Throwback Video of the Day: The Game ft. 50 Cent – "Hate It or Love It"
The West Coast meets Queens as The Game and 50 Cent turn pain into pride on their Grammy-nominated anthem.
Nearly six years since The Game and 50 Cent dropped “Hate It or Love It,” the record still hits like a time capsule. In a decade of beefs, mixtapes, and mainstream dominance, this song stands out not just for its success, but for its soul. It’s the moment two heavyweights — one from Compton, one from Queens — shared their origins. Additionally, found common ground in the same pain that made them legends.
The single, officially released in early 2005 as part of The Documentary, became The Game’s signature record. It hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, held back only by 50 Cent’s own “Candy Shop.” The irony wasn’t lost on fans: two collaborators competing for the top, both carrying the same label, the same mentor, and the same hunger.
By the time the song hit urban and pop radio, The Game’s place in hip-hop was solidified — and “Hate It or Love It” was the victory lap for an artist who came from nothing.
From Compton to Connecticut: The Making of a Classic
The story behind the song starts far from the cameras and lights. In early 2004, while recording The Documentary, The Game stayed in New York and made the trip to 50 Cent’s mansion in Connecticut. There, he and 50 went through beats together — one of them from Miami production duo Cool & Dre. At first, The Game wasn’t convinced. “I wanted something harder,” he later admitted. But on a second listen, he caught the feeling: it was smooth, soulful, and nostalgic — the perfect beat for reflection.
The sample, “Rubber Band” by The Trammps, gave the track a warm backbone, while Dr. Dre later refined the production, smoothing the transitions and adding his trademark polish. Cool & Dre brought the heart; Dre brought the clarity. Even Jimmy Iovine reportedly couldn’t tell the difference between the raw and final versions.
50 Cent contributed the hook and opening verse — an intimate reflection on his chaotic childhood and his mother’s absence. The Game matched it with his own verses, detailing gang life, survival, and ambition in Compton. Their stories blended seamlessly: two young men from different worlds, bonded by the same struggle for identity and escape.
Lyricism That Hit Harder Than a Diss Track
“Hate It or Love It” remains one of the most personal records either artist ever recorded. 50 Cent’s verse sets the tone with blunt vulnerability:
“Comin’ up I was confused, my momma kissin’ a girl / Confusion occurs comin’ up in the cold world.”
He paints his youth in broken snapshots — stolen bikes, bad decisions, and survival instincts — before declaring triumph through the iconic chorus:
“Hate it or love it, the underdog’s on top / And I’m gon’ shine, homie, until my heart stop.”
The Game’s verses dig just as deep. He references his slain friends, his grandmother’s death, and the violence that shaped him:
“Been bangin’ since my lil’ nigga Rob got killed for his Barkleys.”
By the third verse, he’s balancing fame and social awareness, contrasting his mother’s new car with the poverty and loss around him. The writing walks a line between personal diary and generational anthem — equal parts victory speech and survivor’s testimony.
A Video That Brought Two Childhoods to Life
Directed by The Saline Project, the “Hate It or Love It” video visually captures everything the song stands for. Shot between Compton, California, and Jamaica, Queens, the video mirrors both rappers’ upbringings, alternating scenes of young versions of The Game and 50 Cent as they navigate poverty, temptation, and early brushes with police.
Tequan Richmond (who fans would later recognize from Everybody Hates Chris) portrays young Game, while Zachary Williams plays a young 50 Cent. In one standout scene, the two kids spray “N.W.A.” on a wall before being caught and arrested — a moment that underscores how rebellion and creativity often overlap in hip-hop’s DNA.
The duality of their stories — West Coast red versus East Coast concrete — gives the video its power. It’s not flashy or drenched in luxury; it’s human. Cameos from Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, and Game’s brother Big Fase 100 remind viewers of the collective success that came from shared struggle.
Critical Acclaim, Commercial Dominance
Upon release, “Hate It or Love It” became a cultural moment. It shot to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, topping both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. It stayed on the charts for months, dominating radio and solidifying The Documentary’s double-platinum run.
The song earned two Grammy nominations — Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group — at the 2006 Grammy Awards, and while it lost both, the nominations themselves confirmed what fans already knew: it was one of the year’s defining records.
It also earned nods from VH1 and About.com, landing at No. 43 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop and No. 1 on About.com’s Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2005. The video even grabbed an MTV VMA nomination for Best Rap Video, losing only to Ludacris’ “Number One Spot.”
By the end of 2005, The Game’s The Documentary was a certified hip-hop milestone — a West Coast rebirth driven by Dre’s polish, 50’s influence, and Game’s intensity.
Remixes, Covers, and Legacies
The success of “Hate It or Love It” inspired multiple reinterpretations. 50 Cent later added the full G-Unit roster — Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and Tony Yayo — for a remix that closed his own album The Massacre, making it one of the few songs to feature all five members together.
Mary J. Blige flipped it into “MJB Da MVP,” transforming the underdog story into her own tale of perseverance, while The Game later reworked it for his “G-Unot Remix,” a fiery response amid his fallout with G-Unit in 2006.
Even years later, the song continues to resurface in films, highlight reels, and playlists about resilience. It’s the kind of track that transcends its moment — the kind you can still hear blasting from a car window and know exactly what era it came from.
The Message Still Matters
“Hate It or Love It” isn’t just about success — it’s about memory. Every lyric, every visual in the video, and every verse is rooted in reflection. It’s a reminder that no amount of fame erases where you came from.
When The Game says, “Used to see Five-O, throw the crack by the bench / Now I’m fuckin’ with 5-0, it’s all starting to make sense,” it’s not just a clever line. It’s the whole point — turning the system that once hunted him into one that now protects his art.
In a hip-hop landscape that often prizes shock value over substance, this record endures because it’s human. It’s about mothers, lost friends, stolen bikes, and redemption.
Legacy of an Unbreakable Collaboration
Looking back now, the partnership between The Game and 50 Cent may feel complicated, even tragic given their later fallout. But “Hate It or Love It” remains the one perfect moment where everything aligned — Dre’s ear, Cool & Dre’s soul sample, 50’s vulnerability, and The Game’s raw truth.
It’s one of those rare hip-hop collaborations that captured lightning in a bottle — two artists at the top of their creative powers, united for just long enough to make something timeless.
Six years later, it still feels fresh. The beat still knocks, the hook still resonates, and the message still speaks for every underdog fighting to be seen. Hate it or love it — this one’s forever.