The Game Tells the Story of His Life Through The Documentary’s Iconic Photos (Video)

The Game has had a celebratory few weeks and as he settles in to the home stretch before his next album drops October 9, fans are being treated to what feels like wonderful news with every passing day. Just this week it was announced that The Documentary 2 will be a double-disc force of Hip-Hop nature comprised of 38 tracks featuring some of today’s biggest heavyweights like Diddy, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Q-Tip, Snoop Dogg, and even Skrillex (among others). Yesterday, he and Skrillex showed off their unexpectedly raw chemistry on “El Chapo,” and today a new video from AllHipHop is providing Game Heads with some insider information about what are now some of Hip-Hop’s most iconic photographs.

The Game sat with Jonathan Mannion, an accomplished photographer who has helped capture imagery for more than 300 albums including the Game’s 2005 debut The Documentary. In a nearly 30-minute retrospective down memory lane, the two share behind-the scenes details about the photos which eventually wound up on the album cover and its booklet and some of the stories are incredibly poignant and also whimsical. For example, did you know the Game refused to grow out his hair for fear that people would see natural curls and dismiss his street cred? The two also share details about shooting the Game’s son who famously appeared alongside his dad in photographs for the album as well as the album’s legacy. Check out the entire conversation here for a collection of anecdotes that can only be told with a decade worth of growth hence.

Here are the iconic shots:

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Related: The Game & Drake Keep It 100 in Compton (Video)