Jay-Z Named Executive Producer of NBA Video Game, Selects Soundtrack
2K Sports has revealed that Jay-Z is the executive producer of their upcoming title NBA 2K13. The rapper has handpicked the 24-song soundtrack and given his input in the intro videos, interactive menu screens and the overall look and feel of the video game.
“This has been a unique opportunity to collaborate with 2K Sports and be a part of one of the best sports video games in history,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “NBA 2K13 will be the next evolution in sports and basketball culture, and I’m ready to usher in the new era of the franchise.”
For the soundtrack, Jay-Z selected songs from artists such as Daft Punk, Phoenix and the Dirty Projectors as well as tracks from the usual suspects, Chris Martin and Kanye West.
“The NBA is more than just a game,” 2K Sports VP of marketing Jason Argent told Rolling Stone. “It’s music, culture and celebrity and we wanted to inject that into our game and bring it to another level.”
2K Sports asked for Jay-Z’s involvement after considering his contributions to the NBA. Part owner of the Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z recently helped redesign the team’s logo. A proclaimed fan of the NBA 2K games, Jay-Z wanted his participation in the franchise to be “authentic,” according to Argent. NBA 2K13 will not include voice-over audio from the rapper.
“Jay-Z didn’t just want to put his name on it,” Argent said. “He’d call us in the middle of the day with new ideas as to how the video game should be presented.” He said that Jay-Z also sat in hour-long roundtable conversations with game developers and marketing.
Initially, Jay-Z’s role was conceived to be purely behind-the-scenes, but 2K Sports is counting on the rapper being proud of the product he’s created and showing up to promote it once it goes on sale on October 2nd.
The video game trailer was posted on Jay-Z’s website days before the official announcement.
The entire NBA 2K13 soundtrack:
The Hours – “Ali in the Jungle”
Too Short- “Blow the Whistle (Main)”
Eric B. and Rakim – “I Ain’t No Joke”
Phoenix – “1901”
Jay-Z – “Pump It Up (Freestyle)”
Puff Daddy and the Family – “Victory (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)”
Daft Punk – “Around the World (Radio Edit)”
Santigold – “Shove It (feat. Spank Rock)”
Kanye West – “Amazing”
Jay-Z – “Run This Town”
Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is the Move”
Nas – “The World Is Yours”
Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
Roy Ayers – “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby”
Justice – “Stress”
Jay-Z – “The Bounce”
Kanye West – “We Major (feat. Nas & Really Doe)”
Mobb Deep – “Shook Ones, Pt. II”
Meek Mill – “Ima Boss (Instrumental)”
Kanye West – “Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz)”
U2 – “Elevation”
Jay-Z – “On to the Next One”
Jay-Z – “Public Service Announcement”
Jay-Z – “H.A.M. (Instrumental)”