The Game‘s invitation to the unforgettable Ken & Friends: The Pop Out has been a trending topic for weeks. In a recent interview with Vlad TV, Wack 100, Game’s manager, discussed The Documentary creator’s absence.
Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth celebration brought together Los Angeles hip-hop stars, including Dom Kennedy, Roddy Richh, Dr. Dre, and Ty Dolla $ign for a one-night-only concert. Kendrick made history with the event being the most-watched content on Prime Video and performed “Not Like Us” six times.
Referencing other missed L.A. legends, such as Snoop Dogg, Wack 100 clarifies The Game’s absence by explaining the importance of the moment for Los Angeles’ rising stars. According to the manager, trolls on social media haven’t considered the concert’s strict schedule.
Wack 100 told Vlad: “We had a eight o’clock curfew. Snoop wasn’t there as well. If Game shows up,and he takes 15 or 20 minutes of the stage time. Snoop shows up and takes 15 or 20 minutes of the stage time. Those 30 or 40 minutes, do the add to Snoop or Game or does it take away from some up-and-coming underground artist … If Game thought there was a need for him to be there, he would have been there.”
In response to social media commentary, The Game discussed his whereabouts during the concert on Instagram Live last month. He cleared up suspicion about issues with Kendrick Lamar or Top Dawg Entertainment, addressed his friendship with Drake, and addressed his contributions to the West Coast.
“What he did last night, that shit was amazing for the West Coast,” said Game. “I sat back and I watched it, n***a. I ain’t have to be there to think that the shit was motherfucking cool to major. That’s cool, n***a. I think it’s a dub for the coast. I think that what K.Dot did for a lot of West Coast n***s last night was hard as fuck, n***a. I think it was hard. I think it was dope of him and big-hearted of him to do that shit for n***s.”
He added: “Ain’t going to try to strike Chuck Taylor, nigga, and saying I ain’t do what I did, n***a,” he said. “I looked out for everybody on the coast. Ask Glasses Malone, nigga. Ask anybody that you can ask, nigga. You go ask Big Boy, DJ Head, Fuzzy, anybody about motherfucking Game, Chuck Taylor on the West Coast, I ain’t did nothing but look out for niggas. It’s all I did, nigga, put on for my city. I took Compton around the world, nigga, and I did this shit for years, nigga. I did this shit for years on my own, nigga.”
After The Pop Out, “Not Like Us” returned to number one on the Billboard charts. The song’s live version has also been added to radio rotation and the music video has surpassed 60 million views on YouTube. A fan-made video game for the hit song was released over the weekend.