True to the Game

"True to the Game" is the final single from Ice Cube's Death Certificate album. Video content In the video, Ice Cube kidnaps various rappers (some resembling his former bandmates) who are portrayed as "record sellers" and not "true to the game". The video's outdoor scenes are set on Crenshaw Boulevard, which in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots featured many burned-out buildings. Another scene in a photo studio shows a rapper (apparently intended to be MC Hammer) clad in hardcore-style clothing who later changes into a red sequined outfit, symbolizing and parodying his transition into mainstream pop music. The video features appearances by DJ Pooh and actress and Friends star Lisa Kudrow. Meaning of lyrics "True to the Game" laments the trend of hip hop artists and other celebrities crossing over into mainstream music. More broadly, the song's lyrics criticize African American assimilation into the middle class.