The city of Los Angeles in January 2025 was torched in a catastrophic wildfire, with both Altadena and Pacific Palisades being badly hit. Yet, when both President Donald Trump and big media focused most of their attention on the loss in rich and wealthy Pacific Palisades, and not at all in contrast, when it happened in poor and working-class community of Altadena, it motivated rapper The Game to publicly rebuke both Trump and the press, not to forget about the loss in Altadena and its citizens.
The Compton native, whose name is Jayceon Terrell Taylor, vented through social media, putting out a video in which he interviewed a resident of Altadena whose property was engulfed in wildfire. In a tearful video, a resident narrated firsthand about loss, stating that immediate assistance is in demand.
The rap artist then criticized a lack of reporting in Altadena, stating, “We out here. Doing everything in our power to try and help out them that have been hurt, specifically in Altadena. Most of the big networks, big media, the president. I believe even President Trump visited the effected areas in Pacific Palisades, but failed to make it to Altadena.”
He emphasized that he wasn’t advising Trump, but reiterate that all communities have to have an even level of acknowledgement and care. “Let’s not forget about Altadena,” appealed The Game.
The limelight thrown at the destruction in Pacific Palisades fueled controversy even further. As networks with high profiles gave widespread reporting to Trump’s visit to the wealthy community, little, if any, reporting could be seen in Altadena, even when its community saw disastrous loss. Residents in Altadena cried out in frustration, having been overlooked in times of need. The Game reiterated in an interview with TMZ, “Trump did stop and survey the Palisades Fire, and again, everyone who’s been affected, everybody deserves hearts, but these guys deserve consideration, too. I believe that President Trump and whoever else runs the country, whoever else is in charge, gotta come down and do their work down here, too.”
Whereas government representatives, for one, moved with alacrity to respond to those in the path of the wildfires, taking immediate action to care for them, The Game moved in and joined hands with them in the field, distributing food, water, and provisions to displaced persons, even evacuating his residence himself in the bargain.
They appreciated whatever little he could contribute, but hoped that government representatives, in a similar gesture, will soon follow and extend a larger form of assistance to rebuild lives in a positive manner.
The wildfire reaction became embroiled in political competition between Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and President Trump, with Trump’s visit marked with wildfire funding threats, blaming California’s forestry management for its origin. That stance only fueled resentments, such as for communities like Altadena, which experienced being bypassed in disaster funding processes.
The governor invited Trump to see firsthand the value of collaboration during a disaster, and tour the widespread destruction, but Trump’s decision to limit his tour to Pacific Palisades, in fact, fueled accusations of unequal disaster relief.
