Taking away from his 99 problems, 2K Sports today announced a partnership with entertainment mogul Jay Z to serve as Executive Producer of NBA 2K13, the next installment of the NBA video game franchise.
"This has been a unique opportunity to collaborate with 2K Sports and be a part of one of the best sports video games in history," commented JAY Z. "NBA 2K13 will be the next evolution in sports and basketball culture, and I'm ready to usher in the new era of the franchise."
As noted in a recent press release, "Jay Z's interests and influences extend well beyond his illustrious music career as a 14-time Grammy award winner, as evidenced by his part-ownership of the 40/40 sports clubs and of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, having recently helped craft that team's iconic black-and-white logo and visual identity. As Executive Producer of NBA 2K13, JAY Z's artistic vision and style will permeate the experience, from the overall look and feel of the game, to the hand-picked soundtrack, interactive in-game menus and more."
Those hand picked tracks? Check 'em out below:
Artist: Title:
The Hours - Ali in the Jungle
Too Short - Blow the Whistle (Main)
Eric B. and Rakim - I Ain't No Joke
Phoenix - 1901
JAY Z - Pump it Up (Freestyle)
Puff Daddy and the Family - Victory (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)
Daft Punk - Around The World (Radio Edit)
Santigold - Shove It (feat. Spank Rock)
Kanye West - Amazing
JAY Z - Run This Town
The Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
Nas - The World is Yours
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Roy Ayers - We Live in Brooklyn, Baby
Justice - Stress
JAY Z - The Bounce
Kanye West - We Major (feat. Nas & Really Doe)
Mobb Deep - Shook Ones, Pt. II
Meek Mill Ima Boss - Instrumental
Kanye West - Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz)
U2 - Elevation
JAY Z - On to the Next One
JAY Z - Public Service Announcement
JAY Z - H.A.M. (Instrumental)
Developed by Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio, NBA 2K13 will be available on October 2, 2012 in North America and October 5, 2012 internationally for the Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, and Windows PC. The Wii U version of the title will be available during the holiday season.
