A week ago, The Game's Born 2 Rap press run brought him face to face with Talib Kweli on The People's Party, where a lengthy and interesting conversation transpired. Today, we've gleaned a new tidbit from the interview, one that highlights Game's perspective on hip-hop's most formidable lyricists. And while there are some who are undeniably nice with the bars, it's that fearsome competitive edge that truly sets an elite challenger apart from a great one. For Game, the benchmark was originally set by Eminem, who developed a reputation for destroying anybody who dared speak ill of him.
Kendrick Lamar">Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
"I would love to go to lyrical warfare with some of the emcees I admire," reflects Game, speaking on his Born 2 Rap track "The Light." "Cole and Kendrick is like Jay-Z and Nas, but Kendrick is from here. I feel like if Cole and Kendrick do an album it's accepted as if them n***as is a group." He proceeds to explain how Kendrick's "Control" went on to "piss a lot of people off," while still driving the point of his dominance home in an undeniable fashion. “Don’t challenge that kid," he claims, around the twenty-three-minute mark. "I did it cause I know that Kendrick would hear his name and be like ‘big brother.’ The same with Cole. Kendrick is not to be challenged. I used to feel that way about Eminem in my early years. But in my mind, Kendrick has taken that."
In some ways, Kendrick feels even scarier than Em, in that few have ever pushed him to the point of lyrical retaliation. The few times Kendrick has felt compelled to mean-mug the game, it was a scary sight indeed. The idea of him engaging in a full-fledged rap beef is damn near-apocalyptic. Who would win in a three-way battle between The Game, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar?