Jayceon Taylor was born on November 29, 1979 in Compton, California. He was born into a life of gang banging and drug dealing. When later interviewed, Taylor, aka The Game, says that at a young age he remembers seeing both of his parents preparing to do drive-bys. His father was a Nutty Block Crip and his mother a Hoover Crippelette. Drugs and guns were everywhere around Taylor as he was growing up. At about the age of 6, Jayceon says a friend of his was murdered in the neighborhood by a teenager, for his clothes and shoes. At age 7, Taylor went into foster care. In foster care he was teased by other children. However, it did not go unnoticed. Game's intelligence was recognized by his guardians and he usually helped his foster brothers and sisters with their homework. Around 1989, The Game met his idol, Eric Wright aka Eazy-E founder of NWA. This was a defining moment in his life. Game's adolescence was one of many difficulties. At 13, one of Game's older brothers, Jevon, who was only 17 at the time, was shot and killed at a gas station. His brother had just received a recording contract. Taylor says he felt his father played a role in this by not being there and felt that if he had, his brother would not have been killed. Jevon died the day after Game visited him in hospital promising that things would get better and that lost time would be made up. Two years later, at age 15, teenage Jayceon was removed from the foster care system and returned to his mother's home. Lynette (Taylor's mom) and Taylor had some problems at first. The father of the Game was not there. Taylor attended Compton High School and most of the gang-affiliated students were Crips. His older brother Big Phase 100, attended Centennial High School and was a Cedar Block Piru Blood. The Game followed in his brother's footsteps. Taylor's natural abilities in track and field led him to become a point guard on the basketball team. He also ran track and played various other sports. The Game graduated in 1999 and received many scholarship offers from various colleges. He chose to go to Washington State University to play basketball. His ticket and his way out were short-lived after he was found with drugs in his possession. Game's scholarship was revoked. Taylor and brother Big Phase had an apartment on the outskirts of Compton in Bellflower.