7 Rappers Who Have Appeared In Video Games
Back in 1994, the Notorious B.I.G. said “You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far.” In 2023, as hip-hop has celebrated its 50th anniversary, it’s a dominant force…
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(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Back in 1994, the Notorious B.I.G. said "You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far." In 2023, as hip-hop has celebrated its 50th anniversary, it's a dominant force not just in American culture, but all over the world. It's everywhere you look and listen, including (and especially) in video games.
Hip-hop and video games have had a long relationship. At first, hip-hop's contribution was only to the soundtrack of popular video games. Games such as Need For Speed, Grand Theft Auto, and the NBA 2K series, have always put hip-hop first. Many songs are heard during the virtual high-speed chases or hitting that three-pointer in a basketball game.
The video game industry is obviously a huge business. It's a billion-dollar industry having "estimated at almost 347 billion U.S. dollars, with the mobile gaming market generating an estimated 248 billion U.S. dollars of the total" in 2022, according to Statista.
Video Games and Creator Influence
The industry is not short of content creators either. With the rise of Twitch, a video game streaming platform, and influencers like Kai Cenat, the industry has rapidly changed. Content creators in the video game space are not just marketing action, sports, or adventure games. "Cozy games" have also gained a lot of popularity. They are virtual games that are slower-paced and relaxing and are heavily targeted to the female audience. Video games such as Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Coffee Talk, and more have generated a lot of buzz on social media and are now a viable genre in their own right. These types of games also rose in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So whether you're an adventure gamer or a "cozy game" gamer, the video game space continues to expand and support every kind of gamer and music lover. Take a look below at seven rappers who have appeared in video games:
Snoop Dogg
(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)Throughout the course of his career, Snoop Dogg has been in several video games. The first time he was featured in a video game was in 2003 for 'True Crime: Streets of LA.' He has since been in 'Call of Duty: Ghosts,' 'Tekken Tag Tournament 2,' 'Def Jam: Fight for NY,' 'NHL 20,' and several more. Most recently, he was featured in 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II' this year where he is a playable operator.
J. Cole
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)Last year, J. Cole made headlines when he appeared on the cover of NBA 2K23 "Dreamer Edition." What fans soon enough found out that that wasn't even the best part. J. Cole was also a playable character in this limited edition of the game. Earlier that year J. Cole signed to play professional basketball with the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. He previously played for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League in 2021.
21 Savage
(Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for REVOLVE)21 joined Snoop Dogg in 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II' for his video game debut. Just like Snoop, 21 is a playable operator. The rapper is seen rocking black shades and a backwards baseball cap throughout the game. 21's operator bundle is also available in 'Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.'
Nicki Minaj
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)Nicki Minaj, who is the only female rapper to make this list, also can be seen in 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.' Barbz will have the opportunity to play as Nicki who is dressed in her signature pink including her long hair. Nicki also has a couple of lines in the game including: "Trust me, you want this bad bitch on your side" and "You're dead, bitch!" Her character is also playable in 'Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.'
Travis Scott
(Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)Travis Scott was famously in the game 'Fortnite' over the pandemic in 2020. The rapper put on a concert and debuted "The Scotts" collab with Kid Cudi whose real name is Scott Mescudi. The "Astronomical" concert ran five times over April 23-25, 2020 with three shows on the 25th. Scott was also featured as an "icon" where you were able to purchase his clothes and emotes
50 Cent
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)50 Cent actually created his own series of video games. Back in 2005, he launched '50 Cent: Bulletproof.' He followed up that game with '50 Cent: G Unit Edition' which was created for the PSP (Playstation portable), and later in 2009 he released '50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.' There's no word if 50 Cent plans on developing more or participating in other video game ventures.
Kanye West
(Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company)Back in 2015, Kanye said that he wanted to create a video game named 'Only One' which he wanted Nintendo to develop. However, that video game never came into complete fruition. Now, almost two decades after Ye's 'The College Dropout' was released, it has been reimagined as a limited-edition video game. The game is LEGO-inspired and is exclusive to desktop computers. The video game also comes with a CD of 'The College Dropout' and a collectible figure. It was created by an artist named Donovan, who is also known as The Canvas Don but it is unclear what affiliation Kanye has with the project which was released in August.
