Byline: Craig Lebrau
Hip-hop has a long and storied history with all forms of gaming. The beginnings of this evolving relationship date back to the days of Nintendo’s Super Mario and the earliest Playstation consoles. Hip-hop has entered mainstream gaming via beats, lyrics, and music production, as well as in-game interaction.
Rappers have been putting their music in video game soundtracks for a long while. Ever played GTA or the Tony Hawk series? You’ll notice there are plenty of rap songs on the soundtracks, and even whole radio channels dedicated to hip-hop on GTA V. In recent years, the rap industry has been making huge gains in online gaming, entering uncharted territory in online slots.
Bringing Hip-Hop to the Casino Masses
The mean streets and beats of hip-hop have finally reached the online gaming masses via slots. You can dance or sway to the rhythm of some of rap’s greatest performers in many slots at Wildz Casino. The popular gaming platform is powered by leading providers such as Yggdrasil, BGaming, and Nolimit City among others, all of which have produced some great rap titles.
Fans of graffiti who are interested in the age-old East Coast vs. West Coast feud can enjoy East Coast vs. West Coast by Nolimit City. The slot has some mean beats and whopping winning potential that tops 30,000x the bet. This highly volatile slot ride is an homage to the rap scene of the 1990s, which was more violent and gangsta than today.
Elsewhere, BGaming has a collection of branded Snoop Dogg slots, featuring the meanest muzzle of hip-hop. Snoop Dogg Dollars is proof that hip-hop and online gaming can co-exist and are an ideal match.
The Game that Started It All?
We’ve all heard about Guitar Hero, but before it came, there was MTV Music Generator. This now-obscure game is reminiscent of the digital audio workstations we have today. That’s the software producers use to create music, and is commonly used on rap albums. MTV Music Generator was a hit on Playstation 1. It was praised by one of the premier beat producers Big K.R.I.T, who notoriously said: ‘If you can make a beat on this sh*t, you can make a beat on anything.’
The famous producer has honed his skills via this game. Others credit it as their first foray into the world of music, more specifically hip-hop. The impact of this PS1 hit is seen around the world, and has helped reshape the world of rap for decades ahead.
The World of Def Jam Comes to Playstation
Def Jam Vendetta is the first Def-licensed game in what will become a very successful series. Developed by Electronic Arts, one of the greatest game publishers at the time, it was released in 2003 for the Gamecube and Playstation 2. It was the developer’s first attempt to publish a wrestling game, but instead of WWE stars or luchadors, it features big names in hip-hop.
Some of the licensed artists appearing in the game were DMX, Method Man, Redman, Scarface, Ghostface Killah, Joe Budden, DJ Funkmaster Flash, Ludacris, and more. The game was an instant hit. It helped kickstart the careers of many rappers and established Def Jam as one of rap’s premier labels.
EA had another hit in its catalog, and, at the same time, it managed to tap into a whole new audience. The success of Def Jam Vendetta led to a sequel named Def Jam Fight for NY, which featured an expanded cast and improved gameplay. It was another hit for EA, sparking two more sequels before the series was put to bed. It still amazes us why no one has thought of a modern next-gen sequel, which would surely prove a big hit, especially when you have rappers beefing like it’s the 1990s.
Hip-Hop to the Metaverse
Fortnite is one of Gen Z’s hallmarks. It’s one of the largest pieces in a new and modern gaming era. The free-to-play battle royale shooter is known for its quarterly drops that add new characters that seemingly have no connection to the game. Fortnite even goes a step further, using its platform for Metaverse-style concerts, like the one they did with Travis Scott in 2000.
The concert had 12.3 million Fortnite players tune in, which is a new record. To enhance its offers and services, Fortnite’s creator Epic Games recently bought indie music platform Bandcamp. Most recently, Epic worked with the Wu Tang Clan, which brought a range of skins, banners, and a custom loading screens to the world of Fortnite.
It’s an exciting new platform for hip-hop music that will gain even more attention in the future. We wouldn’t be surprised to see another big rap name take the virtual stage. That Travis Scott record ought to be overtaken soon.
Rappers Making Their Own Games
We’ve seen game studios develop games in order to tap into a new market and acquire new audience. But, some rappers are gamers themselves, and they’ve made their own games. The earliest game released by rappers is 1999’s Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style. It was a solid hit and inspired many others to follow the trend.
In 2005, 50 Cent was probably the biggest name in hip-hop. The Dr. Dre protégé was filling clubs and stadiums after the released of his hit album Get Rich or Die Tryin’. He sold millions of records and the anticipation for his next album was high. However, 50 decided to venture in other areas, including gaming.
50 Cent Bulletproof may not have been the hit he hoped for, but it further strengthened the link between hip-hop and the world of gaming.
Sampling Hits in Games
Hip-hop’s affinity for Nintendo games is well-documented. Many rappers have sampled Mario’s or Pac Man’s famous sounds in their songs. Even the great Biggie references Nintendo on his record Juicy. Producers are sampling video games in an attempt to capture the nostalgia from their childhood. Hey, we all played games as kids, when times were simpler and life was simply better.
The link between hip-hop and gaming and is strong, and will continue building in the future. Here’s hoping for new rap games, hopefully some good ones.