The Dreams hitmaker, real name Jayceon Taylor, has pleaded not guilty to felony criminal threat and misdemeanour assault after reportedly punching Onyebuchi Awaji during a pick-up game at Hollywood High School in California in March (15).

The hip-hop star maintains he was acting in self-defence and felt sure the off-duty cop had a firearm in his sports bag, but his alleged actions could land him up to three years in prison if convicted.

The Game has now discussed the incident with U.S. media personality Sway, explaining he lost his cool and made a "mistake", and he accepts that he will probably have to spend some time behind bars as a result.

He says, "The police officer thing, that was a poor decision on my part. One, I didn't know he was a police officer, and number two, he was talking like he wasn't a police officer at all, and he was also throwing me jabs.

"I got tired and made a bad decision. I'm going to have to pay for it with some jail time sooner or later, which is all good. I'm a man, I'm cool with that. I made a mistake."

The Game is also facing a civil suit from Awaji, and he laments, "It don't matter if I beat up a rapper, they're not going to take it on the chin, they're going to sue me (sic). I have an altercation with a police officer, I'm getting sued. It's just a lose-lose."

The rapper was previously sentenced to 60 days in jail following another clash on a basketball court in 2007, when he was accused of threatening a player with a gun. He has also been arrested in the past for charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

The assault lawsuit isn't The Game's only legal problem - in addition, he is facing a sexual abuse lawsuit from a woman who alleges the star assaulted her on the set of his new U.S. reality TV series She's Got Game.