Hip-hop star denies gun charges

The Game was a musical protege of 50 Cent

US rapper The Game has pleaded not guilty to pulling a gun at a basketball game in a school earlier this year.

The musician denied possessing a firearm, making criminal threats and exhibiting a weapon at a place for minors at a Los Angeles court hearing.

The Game - real name Jayceon Terrell Taylor - is free on bail but could face up to five years in jail if convicted.

Last week the rap star appeared in court to face charges of impersonating a policeman in a separate incident.

The gun charges against the 27-year-old relate to a basketball game which took place at the Rita Walters Educational Complex in south Los Angeles on 24 February.

Conditional discharge

Police said that he punched a player from the opposing team, grabbed a gun from his car and threatened to shoot him.

At a preliminary hearing earlier this month, Rodrick Shannon testified that the rapper hit him on the left cheek after an exchange of words, went into the car park and fetched a gun.

He told the court that he "feared for his life".

At a hearing in Manhattan's Criminal Court last week, the musician was given a conditional discharge for the unrelated charge of impersonating a police officer.

Police said he told a taxi driver that he was an undercover officer in 2006, ordering him to run several red lights.

The case will be dropped if he is not arrested again within six months.

Once a protege of rapper 50 Cent, he shot to stardom with his Grammy-nominated debut album The Documentary in 2005.