G-Unit member the
Game recently spoke out about the newly developing beef between him and Jay-Z,
which was spurred on by Jay-Z’s freestyle seemingly aimed at the Compton rapper.
While Jay-Z has
slyly denied taking shots at the Game, some believe the semi-retired Brooklyn
MC subliminally targeted Game in his freestyle "Dear Summer" on Funk
Master Flex’s Hot 97 radio show Monday (Feb. 7).
Jay-Z appeared
on the station two days later with Roc-A-Fella artist Memphis Bleek to dismiss
rumors of a conflict.
In his freestyle,
however, Jay made numerous references using the word "game," rapping:
"You saying my name to entertain your crew/I ain’t playing no games, s**t,
the game’s through," and "You playing a game you know you can’t win/Quit
playing them childish games with grown men."
Jay-Z insisted
that the freestyle was simply an ode to summer, since many of his albums have
thrived during that season, according to him.
"That wasn’t
getting at no one," Jay said of the freestyle, audibly amused on-air. "The
rhyme that I said actually was a love letter to summer."
Upon closer examination,
the majority of Jay’s albums were actually released after summer, primarily
between September and December.
Game, appearing
on DJ Skee’s Hype Radio on Sirius Satellite Friday (Feb. 11), said he viewed
Jay’s freestyle differently.
"I studied
Jay-Z along with all the other hip-hop legends, and when I hear the music, I
read between the lines," Game told DJ Skee. "Even though he said it
was a song about summertime, you know, I kinda heard my name one too many times
and I kinda felt offended, like what’d I ever to do Jay?"
Following Jay and
Bleek’s remarks on Hot 97, an audio of Game yelling, "Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella
can suck my d**k" on stage at a performance in Amsterdam began circulating
the Internet.
Game, who is currently
touring with Snoop Dogg in Europe and doesn’t return to the states until February
27, insisted that the "shout-out" was merely to defend against comments
from Jay, Bleek, and Young Gunz made in the midst of his absence.
Game said he declined
to mention Jay’s name at a subsequent show in London because he felt "in
the wrong" for his exclamation the night before.
Jay gets [the audio] and takes offense to it and wants to start this beef or
start this so-called war, then, you know, Im’a use my creativity as a hip-hop
artist and my best judgment to really pan out what it is," said Game. "And
if I think that he’s trying to dismantle my character and my career, then I
will come out, but it’s something that I’m not looking forward to."
Critics say the
disputes began when Game alluded to Maybachs (a luxury car) and button-up shirts
– which Jay is credited for popularizing – in his song "Westside Story."
Again, Game claimed
the remarks were directed at Ja Rule, with whom Game’s label mate 50 cent has
publicly sparred.
"I’ve been
trying to stand firm behind what I believe, and that’s to never disrespect or
come at hip-hop legends, and I figured Jay to be at the top of that," said
Game. "It’s just something I don’t do, something I don’t want to be affiliated
with. I don’t want the Game to be known as someone trying to come at Jay."
Roc-A-Fella’s other
members could not escape the verbal battery.
Though he has since
called the battle defunct, Game outwardly dissed Memphis Bleek last year on
mixtapes. And the beef has apparently simmered to the surface amidst the controversy.
"As far as Memphis Bleek and the Young Gunz, I’ll bury those dudes, man,"
said Game.
"I’m on a
whole other level. And I’m not saying I’m on Hov’s level, but I’m damn sure
not on Bleek and the Young Guns level. I’ll squash them
ni**as, man.
"I don’t want
to beef with Jay. I don’t want to beef with anyone I got respect for,"
Game continued. "But at the same time, respect only goes so far."
