“Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, when I was dead broke man, I couldn’t picture this”: The connection of hip hop and video games came a long way – from Biggie dreaming about consoles in 1994 to rappers having their own games these days. It even feels natural now: Drake breaks the internet alongside gaming superstar Ninja in a round of Fortnite? Check. Lil Yachty joins global eSports collective FaZe Clan as ‘FaZe Boat’? Makes sense.
Still, the link (no Zelda) between hip hop and gaming is relatively new, considering that hip hop was born in the 1970s, but didn’t find its way into video games until the mid 90s. Today however, one of the biggest fighting game franchises ever just introduced a new hip-hop-inspired character, as both hip hop and video games have become unquestionable mainstays of popular culture.
As an example, we have picked six key moments of gaming becoming more and more intertwined with the omnipresent culture between sneakers, basketball and hip hop that BSTN resides in. Spoiler alert: “Shaq-Fu” didn’t make the list. Sorry, Shaq!
1. Kimberly in “Street Fighter 6“ (2023)
‘Remix time!’ That’s how Kimberly introduces herself as one of the new characters in the long-awaited upcoming “Street Fighter“ sequel. And she really adds a new dimension to it: Not only does she finish opponents with spray cans and graffiti, bringing one of the four element of hip hop with her. She’s also the first female African-American character to ever star in “Street Fighter”, which feels like a much-needed breath of fresh air for the series and for gaming overall.
2. “NBA Street Vol. 2“ (2003)
While “NBA 2K” has the all-gime goat status for animations locked down, there’s another basketball video game that holds a special place in our hearts. “NBA Street” created a truly unique atmosphere thanks to its arcade look, the excellent soundtrack and the street sounds. And don’t forget the possibility to play 1985 Jordan, 1996 Jordan and Washington Wizards Jordan (which no other game offered back in 2003). Plus the game is as hip hop as it gets: The graffity logo. The scratch sounds in the setup menu. The living legend Bobbito Garcia as the hyped-up announcer. Long story short: “NBA Street Vol. 2” is oldschool, and we mean that in the best sense of the word.
3. “Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style“ (1999)
Even though ODB gave listeners a friendly reminder in 1993 to never play him as a joke (because if so, he’d ‘be on you like a house on fire’), fans of the Wu-Tang Clan couldn’t wait to literally play him when “Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style” came out in 1999: The game allowed up to four players to simultaneously fight their way through 36 chambers as their favorite Wu members, trying to rescue Master Xin from the hands of evil forces.
While the PlayStation game had its problems with a poor frame rate and too difficult levels towards the end, the then-innovative four-player matches, the RZA-produced soundtrack and the full motion video story are still applauded by fans to this day. And come on: Which other game do you know that comes with a controller shaped like the Clan’s logo?
4. “GTA: San Andreas“ (2004)
“You’re listening to Radio Los Santos, the greatest radio station in the world!” If this doesn’t give you instant goose bumps, you probably never played “GTA: San Andreas” or simply switched to one of the ten (!) other radio stations available in the game. Since its release, the open-ended game about protagonist Carl Johnson battling rival street gangs has been praised countless times for its great story-line and its huge levels – and rightfully so.
What brings us the sweetest memories though, is to just take a break from one of the over 100 missions to cruise through the cities of San Andreas, bumping old-school hip hop by Slick Rick, Dr. Dre, Gang Starr, Above the Law and many more. Shoutout to Madd Dogg, too!
5. Travis Scott in “Fortnite“ (2020)
Remember when Travis Scott performed for a record-breaking 12 million viewers while every other artist in the world had to cancel their tours because of Covid-19? The Cactus Jack head honcho just went where the virus couldn’t stop him: He gave an in-game Fortnite concert with special effects that took his over-the-top live concerts even further. With quarantined players still in control, a giant Travis Scott stomped through the game’s map, turned the blood red sky on fire and took everyone from underwater to space in just a couple of minutes, accompanied by some of this biggest hits. Now that’s a whole other level (pun intended).
What we don’t know is though, how many players wore Air Jordan sneakers at home during the “Astronomical” event: At least in the game, Fortnite had introduced a special “Jumpan” Limited Time Mode a year before already, proving that the game is no stranger to subcultural phenomena in general.
6. “Def Jam: Fight for New York“ (2004)
Yes, this list is pretty heavy on fighting already. But rap is a competitive sport and no list about hip hop and video games would be complete without “Def Jam: Fight for New York”. At a time when the star-studded record label had rap music on lock, the game came with an unbelievable big roster of 67 fighters, comprised both of popular Def Jam rappers and friends of the label.
Omitting the mistakes of its predecessor, “Def Jam: Vendetta”, which was basically a mediocre wrestling game with rapper skins, the game put Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and their colleagues into basement fight clubs and fancy nightclubs. But this time, the surroundings mattered and the crowd could hand you weapons, which kept the eclectic game surprising and fun – also because you could score higher if you wore a new chain when beating up your opponent. And don’t get us started on the soundtrack!
