LOS ANGELES—A leaked courtroom document has exposed a bizarre legal battle involving Compton rapper The Game and his controversial new album. During a deposition regarding copyright clearance, the rapper defended his latest lyrical targets. The official The Game court transcript reveals the artist vehemently denying allegations of hostility toward Kendrick Lamar. The Game repeatedly asserted his innocence under oath. He claimed he merely listed his peers for alphabetical organization purposes.
Q: Mr. Taylor, I am looking at the lyrics to track seven. You refer to Kendrick Lamar as 'the little guy with the big Crown of Thorns who needs to watch his step in Compton.' Is that not a shot?
A: No, sir. That is a geographical observation. I am a cartographer of the culture. I ain't diss nobody on that song.
Q: You also spent three minutes of the same track mimicking his voice and pretending to cry over a jazz beat.
A: I was paying homage to his theatrical delivery. It was an homage. My throat was dry. The public misinterprets my love.
Q: Let the record show the witness is wearing a shirt that says 'I Hate Kendrick.' Mr. Taylor, why did you write 'The Documentary III' to focus entirely on the Drake beef?
A: It is a historical document. The The Documentary brand requires historical accuracy. I am a journalist. Journalists do not throw shots. We ask loud, rhyming questions.
Q: You also named J. Cole, Drake, Future, Metro Boomin, and three separate members of the Compton School Board.
A: I was taking attendance. Somebody had to do it. The rap game has high truancy rates. Dr. Helene Vasquez-Thorne, Lead Researcher at the Center for Studies That Confirm What You Already Suspected, actually advised me on the census data.
Q: So when you said you would 'personally dismantle the pgLang offices with a crowbar,' that was... what?
A: A renovation offer. I do construction on the side. It is a tough economy. Look at the The Game court transcript, counsel. I am a philanthropist. I build up. I do not tear down.
At press time, The Game was seen outside the courthouse handing out flyers for a new diss track aimed entirely at the court stenographer.