The Intersection of Hip-hop and Video Game Culture
Videogames & Hip Hop have been intertwined. We show some successful examples.

In the 1970s, hip-hop was born, and the world was never the same again. Since then, hip-hop has gone on to dominate and influence nearly every facet of life from entertainment to education. Video games, to the chagrin of many parents, are another huge part of our lives today.

We have video games about car racing, shooting, sports, and many other things. So it's no surprise that video games and hip-hop eventually intersect. So where does this intersection happen? And what's the connection between hip-hop and video games? Join me as I attempt to provide an answer.

The Intersection

Video games are a completely different experience. It's impossible not to get lost in them because few things spark nostalgia as powerfully. Imagine a movie, except you're one of the characters. Whatever suspense you have when watching a movie instantly multiplies when you play a video game. Video games depict everything from sports to adventure and action, all of which go perfectly with hip-hop.

Hip-hop on its own is more than just rap music. It's a lifestyle, a culture, a trove of content from fashion to sports and even violence. This makes hip-hop a perfect match for video games. Someone once joked that the storyline for Grand Theft Auto was the everyday life for a rapper back in the 80s. It might not be so far from the truth.

To help illustrate the bond between hip-hop and video games, I've prepared a list of seven classic games with glaring hip-hop influence...

Top Five Games Influenced by Hip-hop

Def Jam: Vendetta

In 2003, Electronic Arts, or EA, released a game that brought two massive industries together. Def Jam Vendetta brought hip-hop and pro wrestling together in stunning fashion. It featured artists from Def Jam Records such as Ludacris, DMX, and Method Man as fighters the player must overcome along their journey.

The journey starts when Manny, the main character's friend, runs into trouble and has to be helped out in a street fight. After winning a few fights, Def Jam rapper Scarface steps up as the next hurdle. After beating Scarface, the main character must then face more challenges and fight more people before getting challenged to fight in the Def Jam tournament where he will eventually defeat his foes and rivals. It's a story of a fighter intertwined with betrayal, crime, and romance.

Vendetta did so well that two more versions were released. Def Jam Fight for NY continued where Vendetta left off and is widely considered the best game in the trilogy before Def Jam Icon followed. Icon was not as successful as the two earlier versions of the game, however, and no more versions were released.

50 Cent: Bulletproof

If you've seen the Power TV series, you know 50 Cent makes an awesome character. Video game players would've known this as far back as 2005, though. 50 Cent Bulletproof tells a story about a protagonist, played by 50 Cent, who goes on a journey of revenge against hitmen who tried to murder him.

It all starts when 50 Cent goes out to help his friend who's in trouble. In the process, he gets shot nine times and is left for dead. After recovering from his wounds, 50 Cent enlists the help of a corrupt detective played by Eminem and goes in search of vengeance. It's a thrilling journey full of twists and turns, a true classic.

Although it was praised for its incredible storyline and quality music, 50 Cent Bulletproof also received criticism for poor gameplay. Despite this, it was received warmly, selling over a million copies according to NPD Group.

PaRappa the Rapper

As far as hip-hop video games go, PaRappa the Rapper ranks high on any list. It's a rap-based game that follows the journey of PaRappa, a rapping dog, who must make his way through the six different stages. The player must use PaRappa to rap the words in tandem with the beat to score a good rank and move to the next stage. There are also different tasks PaRappa must use rap to complete as he strives to be cool enough to land Sunny Funny, his dream girl.

There are no deep lyrics or fancy punchlines in the game, but the music is standard enough. In its review of the game, Next Generation said, "Simply put, style over substance has never been better done than in PaRappa". It was so well received that one of the most common criticisms was that the game was too short.

Grand Theft Auto

Right up there as one of the biggest video game franchises ever, Grand Theft Auto comes next on our list. Although there's no character played by a hip-hop artist in GTA, it still contains a ton of hip-hop content and references. Rockstar, the original creators of the game, were unable to license music in the beginning and had to use an in-house composer to make original soundtracks for the game. As the game grew more and more successful, a healthy rapport was built between GTA and hip-hop.

The game features a main character who has to complete different missions, all arranged in the form of a story. Vice City, Liberty City, and San Andreas, the game's major locations are fictional recreations of Miami, New York, and San Francisco respectively. Hip-hop is ingrained in the histories of at least New York and San Francisco, so a collaboration was unavoidable. Before long, the storylines contained hip-hop, the soundtracks were hip-hop, and the entire game was entwined with hip-hop.

Hip-hop started in poor African American communities but has grown into arguably the biggest genre in the world. Similarly, GTA has grown from being unable to clear music to be one of the biggest video game franchises in the world.

Wutang Shaolin Style

The Wutang Clan, formed in 1992 were known for their raw beats and martial arts among other things. In 1999, they collaborated with Paradox Development and Activision Success to release Wutang Shaolin Style. It starts with a group of martial arts students under the tutelage of Master Xi, said to be the last master of the ancient Kung Fu discipline called Wutang. It all goes awry when Mong Zhu, the villain, decides to kidnap Master Xi in search of a secret that would give him the power to take over the world. The Wutang Clan then embark on a mission to rescue their master and thwart Mong Zhu's plan.

The game received some criticism for poor gameplay and a tough learning curve but also received praise for its four-player matches, a wonderful innovation in 1999.

Final Thoughts

Hip-hop and video games are tied together at the hip. Rappers love video games, and video games love rap too. Games of different genres ranging from sports to action have featured hip-hop and the trend does not seem to be stopping. Jay Z being a producer for the NBA-based video game, NBA 2K13 is yet another example of collaboration between the two industries. As a huge fan of both, I love it.