Summary
Video games have drawn us in through their gameplay and character designs, but another aspect that will be remembered is their soundtracks. A soundtrack can make or break a game; sometimes, it can even make a game more tolerable, such as Sonic the Hedgehog from 2006.
Many genres of music have been implemented in various video games, but hip-hop lends itself to a diverse number of video game categories. Video game soundtracks can complement a hip-hop beat, such as Move Me from Ridge Racer in JPEGMAFIA’s BALD! Or Schala’s Theme from Chrono Trigger in Wiz Khalifa’s Never Been. Hip-hop culture can provide style and grit to video games through its beats and lyrics.
10Get On Da Mic
From The Bathroom To Underground Clubs
Ge On The Mic was a PlayStation 2 exclusive released in 2004. The game’s premise was us taking control of an up-and-coming rapper who must prove themselves in the streets with their lyrical skills. You use a microphone peripheral to sing hip-hop tracks in a karaoke-style.
All the tracks in Get On Da Mic are real-world hip-hop tracks that were popular in 2004, as well as classics from the ’80s and ’90s. A few songs include Express Yourself by N.W.A and Tipsy by J-Kwon. Despite having well-known songs, there were licensing issues with using many of the tracks, causing all songs to be dubbed over.
9Parappa The Rapper
Pioneered Rhythm Games For All Gens
Another Sony exclusive, Parappa the Rappa, wasone of the most iconic rhythm gamesthat gained mainstream popularity. Parappa is a dog whose goal is to gain the attention of his love interest, a sunflower named Sunny Funny. Everything goes well until another dog named Joe Chin pursues Sunny as well.
You follow Parappa through his journey of learning skills like karate and driving by rapping to impress Sunny. The gameplay consists of timed button presses that correlate with Parappa’s and his opponent’s hip-hop beats and rapping. The more successful inputs, the better Parappa’s flow.
8Def Jam: Rapstar
Rap Battle Online
While Get On The Mic was the first dedicated Hip-Hop karaoke game, Def Jam: Rapstar improved on this concept by having fully licensed music. It’s a party karaoke game where music videos for the respective music play in the background while utilizing the PlayStation 3 camera that displays you on screen.
When the game launched in 2010, Rapstar had a feature that let you film yourself rapping either existing tracks or freestyle on a beat, then upload it online to Def Jam’s website. You could also have rap battles against other players online.
7Street Hoops
A Low-Key Basket Ball Hit
Street Hoops is a street basketball game where, instead of playing as well known NBA players, you play famous streetballers from the early 2000s, such as Hotsauce. The gameplay consists of an arcade-style basketball where we are able to perform flashy moves such as dunks and shoves, all while listening to popular licensed hip-hop tacks for the time.
Many elements of this game are heavily inspired by hip-hop, such as the in-game announcer being Power 106’s hip-hop radio host, Big Boy. A few characters include hip-hop artists like Master P and Xzibit, where music videos for their songs were available to view.
6Wu-Tang Shaolin Style
Enter The Wu-Tang And The 36 Chambers
Wu-Tang Shaolin Style follows the real-life hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan as they attempt to save their martial arts master from assassins. During the story mode, it plays as a one-versus-three fighting game, as all fighters fight simultaneously. In multiplayer mode, four players can play at the same time. Combat is brutal and includes fatalities, which can be compared to a primitive version of Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, which was released a few years later.
Throughout the game, much of the music is produced by Wu-Tang member RZA, who is also a playable character, along with many other members, like Ghost Face Killa and Old Dirty. Each character is unique in their weapons and fighting style.
550 Cent: Blood On The Sand
No One Is Stopping 50 When It Comes To His Skull
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a sequel to 50 Cent: Bulletproof, where you follow hip-hop artist 50 Cent in a third-person action shooter on his quest for his diamond-encrusted skull. Set in the Middle East, 50 Cent and G-Unit, a hip-hop group, shoot and melee hoards of terrorists, all while playing music by G-Unit and beats made by prolific producer Swizz Beatz fill the atmosphere.
Despite being a licensed game, Blood on the Sand is remembered for its fun combat, shooting, and dialogue. Thegraphics still hold up to this day.
4Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Ah Sh*t, Here We Go Again
One of the most popular entries in this legendary series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas really wore its style publicly. The start of the game has CJ returning home to LA-inspired Los Santos, where his mother was killed in a gang-affiliated drive-by shooting.
From the box art to the game’s intro, GTA oozed with hip-hop influences as, in the early 2000s, hip-hop became flashing with the gangster lifestyle. Despite taking place in 1992, the game’s radio features many hip-hop classics that are still enjoyed to this day.
3Need For Speed: Underground
Launched At The Height Of The Car Modding Scene
An era-defining game launched in 2003. Need For Speed: Underground took the formula of street racing from Midnight Club and Burnout and further expanded it. Underground was heavily influenced by the car modding scene that began to become mainstream during the early 2000s.
The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast and 2 Furious movies further pushed this trend as many elements made it into Underground such as paint mods, neon lights, and nitro. The music for Underground came with many genres, but hip-hop stood out from the rest as the title screen played Lil Jon’s hit Get Low.
2Afro Samurai
From Manga To Video Game
Afro Samurai is based on the manga and anime of the same name where a samurai must avenge the death of his father by a power-hungry assassin named Justice. Like the anime, Afro Samurai’s soundtrack is hip-hop tracks that are akin to Samurai Champloo.
The game is a hack and slash game, where Afro must defeat enemies to progress further until reaching a boss fight. Many of the in-game tracks are produced by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA.
1Def Jam: Fight For NY
A Rare And Iconic Fighter That Has Not Been Replicated
Def Jam: Fight for NY is widely regarded as a unique fighter that takes heavy inspiration from WWE’s SmackDown series. Many of the characters are from the hip-hop brand Def Jam, which includes artists such as Snoop Dog, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes and even movie stars like Danny Trejo. Characters fight in street settings where grapples, fists, and melee weapons are allowed.
With enough damage dealt, you may use a special move that can end the match. Each blow feels heavy and visceral as bones break and limbs contort. With over 40 hip-hop artists and some of thebest licensed music included, this makes Fight for NY the prime example of a hip-hop game done right as it can be enjoyed by casual and hardcore fans of the genre.
