The Game (Common song)

"The Game"
Single by Common featuring DJ Premier
from the album Finding Forever
Released	May 22, 2007
Format	Digital download
Genre	Hip hop
Length	3:37
Label	GOOD Music, Geffen
Writer(s)	Lonnie Lynn Kanye West Soul Ekos
Producer(s)	Kanye West
Common singles chronology
"The People" (2007) "The Game" (2007) "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now" (2007)

"The Game" is the first single from rapper Common's 2007 album Finding Forever. It was released to iTunes as a digital download on May 22, 2007. It is produced by Kanye West, who samples "Tezeta" by Ethiopian jazz musician Seyfu Yohannes for the track's beat. It utilizes O.C.'s "Half Good, Half Sinner" to construct one of his signature choruses, which is scratched by DJ Premier. With its hard hitting steel drums, the beat is considered to be a throwback to 90's boom bap hip hop.^[1]

Music video

A black-and-white music video was shot for "The Game." It features Common freestyle rapping in front of a mirror and rapping normally in a murky tunnel. The video appeared at number 86 on BET's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2007 countdown.

Personnel

• Produced by Kanye West
• Recorded by Andrew Dawson at Sony Studios
• Scratches by DJ Premier, recorded at D&D Studios
• Mixed by Mike Dean at Encore Studios, Burbank, CA

Recorded at Avex Studios, Honolulu

References

See also

• List of Common songs