Game and fellow Compton, Ca., native Kendrick Lamar have been making music together for six years now. Most recently, Kendrick appeared on Game’s “The City” off of last year’s The R.E.D. Album. But, could the friends be gearing up for a bigger collaboration? Word on the street is that the two have clandestinely been working on a joint mixtape.

“Oh man, that sounds tight,” Kendrick told XXLMag.com about the collabo last week in Los Angeles. “That’s a good rumor.”

While Kendrick denies a mixtape for now, he did give an insight as to what it is like working with his older homie.

“Me and game in the studio is war,” Kendrick said with a smile. “Game is out to be the best. I’m out to be the best. When you have two people in the lab that has the chemistry… Sometimes you’ll have two good artists in the lab and they don’t have the chemistry. Sometimes you have to [distinguish] people from being rap friends and real friends. But we have the best of both worlds. When you have two of us in there trying to write the craziest verse, it's going to come out to a crazy song at the end of the day. That’s what’s needed in hip-hop: friendly competition.”

Kendrick says away from the mic, Game drops jewels on him constantly.

“I got in the lab with Game in '06,” Kendrick shared, “I go all the way back. I was on one of his mixtapes. He gave me the opportunity to showcase my skills. Just the vibe around him, he plays the role of big homie. He obviously done touched spots in this industry that I’m trying to touch.  Every time I’m around him he schools me on different aspects of what to do and what not to do.  He’s made mistakes that he’s manned up to and admits. Just being a man and coming to me at that just shows me the ropes. It’s all love. It lets me know I have genuine people that are in it for my best interests.”

But back to the Kendrick and Game mixtape rumor. If that project ever comes to fruition, would Dr. Dre give the duo a track?

“Hell yeah!” Kendrick said emphatically. “If this was a good rumor, all the way past rumor times two, you would definitely get one of them [Dre beats]. I’m just now hearing about [the rumored mixtape] truthfully.” —Shaheem Reid

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