The idea of mass incarceration over marijuana charges infuriates The Game. Which is why he openly campaigned for Prop 64 ahead of its successful passing on November 8. The Golden State — already renown for its loose legislation when it comes to the ganja (namely medicinal) — had been fighting for a proper law for some time now. All that came to pass, rather quietly, in the wake of President-elect Trump’s upset over Hillary Clinton, when Prop 64 became a thing of reality.
While California hasn’t voted for a Republican president since the first George Bush was elected, openly campaigning for something that many deem trivial like weed seems less trivial when taking into account the proposed “millions of dollars in taxes and fees” by the Bureau of Marijuana Control.
On Election Day Eve, the Californians for Responsible Marijuana Reform took over Hollywood’s famed Fonda Theater for a Roll Up the Vote concert, featuring Game, Audio Push, Dreamville’s Bas and more. When asked to scale back his thought process to his 1992 days (the name and year circulating around his latest album), the Compton native broke out a laugh and gave a reason.
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“I think marijuana’s legalization right now is the best time,” Game admits. “I don’t think it should have been legal back in the day. I just think that life in general would have a different … nigga there wouldn’t be no Chronic album, I’m out!”
Also released in 1992, Dr. Dre’s debut album could be considered as the Godfather of modern Hip Hop for its innovative use of samples — and the subsequent impact it had on the genre. The album art also featured accents of marijuana leaves, thus forever immortalizing the bond between rap and weed.
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“Almost lost my life when Dre dropped The Chronic” — Game rapped on his first album, 2005’s The Documentary.
The Game recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of his second studio album, Doctors Advocate, which he told DX was his best album back in November 2015.
“It’s my most West Coast album, which is crazy,” Game recalled. “The beats are so melodic from everyone from Denaun Porter to DJ Khalil to everyone who participated on the album. Even Nas’ ‘I’m pro-black, I don’t pick cotton out of Aspirin bottles’ [from ‘Why You Hate The Game’]. Just sitting there in Sony Studios way in the back. Nobody knew I was in there except a few people. Sitting in the back with Nas for eight hours and they’re drinking merlot and watching New York Giants games and just him writing his verse so eloquently in private over in a corner and me I’m sitting back on BlackPlanet looking for some pussy — that to me is big. When I met Nas I was walking outside of Houston’s in New York. For a Hip Hop legend to be like, ‘Yo son, you Game?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m Game.’ He was like, ‘I heard all your [DJ Whoo Kid] mixtapes you’re really doing your thing, son. I’m Nas. Here go my number. Call me if you need me.’ This was after The Documentary dropped so of course when I’m in New York working on The Doctor’s Advocate, ‘call me if you need me’ sounds legit.”
