Tyga -- I Lied In Game Show Video ... I AM Really from Compton

Rapper Tyga is backing off statements he made on a hilariously embarrassing game show back in 2008 ... claiming his upbringing was NOT as cushy as he made it out to be.

You'll recall, TMZ posted a clip last week from an unaired game show called "Bustas," in which an 18-year-old Tyga explains how got his name (Tiger Woods) and how he grew up in the Valley with wealthy parents and a Range Rover.

But Tyga's telling his friends that was all a lie -- when the rapper said he lived in a well-to-do area of the Valley, he was referring to a short period of time in his life, during which he just so happened to tape the game show segment.

T-Raww's insisting he's REALLY from Compton and his stint in the Valley was only temporary.

Nevertheless, we're told Tyga's unfazed by the clip, insisting he's come a long way since his goofy game show days ... and no embarrassing video is gonna stop him because "he still has plenty of money and will still have huge hits."