The Game

In the organizer's words:

The Game

The Documentary 20th Anniversary Tour

Presented by Live Nation
13.03.2025 Cologne, Carlswerk Victoria
Admission: 19:00 hrs | Start: 20:00 hrs

On January 18, 2005, Dr. Dre's label Aftermath Entertainment released one of the strongest rap debuts of the noughties: "The Documentary" by Jayceon Terrell Taylor aka The Game. To mark the 20th anniversary of the record, the rapper has now announced The Documentary 20th Anniversary Tour, which will take him to Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne in March 2025.
Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne in March 2025.

He doesn't really need the nostalgia creatively, as his current output is also formidable: the record "Paisley Dreams " (2024) with the successful title track of the same name and "Time" from the summer of this year are perfectly rapped, produced and narrated West Coast albums. But special anniversaries need special evenings, which is why new and old fans alike should be delighted that The Game will be bringing these early hits to the stage once again - a "documentary" of his skills, which, unlike many other rappers, have not diminished. Quite the opposite. The Game is more than ever in the game.

On his debut album "The Documentary", the Compton-born rapper pulled out all the stops of West Coast rap in the 17 songs and already had an impressive guest list back then. Eminem and Nate Dog, for example, were at the start as feature guests. Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige enhanced two songs with their voices. Busta Ryhmes also barked a few strong rhymes. 50 Cent, who was in top form at the time and later fell out with The Game, contributed strong parts to three tracks: On the hit "Hate It Or Love It", which is chilled and tough at the same time, on the hard bouncing "How We Do" and on the relentless "Westside Story", in which the two rap about gang life in Compton and L.A..

The Game in particular was able to give a first-hand account. He didn't have to suck a gangster past out of his fingers. For a long time, his young life looked like a classic career as a drug dealer. Growing up in a neighborhood ruled by the Crips gang, Jayceon Terrell Taylor, like his brother, was part of the Cedar Block Piru Bloods gang. In 2001, he was attacked in his home - which also served as his drug stash - and shot five times. Taylor lay in a coma for three days and woke up with the realization that things could not go on like this. Inspired by gangster rap pioneers N.W.A and sponsored by rapper JT The Bigga Figga, Taylor became The Game and took the first steps towards his early milestone "The Documentary".

The Game chose the album title because the 17 songs were just that: a documentary of his life so far. In an MTV interview, the rapper said: "I grew up in a home and was taken away from my parents when I was about 8 years old." The 17 songs represent "17 years of going through my struggle alone. Each track highlights a different situation I've been through in the last 17 years".

In March 2025, German fans will be able to experience these stories live in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Ticket sales start on 12.11.2024

Price information:

plus fees