope-signed rapper has claimed in interviews that the tape has been downloaded more than a million times in just one week. Ernst & Young has yet to confirm. At the very least, it's recommended that you at least download Hip Hop Is Read's "Purp & Patron Single Shot," a fine distillation of the sprawling tape's best moments.

In the interest of promoting his new tape and dispelling rumors surrounding his much-delayed "R.E.D." album, Game spoke with Pop & Hiss.

How do you think this mixtape stacks up and stands out compared to the other ones you've released over the last nine months?

I think that this is the best mixtape I've ever put out. Period. It's all positive, no beef, lots of guest appearances from my friends on and off the mike. And even Funkmaster Flex came in and did drops. Everyone's on there.

So what's the deal with "The Hangover" tape? Were these all songs initially intended for "R.E.D.?"

There were songs that didn't make the cut of "Purp & Patron." There were just too many songs and the decision to make it two CDs came at the last minute. We had a conversation about it on Friday and then the changes were made a few hours later and it was released.

What's the status of "R.E.D."? You've been saying in interviews this week that the Interscope brass have given you a green light to pick a date.

Jimmy Iovine is real confident in me and my project. From what they've heard of the new record and the mixtape, the company told me that they're ready to get behind the project. But from my side, it's important to make all the right moves in order to get 100% out of the label -- what I need. I'm trying to make sure that everyone's all systems go, and we're about to gear up to drop the singles.

So, is it a matter of waiting for a single to break onto radio playlists?

It's definitely hard to get a single in the format of the 10 songs in rotation on pop culture, but I'm not worried about that. The radio doesn't necessarily dictate album sales. When I get a song that's big enough and it goes, it will be amazing. But I'm not stressing about getting that massive hit single. I haven't had a No. 1 record since "Hate It or Love It." But I do have the songs -- I have the crossover records and I have the street records. There's no way I can fail.

So what are you waiting on, exactly?

Actually, now what I’m doing is sequencing. I'm trying to get that one full sound from start to finish, and after that we’re good. The singles are in place.

And the finished record is still going to have beats from Dr. Dre, Pharrell and DJ Premier?

Yup. Pharrell's still executive-producing it too, and I'm trying to get a beat from Kanye to finish it out.

You've worked with a lot of producers over the years. Does rhyming over a DJ Premier beat put you in a different headspace when you're writing?

It’s funny you said that. You have to be a real hip-hop head to ask that question. As soon as I got that Premier beat, I knew that I had to rap different to it. I knew that I had to dig into it, and I think the song came out different than anything I've done before.

How does that differ from your writing process when you get a beat from Dre?

When you do a song with Dre, it's whatever Dre wants the writing process to be. You really don’t have a choice in the matter, and you realize it's best to just follow his example.

I'm sure you can't say anything, but journalistic duty requires me to ask a question about "Detox." Any new news on that front?

I've learned to stay away from talking about Dre’s album. It's his album and he'll  let the cat out the bag when he wants. I can see that it's definitely coming out, though, and it's going to feature some of the heaviest artists to ever do it.

How did you end up getting on a track with Lil Boosie? Are you a big fan of his stuff?

Oh man, Lil Boosie is a good friend of mine and has been for a very long time -- since the days when he was younger and rapping with C-Loc. I'd always meet him when I was going back and forth throughout the South doing things that I shouldn’t be doing. I was lucky enough to get him to a record a verse before he went to jail.

You're known for being heavily influenced by West Coast artists. Were you pretty influenced by Southern rappers too?

I grew up on N.W.A, Compton's Most Wanted and DJ Quik -- that’s what I'm used to hearing, but my hip-hop mind ventured into the South early on. I listened to Big Mike tapes, Geto Boys, C-Loc, Lil Boosie, Max Minelli. I've always been into the trap.

The RZA sued you this week for using "Heartbreaker" on "Purp & Patron." What happened?

RZA came to the studio and said, "I have this beat for you, it's yours." So I got on the track and he put out a cease and desist. There's no love lost. I have nothing but love for RZA. It had to do with sample clearances that neither of us had control of.

So, last word -- you want to make a prediction about the release date for "R.E.D.," or is it just safest to say summer?

I'll say summertime. I won't put my fans through any more actual dates that fall through. But it's coming soon. A lot of people say that "Documentary" is my best album, and people always have a tendency to say that with all the big artists. Most people usually say that the best Kanye or Jay-Z or Dre album is the first one. Personally, for me, it's "Doctor's Advocate." I did that on my own, no 50, no Dre, just me being raw and honest. But being a realist, none of those albums touches the "R.E.D." album. Everyone I play it for is like, "Wow." No one else is dropping albums of this caliber."



VIBE INTERVIEW


Double CDs may be a thing of the past, but last Wednesday (Jan. 26th), Compton rapper Game took us back in hip-hop time when he dropped the 29-track, double disc mixtape, Purp & Patron. With guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Fabolous, KRS-One and more, the LA menace once again turned the blogs red. Game has provided more than enough music to help fans remain patient until he releases his oft-delayed fourth album, The R.E.D. Album. Twenty-four hours after the mixtape’s release, VIBE wrestled the rapper onto a mobile phone to talk recording with Wiz Khalifa and Weezy, The R.E.D. Album’s delay, the Laker’s lackluster season, and face tattoos.—Mikey Fresh


VIBE: Purp & Patron is getting a lot of love online, but did you have any second thoughts about releasing a double mixtape?

Game: I had no idea that it was going to kick off with the reception that it’s gotten—the same way I had no idea that The Documentary would be a classic or that hip-hop would even take me this far. But I had no doubts, even though muthafuckas don’t even want to hear a person on three songs in a row anymore, let alone a double mixtape. I got a lot of hip-hop friendships, so I knew I could keep the people’s attention. Purp & Patron was just an idea that me and Skee came up with, and when we posted the picture online, Flex called me up and said he had to be a part of the tape. We didn’t have any real promotion or help from the label.

This also feels like one of your first releases without a major beef.

It feels good to put out a tape and not have one beef song on it. I can’t even call it rare because it never happens. That’s just not Game-like, so I think it lets everybody know where my mind state is right now. I’m just chillen’. The only thing I’m concerned with is finishing the The R.E.D. Album, which is going to be nothing less than fuckin’ incredible.

You have a big record with hip-hop’s current MVP, Wiz Khalifa, how did you guys connect?

I was just a fan, man. Me and Wiz smoked for probably four hours straight before we recorded anything. He resembles a young Snoop, and I never got to record with a young Snoop [Laughs]. I only got to record with legendary Snoop, that’s the big homie, so it was a no-brainer. Hip-hop always comes 360 degrees. The new generation will always remind you of the pioneers, and it’s a love thing. Just like B.o.B. is to Outkast. We actually did 2 others songs in our session. He’s got another track for his album, and I got one for mine.

Technically, you’re the originator of Taylor Gang [laughs].

I was yelling out Taylor Gang way before the young homie. [Laughs] So people expected me to try and come at him, based off my history and my nature, but it ain’t even about that. I respect Wiz and his artistry. That’s dude’s brand name. It just so happens my last name is Taylor and one of my dead brother’s name is Charles, so I put it together like that before.

Was Wiz in the studio with you when you recorded “I’m The King”, it definitely has his musical feel to it.

Nah, I was in there with my boy Mars from 1500 and the beat was just so bouncy—that’s how my vibe came out. It really sounds LA to me.

When did you record “Su Woo” with Weezy?

We did that right before he went in. Wayne always looks out for me on anything. I’ve been talking to him damn near everyday, he’s actually in LA right now. He’ll see him on the The R.E.D. Album, and you better believe anybody that fucks with Wayne got major problems with me.

Was there anybody that you wanted on the mixtape but couldn’t get?

I really wanted J. Cole on the mixtape. As an artist I can say that I really respect his craft. The music that he makes is stuff that I can get into. In my opinion, he’s one of the next rappers to look out for. We’d have to call it “Cole Game” [Laughs].

I noticed you referenced that you would talk with 50 again, but I can never tell if you’re truly serious about it.

It’s possible for me. I’m an opportunist, and I got a family. I ain’t the one to hold grudges, but 50’s got an ego…I ain’t mad at nobody right now, so maybe one day we’ll be able to put it to bed or maybe we won’t. One thing for sure is that he’s rich as fuck and will do fine without me—and I’m paper-ed up so it never happens—I’ll be cool. The door’s cracked open, it’s not a closed door.

As your mixtape was dropping 50 was all over New York radio saying he shut down Worldstarhiphop.com, did you catch wind of this?

I caught it, man. But I ain’t really got no comment on that. I was just like ‘where the fuck did WSHH go?’ Then it went back up, but 50 is like that. He definitely got enough power to shut some shit down, even if it’s only for a half a day.

Moving back to music, by now we’re all familiar with Nipsey Hussle, Jay Rock, Kendrick, etc, but there’s an even younger and newer movement of rappers emerging from the West. Have you heard of Lil B and Odd Future?

Lil B is on my radar and Odd Future is managed by my dude Chris, who I just made a part of my management team as well. Dom Kennedy is putting in work out here, too. My favorite might be a kid named Famous Fresh. He might have the most crafty style out of all the new cats.

So when are we finally going to get The R.E.D. Album?

Before the world ends [laughs], that’s supposed to be 2012. Nah, man nothing is changing, Pharrell is still executive producing the album. There’s a lot more people on The R.E.D. Album that weren’t on the tape, my fans is going to go nuts. It’s not to be confused with a street album or mixtape, everybody from Dr. Dre, Drake, Wiz, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Kanye, Swizz, Cool & Dre, and the list goes on.

As long as it doesn’t turn into a Detox situation I think we can wait a little while longer.

If I made muthafuckas wait ten years for The R.E.D. Album, that shit would probably sell one copy, I ain’t going to lie. I don’t think I got that long. Everybody can’t be Dre. He going to do his numbers, and I ain’t taking a page out of his book. He might be the only one that could pull that off. There’s timing and label politics involved, it aint like you just press CDs and put them out, but my fans will be happy with the end product.

I have to ask, who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl?

Green Bay all the way. Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow [laughs], they cant lose.

You seem pretty confident, but what’s up with the Lakers?

I think that the Lakers should just stop playing regular season games and just wait until the playoffs to beat the shit out of whoever is there. It doesn’t matter what happens in the regular season. All we got to do is make the top 8 and we’ll blow away whoever comes to the championship. They always want to shit on Kobe, but we always take the trophy home.

I don’t know man, Amare and the Knicks are looking tough this year.

Yea, it took yall forty years to finally get right. The Knicks ain’t been shit since Patrick Ewing knees went bad [laughs].

We'll see during playoffs, man. One last thing, you’re no stranger to getting ink on your face. I was wondering if you had a chance to check out Gucci Mane’s new ice cream cone face tatoo.

I seen Gucci’s new face tat and as soon I did, I thought ‘finally they can get off me about his butterfly/star/LA shit.’ That’s what I thought. But you know what man, I don’t give a fuck about what they say about anybody, a muthafucka could tattoo a butterfly, ice cream cone, apple pie on their cheek. Bottom-line, if you know Gucci, you know he’s real. He been on trial for his life and all of that. He bodied people. So he could tattoo a fuckin’ tampon on his face for all I care. You can’t say he’s buster or whatever. And me I done been shot, stole shit, robbed people, everyth-fuckin’-thing you can think of. Tattoos don’t mean shit, they ain’t nothing but good art.

[doggfather]

thank's for this!