How Hip-hop Influenced a Generation NBA-Themed Video Games
Rap or Go To The League. That’s what 2 Chainz said. And he’s partially right.
If you can’t rap, you can still go to the league… Maybe not the NBA, but definitely the 2K League.
The other day, 2K Sports, the video game developer that makes the ever popular NBA 2k video game, announced that a new version of of its iconic NBA 2K series would be hitting the shelves in the Fall entitled “The Dreamer Edition”
The big selling point?
The Dreamer Edition features rapper J. Cole .
Cole will be the first rapper ever to be featured on the cover of the NBA game and honestly it brought me back to this piece about 2k.
So today we’re going to talk about how Hiphop gained influence in the world of Sports Video games like 2K.
Let’s break it down.
IN THE EARLY 2000S…
There were two popular NBA-based games in the world: NBA Live (made by EA Sports) & NBA 2K (made by Visual Concepts). Both video games were heralded as equitable options for NBA fans hoping for a well-paced game.
However, that all changed in 2006 when EA decided to corner the market by securing an exclusive licensing deal with the NFL to use the likeness of its players for the game NFL Madden.
At face value, this was a shrewd business move given the competitive nature of EA Sports and Visual Concepts, however…
It was actually a fatal flaw.
By splitting their attention between NBA Live & Madden, EA had fewer resources to focus on NBA Live. As a result, it experienced a drastic slip in quality. Over time 2K continued to improve, and as a result, EA Sports eventually stopped creating NBA Live as users preferred NBA 2K.
MEANWHILE IN THE CULTURE…
The relationship Between Hip-hop & Basketball became more apparent. The early 2000s marked the "Throwback Jersey” era for many rappers (an era where rappers would wear the jersey of a retired NBA legend).
It wasn’t uncommon for you to see a rapper court-side in a throwback or wearing a Throwback made by Hardwood Classics in their video.
And while this was happening in Hip-hop, NBA players who were children of hip-hop themselves began to bring more of themselves to the court with them. These changes manifest in the stuff you see today like the NBA fashion show.
But it all started with ONE. PLAYER.
ALLEN IVERSON
Before Allen Iverson, hip-hop's influence on the fashion of NBA players in the league was more subdued. In fact, AI caught a lot of flack for how he carried himself, and it was what eventually led to him being ousted from the NBA. The NBA even created the dress code because of him.
If you champion players for having tattoos, being into fashion, etc. it’s because of AI (check out the clip below where he’s asked about his influence)
However, his presence had a lasting affect. It showed a generation of youth that they could bring their true selves to the NBA and with that the relationship between hip-hop and basketball grew stronger.
The ultimate result?
the NBA became defined by Hip-hop.
Let’s keep going…
The Legend Of NBA Streets
Although NBA Live would eventually die out in 2006, there was another title on EA that to this day is cherished in the hearts and minds of NBA fans and gamers everywhere: NBA Streets Vol. 2
NBA Streets Vol. 2 represented the apex of Hip-hop’s influence on basketball culture incorporating aspects of streetball, grafitti, a very hip-hop soundtrack, and even revered creatives in the culture who helped bring it to life.
NBA streets had an all-star cast of cultural icons behind it like Bobbito (of the duo Stretch & Bobbito), acclaimed creative Director Jimmy Smith (who was behind the Nike’s Freestyle Ad from the early 2000s), and Just Blaze (producer for JAY-Z, Eminem, and many more).
With these hip-hop influences coming together in tandem with Hiphop’s growing affinity for Throwbacks’ NBA streets became a… “street” classic (couldn’t resist).
NBA 2K Soundtracks Became Iconic
After 2006, when NBA Live became defunct, an uptick in NBA soundtracks featuring hiphop artists starts to become more pronounced. But one the biggest peak of Hiphop’s influence on gaming/the NBA appeared in 2013 when 2K announced that the 2013 soundtrack was executive produced by JAY-Z.
What did that mean?
It meant that JAY would be the one going through to pick out all of the records, and he’d bring his name into the mix which would surely be a draw for potential players as well.
WHAT ABOUT NOW?
The convergence of Hip-hop and sports is at an all time high and that continues to trickle into gaming. Heck even NBA 2K 22 had an option in career mode that let NBA players choose to start a rap career.
That brings us to back to the the Dreamer Edition of NBA 2K, which the rumor mill says will possibly hit the shelves in October.
Cole has already played a bit of pro-ball and had aspirations of joining the NBA before his rap career took off - and given the relationship between Hip-hop, the NBA, and gaming this brand partnership make a ton of sense.
Although I can’t say for certain how this partnership will play out, I’m willing to bet that it’s gonna be a slam dunk for 2K. And with more NBA players becoming rappers in their off-time I wouldn’t be surprised if more people decide that they can in fact rap and go to the league.
Peace.