The Game . . .

When word began circulating in 2004 that rap legend and Aftermath Entertainment mogul Dr. Dre had inked a recording deal with underground hip-hop sensation The Game, some worried that the move signaled a return to the bi-coastal feudalism that nearly decimated hardcore rap in the '90s. In an attempt to revive the West Coast's hip-hop dominance, would The Game grind salt into sensitive old wounds?

The speculators needn't have worried. The Game's hotly anticipated debut CD, The Documentary , introduces an aware rapper conscious of hip-hop history and deeply affected by the untimely deaths of his heroes, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls and NWA founding member, Eazy-E. So in-between his stark rhymes of urban warfare, The Game gives shout-outs to hip-hop crews on both coasts.

Indeed, The Documentary 's title track features a brilliant chorus that invokes the work of West Coast idols like Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Tupac, as well as New York rappers like Biggie Smalls and Nas. With a musical philosophy that observes no turf or boundaries, it's no wonder The Game is the only West Coast member to be welcomed into 50 Cent's New York-based G-Unit crew.

Reaction to The Game's hard-hitting rap sound has been immediate. Fueled by the success of the single "How We Do" (featuring 50 Cent), The Documentary bolted to the top of the pop charts. Adding to the disc's appeal are production contributions by Dre, Eminem, Kanye West, Timbaland and Just Blaze, and performances by Eminem, Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Marsha, Nate Dogg and Tony Yayo.

In reviews, The Game was all but knighted by the media. In its critique of The Documentary , Rolling Stone magazine wrote: "Every song has a well-massaged hook and some immediate appeal ... (The Game goes) for emotional impact rather than dazzling wordplay or laughs." New York's Daily News hailed The Game's sound, which "boasts that classic Dre bounce, with tracks that feature the grinding club grooves that fired Snoop Dogg's early hits." Entertainment Weekly was succinct but direct in its praise. To wit: "with the brightest hip-hop stars aligning for him, the Game may have willed himself a popular masterpiece."

Born Jayceon Taylor, The Game changed his hustle to rap after his gang-banging exploits landed him in the hospital. Now a breakout star, he's already revealing a maturity that promises to make him one of hip-hop's all-time greats.

"I gave all I could to this album, it's me," he says. "Enjoy it because it's the last time I'm living it. As humans we grow and the next album will be about how I'm living now — and I'm loving life."

BMI saluted the premier R&B, rap and hip-hop songwriters, producers and publishers at its 2004 BMI Urban Awards, staged tonight (8/27) at the Grand Ballroom at the Fontainebleau Hilton Resorts & Towers in Miami Beach.

Pictured at the 2004 BMI Urban Awards are BMI's Del Bryant and Frances Preston, Producer of the Year R. Kelly, BMI ICON honoree Al Green and BMI's Catherine Brewton

R. Kelly won two of the evening's top honors as writer of Song of the Year, "Ignition," and as Urban Producer of the Year. Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams were proclaimed Urban Songwriters of the Year and Universal Music Publishing was named Urban Publisher of the Year. A highlight of the gala was a tribute to soul music legend Al Green, who was named a BMI ICON for "his enduring influence on generations of music makers."

BMI Urban Awards Event Photos

2004 BMI Urban Awards Song List

Al Green: MusicWorld Feature | BMI Awards List

More on BMI and Urban Music

The black-tie ceremony was hosted by BMI President and CEO Del Bryant. President Emeritus Frances W. Preston and Assistant Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton assisted with the presentations to the BMI-affiliated writers and publishers of the 36 most performed songs in the urban music format.

Al Green	R. Kelly	Busta Rhymes

"Ignition," written by R. Kelly and published by R. Kelly Publishing, Inc. and Zomba Songs Inc., was named Urban Song of the Year for tallying the most US broadcast performances during the eligibility period. Included on Kelly's multi-platinum Jive Records album, Chocolate Factory, "Ignition" was a Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop, Hot 100 and Top 40 charts smash.

Mannie Fresh	Nate Dogg	Kanyé West

Kelly collected his second major award of the night when he was crowned Producer of the Year. The BMI Top Urban Producers list also included Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, Busta Rhymes, Irv Gotti, Jazze Pha, Lil' Jon, Mannie Fresh, Nate Dogg, Kany� West, Mario Winans, and D-Roc and Kaine of the Ying Yang Twins.

Irv Gotti	Jazze Pha	Lil' Jon

The BMI Urban Songwriter of the Year trophy went to the team of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams - also known as the Neptunes - who placed five titles on the most performed list. The songs earning them the prize were "Beautiful" (recorded by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell and Uncle Charlie Wilson), "Excuse Me Miss" (by Jay-Z), "Frontin'" (Pharrell featuring Jay-Z), "Luv U Better" (LL Cool J featuring Marc Dorsey) and "When the Last Time" (The Clipse).

Mario Winans	Ying Yang Twins

This is the third Urban Songwriter of the Year award for Williams; he also won in 2001 and 2002. At last year's ceremony, Williams took the BMI Urban Song of the Year honor for co-writing "Hot In Herre," and the Neptunes were named Urban Producers of the Year.

Eight songwriters were double winners, contributing two songs each to the most-performed list: Jeff I. Bass, Mary Y. Brown, Eminem, Irv Gotti, Jazze Pha, R. Kelly, Lil' Jon and Sham. Other writer/artists earning awards were Jennifer Lopez, Ja Rule, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Anthony Hamilton, Wayne Wonder and Paul Simon.

Universal Music Publishing was named BMI Urban Publisher of the Year by accumulating the highest percentage of copyright ownership in award songs. David Renzer, Worldwide President of Universal Music Publishing Group, accepted on behalf of the publisher, which boasted 10 songs on the most-performed list (through its companies Irving Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., and Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.).

Other publishers with multiple award-winning songs were EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc. (9); Warner/Chappell Music Group (Unichappell Music, Inc./Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.) (7); Waters of Nazareth Publishing (5); Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc./Zomba Songs Inc., Ensign Music Corporation, Noontime Tunes (3); and Bubba Gee Music, D J Irv Publishing, Eight Mile Style Music, Miss Mary's Music, Nitty and Capone Publishing, R. Kelly Publishing, Inc., White Rhino Music, Inc. (2).

The evening culminated in the ICON tribute to Al Green, who was honored during the dinner with performances by BMI artists Kany� West, Pharrell, Sleepy Brown, Claudette Ortiz and Lloyd. Born in Forest City, Ark., Green blends southern gospel, Philadelphia soul, and a soaring, sensual voice to create music that has rocked our world for four decades. Ranked by many as the world's greatest living soul artist, he became an international superstar through such self-written hits as "Let's Stay Together," "I'm Still in Love With You," "Call Me," "Love and Happiness," "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" and "Tired of Being Alone." Green is in the midst of a remarkable comeback, thanks to his current Blue Note album, I Can't Stop, which reunites him with producer/arranger/songwriting collaborator Willie Mitchell, who first signed Green to the Memphis-based Hi label and oversaw the singer's seminal string of '70s smashes.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer joins an impressive list of previous ICON honorees including country songwriter/artists Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton; R&B legends James Brown, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley; "Soul Man" Isaac Hayes; Motown songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; and pop songwriting master Brian Wilson.

In addition to the BMI performance awards, music trade magazine Billboard recognized the BMI-affiliated writers who had #1 songs on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Rap Tracks charts during the past year; Kany� West led with four songs, two of which topped both lists.

BMI annually honors the songwriters and music publishers of the most performed songs on American radio in the urban, pop, country, Latin and Christian genres.

Delta is the official airline of BMI's 2004 Urban Awards.

Perhaps he inherited his smooth orating style from his preacher father, or maybe he honed his trademark flow through years of practice. Either way, the Long Beach-born performer continues to demonstrate he's more than just another rhymer with a memorable voice.

Songwriting is a hallmark of Nate Dogg's music. Raised in Clarksdale, Mississippi, he was exposed to the rich blues that permeates that region of the country. And as any blues lover will tell you, it's all about the lyrics.

Nate's rise to success in West Coast rap began after he returned to Long Beach as a teen. There, he hooked up with his cousin Snoop Dogg and the two partnered with Warren G to form the group 213.

Later, on Dr. Dre's album The Chronic, Nate made significant noise around the hip-hop nation. Later, his resonant voice and lyrical flow captured the world with his standout guest performance on Warren G's memorable hit "Regulate."

Nate's casual G-funk groove established the rapper as a force and Death Row responded by releasing the artist's debut solo effort. The set was followed by G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2, and that album was followed by Elektra's Music and Me.

For any rapper to survive in this flavor-of-the-day environment, he's got to have solid writing skills. For Nate Dogg, songwriting is a cornerstone talent.

Kurupt also brings a number of other talented folks into his musical modes on the new disc, such as fellow hip-hop homeboys Xzibit, Nate Dogg, Tha Liks, Daz, MC Ren from N.W.A. and Jon B., as well as some friends from the rock-rap camp like Everlast and Fred Durst and DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit.

But Kurupt has been mixing it up since he emerged in the early 1990s on Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg. He debuted on his own in 1998 with Kuruption, and followed it up the next year with Tha Streets Is A Mutha. He's also released Dogg Food and Dillinger & Young Gotti with his pal Daz, proving himself one of the pivotal talents in the California urban music movement.

Space Boogie also features a collaboration with Kurupt's fiancée, Natina Reed of the R&B group Blaque, who shows off her other skills at the microphone on "It's Over," the new CD's first single. "It was fun," enthuses Kurupt. "We went in there with a cool little beat. I told her to go ahead and write my rap and I'd write her rap. We were just having a ball."

Kurupt seems happy with his life right now, having landed parts in two movies (The Plague Season and Keepin' It Real), and feeling satisfied with his latest CD, saying "This album is the first time I'm able to do whatever I want, however I want."

"This album solidifies me in the hip-hop game as one of the top five solo artists in the history of the music," Snoop states. "I've been on top of the rap game ever since I've been in it."

The artist, born Calvin Broadus, grew up in Long Beach, California, escaping a life on the wrong side of the law through music. He began making homemade tapes of original hip-hop material with then-partner Warren G, who gave a tape to his stepbrother, N.W.A.-member-turned-rap-impresario Dr. Dre. Dre was impressed with Snoop's talents and signed him to Death Row, the label he co-founded with Suge Knight.

Snoop's high-profile appearance as a featured guest on Dre's seminal solo debut album The Chronic helped set the stage for his quadruple-platinum 1993 debut solo album, Doggystyle. That disc established Snoop's distinctively laconic drawl and vivid street-sharp rhymes, spawning the Top 10 hits "What's My Name?" and "Gin and Juice." Doggystyle's release coincided with Snoop's arrest in connection with a drive-by shooting death; that situation inspired a short film built around the Doggystyle album track "Murder Was the Case," which in turn spawned a soundtrack disc of the same time.

By the time Snoop's second full album, The Doggfather, appeared November 1996, Dr. Dre had left Death Row, and the death of Snoop's friend Tupac Shakur had cast a shadow on the gangsta style with which Snoop was generally associated. Snoop moved to rapper/entrepreneur Master P's No Limit label for 1998's Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, which unveiled the more relaxed lyrical stance that he maintains on No Limit Top Dogg. The new album, which lists Master P as executive producer, includes three tracks produced by longtime mentor Dr. Dre, as well as collaborations with Warren G, Nate Dogg, Xzibit, Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal and Raphael Saadiq.

Along the way, Snoop has also launched his own label, Dogg House, and published his autobiography, "Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg." No Limit's multi-media focus has also allowed him to explore acting, starring in the company's direct-to-video 1998 feature flick Da Game of Life.

Snoop Dogg recently announced his participation in a reunion of Dr. Dre's legendary crew N.W.A., alongside original members Dre, Ice Cube and M.C. Ren. Snoop plans to join the group - which pretty much put West Coast hip-hop on the map in the 1980s - for a new album and world tour.

"I've got a lot more work to do, but before it's over with, I'm trying to be one of the best in hip-hop of all time," he concludes. "I'm on the path with it right now. I've just got to keep pushing forward and doing what I do to make a difference in every level of the game."