Jay-Z is an enterprising fellow and, as we all know, enjoys making money. We’ve heard his records, worn his clothes, drank his liquors, lusted after his wife, watched his basketball team, and, soon enough, we’ll be playing his video games as The Jigga Man has been announced as an executive producer NBA 2K13.
Did he participate in motion capture? Did he try his hand at coding? Did he fill up a briefcase with copies of the game and go door-to-door selling it to bored youths in suburbs? Nope, nope, and nope. Mostly, H.O.V.A. just helped pick the soundtrack and, in a completely surprising move, has loaded up the soundtrack with his own music as well as plenty of tracks from fellow Watch The Throne watcher, Kanye West. In addition to the soundtrack, Jay-Zee also helped develop the intro videos, menu screens, and “the general aesthetic” of the game. “Jay-Z didn’t just want to put his name on it,” head marketer Jason Argent says, “He’d call us in the middle of the day with new ideas as to how the video game should be presented.”
Jay-Z, who co-owns the New Jersey Nets of Brooklyn, NY, also insisted that his team be allowed to win every game that they play inside the video game, that they be unstoppable, that their stats be juiced to the max, and that, after only a week of starting the game, the NBA All-Stars not playing for the Nets would all migrate to Jay’s team through in-game contracts and free-agency. At first, 2K Sports were hesitant to follow Jay’s direction, but, after being shown the secret set of naked Beyoncé pictures that Jay has, quickly agreed that the Nets would be the game’s most dominant team.
NBA 2K13 tracklist:
01. The Hours, “Ali in the Jungle”
02. Too Short, “Blow the Whistle (Main)”
03. Eric B. and Rakim, “I Ain’t No Joke”
04. Phoenix, “1901″
05. Jay-Z, “Pump It Up (Freestyle)”
06. Puff Daddy and the Family, “Victory” (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)
07. Daft Punk, “Around the World” (Radio Edit)
08. Santigold, “Shove It” (feat. Spank Rock)
09. Kanye West, “Amazing”
10. Jay-Z, “Run This Town”
11. Dirty Projectors, “Stillness Is the Move”
12. Nas, “The World Is Yours”
13. Coldplay, “Viva La Vida”
14. Roy Ayers, “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby”
15. Justice, “Stress”
16. Jay-Z, “The Bounce”
17. Kanye West, “We Major” (feat. Nas & Really Doe)
18. Mobb Deep, “Shook Ones, Pt. II”
19. Meek Mill, “Ima Boss” (Instrumental)
20. Kanye West, “Mercy” (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz)
21. U2, “Elevation”
22. Jay-Z, “On to the Next One”
23. Jay-Z, “Public Service Announcement”
24. Jay-Z, “H.A.M. (Instrumental)”
• Jay-Z: http://lifeandtimes.com
• 2K Sports: http://2ksports.com