The Game is doubling back with his second Gangsta Grillz mixtape in as many months — and this one’s an all-star affair.
Just a month after teaming up with DJ Drama for Every Movie Needs a Trailer — his debut entry in Mr. Thanksgiving’s legendary mixtape series — the Compton kingpin has announced via UPROXX that he’s dropping a brand new installment this Friday (January 16).
The project, which will go up against A$AP Rocky‘s long-awaited Don’t Be Dumb, DaBaby‘s Be More Grateful and (possibly) NBA YoungBoy‘s Slime Cry, boasts appearances from Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, Boosie Badazz, Dom Kennedy, Eric Bellinger and Swizz Beatz.
Much like Every Movie Needs a Trailer, this new tape will be produced entirely by Mike & Keys, the West Coast tag-team synonymous with the late, great Nipsey Hussle.
Though further details remain under wraps for now, The Game spoke with UPROXX‘s Elliott Wilson about his recent resurgence.
“Man, where I’m at right now in my life, I just feel like people need more soul. Everybody needs a little more love and a little less hate,” he said of Every Movie Needs a Trailer. “For me, [Mike & Keys’ production] brings me right back to those old Just Blaze, No ID, Kanye beats — back in the day when it was soulful, hard-hitting, but still had that emotional layer.”
He added: “I’m in my mid-40s now. I see Hov, Nas, Preemo, Pharrell, the Clipse — classic cats still doing legendary shit. If they’re still setting the bar, then why shouldn’t I? … I’m chasing timelessness, not trends. That’s what ‘forever’ looks like to me — staying relevant, staying hungry, and staying respected no matter the era or the generation coming up.”
The former Aftermath advocate also addressed the backlash to his silence in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef.
“Why would I? Drake has been solid with me for 15 years. Kendrick is my homie. I helped Dot early. I don’t gotta explain that to internet trolls,” he said. “I’ve lived in L.A. my entire life. Never left. Never ran. I took every fade for this city when nobody else would. That’s authenticity. That’s what I rep.”
As for his absence at Kendrick’s Pop Out concert, The Game explained: “Because it wasn’t about me. I didn’t want to cause distractions. I watched it at home and loved it. It was good for the culture. Dot know what it is with me. Drake know what it is. That’s all that matters.”
