Fans of the rapper/producer/actor The Game, are getting the chance to see his softer side on VH1’s new reality show Marrying The Game.
The rapper, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, is giving viewers an all-access pass into his personal life, including the the ups and downs of his relationship with Tiffney Cambridge, his fiancé. The show follows the couple, who have two children together, as they prepare for marriage.
Eight years ago, Tiffney, an ambitious 5th grade teacher, fell for the bad boy rapper, but now wants him to leave his alter ego behind and be the father and husband that she needs.
Tiffney, who is five years older than The Game, told theGrio that the idea to document their wedding on Marrying The Game was a mutual decision. “I told Jayceon a couple of times that it would be good for his fans to see another side of him; the family side; and he agreed. We set out to document our wedding, but life and The Game, got in the way,” Tiffney said.
She believes the media paints her fiance as someone who is reckless, but in his real life that’s not the case.
“People think he’s always fighting and always in trouble and that he’s a gang member, or that he lives his life recklessly. In actuality he’s very loving, caring and a good family man.”
Some of the The Game’s hardcore fans might see his involvement in a reality show as a strike against his street credibility, but his Tiffney says this show will help him reach a new audience.
“He did have some concerns about the show hurting his street credibility. But I told him, ‘People want to see the real you. You may lose or gain a whole new set of fans.’”
Tiffney boasts that she is responsible for helping Jayceon transition from being a boy to a man, because she leads by example in their relationship.
“When you live a very respectable structured life, you rub off on your mate,” she said. “I showed Jayceon positive behaviors, and showed him how to conduct himself with people. He’s still a work in progress and I’ve still got some work to do, but he’s not where he was when I first met him.”
At first glance, Marrying The Game seems similar to VH1’s Chrissy and Mr. Jones, a spin-off of Love & Hip-Hop that focuses the rapper Jim Jones and his fiance, Chrissy Lampkin, as they navigate the world of hip hop. But Tiffney says although she sees similarities in her reality show, the fact that she and The Game are parents sets them apart.
“I feel like I relate to her situation because she’s a strong woman and trying to navigate her relationship with a rapper, but because Jayceon and I have kids we are tied together, and forced to reunite somehow. I think when you have kids it seals the deal for you.”
Episode 3 of Marrying The Game premieres tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter at @WitherspoonC