How We Do
by The Game (featuring 50 Cent)

Album: The Documentary (2004)
Charted: 5 4
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Have you ever wondered how the Game do? Well, on this track, he lays it all out for you in detail. Chevy Impalas, blunts, Air Force Ones, rum, and pistol grip pumps – that's how the Game do. "How We Do" is a party song, meant to be fun, filled with amusing flexing. The beat made it very popular in dance clubs in the mid-2000s.
  • "How We Do" evolved from an instrumental track labeled "Fresh '83." The Game found it on one of Dr. Dre's digital files. Dre wasn't a fan of the track, but The Game saw something in it and wrote lyrics to go with the music.

    Dre brought in 50 Cent to create the chorus. 50 was on fire at that time, riding the success of his own debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003). 50 decided he wanted to be on the track and rewrote the song's second verse; he's featured on the track and is in the music video.
  • "How We Do" was the second single released from The Game's debut album, The Documentary. The song was an international hit, cracking the Top 10 in several European countries and also in the United States. It remained on the Hot 100 for 28 consecutive weeks. It was the Game's first Top 10 single.

    "How We Do" was still selling well when The Game and 50 Cent released the follow-up track, "Hate It Or Love It," which was an even bigger hit.
  • The Documentary was a huge album for both The Game and the West Coast hip-hop scene, which had been fading from relevance. It sold 586,000 copies in its opening week alone and eventually reached Double-Platinum status to become the year's 10th-best selling record in America.
  • Dr. Dre produced the song with Mike Elizondo, whose other clients include Fiona Apple and Switchfoot. Dre also got help from Elizondo on 50 Cent's "In Da Club."
  • Hype Williams directed the music video, which shows scenes of Los Angeles at night while The Game and 50 Cent cruise around in impressive cars. Dr. Dre, Olivia, Michael K. Williams, and DJ Quik all make cameo appearances.
  • The single's B-side includes various versions of "How We Do," including an instrumental and an a cappella track.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Gilby Clarke

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & FireSongwriter Interviews

The longtime bassist of Earth, Wind & Fire discusses how his band came to do a holiday album, and offers insight into some of the greatest dance/soul tunes of all-time.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.