Rapper The Game and Shaniece Hairston are opening up about parenthood and the early days of raising their son, Blaze.
During a recent conversation on the Drop the Lo podcast, the pair reflected on learning they were expecting, how they processed the news differently, and what life has looked like since welcoming their first child together.
Game admitted that while he loves being a father, the pregnancy initially came as a shock. “When she told me, I was shocked a little bit. Like literally, I was shocked,” he said, explaining that he had not had a child in more than a decade. He acknowledged that his reaction was difficult for Shaniece at the time. “I don’t think it was the reaction that Sha wanted. So she cried a little bit, and it was uncomfortable for her and for me.”
Shaniece, who was experiencing pregnancy for the first time, had already spent time processing the news before telling Game. “She lived with it a little bit, processed it, and then once it got to me, she had already kind of lived with it a little bit,” he said.
Despite the rocky start, Game made it clear that his feelings quickly shifted once Blaze arrived. “Obviously he’s here, and he’s beautiful, and throwing [expletive] across the house,” he joked. “He’s just a great kid.”
Game also praised Shaniece’s approach to motherhood, calling her presence a stabilizing force for their son. “For her being Blaze’s mom—like, oh my God. Like, a gift to a child, because she’s so calm. And her reserve is immaculate,” he said. “I’m just like ecstatic that you’re Blaze’s mom.”
When asked what lessons from raising his older children are showing up in how he parents Blaze, Game said the biggest difference has been physical.
“So the thing that I’ve been finding a little bit different is that I’m slower, you know? Like, I’m older,” he said. “When I had Harlem, I was 23. Justice, I was 27. Then Cali, I was 30. So I was a little bit young and faster.”
Blaze’s impact on the family was also reflected by Shaniece’s mother, Evelyn Lozada, who became emotional while speaking about her role as a grandmother.
“I’m sorry, I’m talking to my grandson, but I didn’t know what this would look like for me, you know? I really didn’t,” Lozada said. “I know I’m going to be a grandmother, but God, he has brought so much joy into my life. He’s everything to me. I love him so much.”
She went on to explain how becoming a grandmother has introduced a new layer of emotion and reflection. “I think about him. I look at his pictures, his videos. Mind you, I do that with my kids, but being in this new title, I don’t know how,” she shared.
