To some, the term “classic vinyl” cues up memories of All-American classic rock. For basketball purists, classic vinyl delivers the imagery of records spinning original music of the hip-hop genre. Ryan Hunt, 2K Sports Brand Manager, and Chris Snyder, Senior Director of Marketing, are two of those basketball purists, etched deep within the culture and the music around the sport. 

Hunt and Snyder are the minds behind our basketball gaming greatness. Their work inspires memorable NBA 2K trailers featuring tracks with the likes of Kanye West, successfully marrying music and sport in gaming. 

“Music is such a part of sports culture, especially the NBA,” said Hunt. “We look at music as a way to further immerse players into the world of basketball and enhance their gaming experience. It was important to our team that the NBA 2K12 soundtrack was not only the music you hear while navigating the menus, but also in real-life situations like pre-game highlight intros or during time outs to help further establish the authenticity of the experience.”

Speaking with the two brand managers on NBA 2K12,anyone can sense the two's love for the game. Both Hunt and Snyder worked their way up and now influence the direction of 2K12 with their vast knowledge on the history of basketball. Hunt, who took and unpaid internship over a paying job to start, can be seen as a prime example of what the studio is about.

“I was sleeping on my sister’s couch and testing on the side in order to help pay the bills,” said Hunt. “After about three months a position opened up and luckily (2K) offered me the job. Basketball has always been my passion. I have grown up playing and watching the sport, so for me, the ultimate goal was to work on the NBA franchise.” 

Hunt’s passion manifests in his work when sifting through endless amounts of music at his disposal to create the perfect soundtrack. The music is selected from hundreds of artists provided by record labels such as Decon Records and Duck Down Records. The selected tracks feature rich soundscapes that collectively build a diverse soundtrack, crossing over many genres.

"We’ve had a great partner the past couple of years in Decon," said Hunt. "They have an amazing ear for new talent and help provide a wide range of indie music for us to listen to and select from."

Once 2K listens to the music, they pick their favorites and let Decon know the sound that they want in the game. 

"Every year our goal is to provide a wide range of tracks that fans of all music genres can listen to and enjoy, but also that help enhance the game experience," said Hunt. "We try to select tracks that nobody has heard to offer our consumers a fresh sound to listen to while playing the game. 

Emerging artists have been able to showcase their music through 2K games. Each year new, underground artists are featured in NBA 2K, giving them a brand new fan base that can help promote their careers. 

Artists such as Shinobi Ninja and Project Lionheart are two perfect examples of the fresh sound 2K wants. With tracks Rock Hood and They Come Back, respectively, they have quickly become new fan favorites. 

“NBA 2K, along with our other sports games, has always been an opportunity for new artists to showcase their talent and hopefully break into the music industry,” said Hunt. "We often feature these new artists in our advertisements and commercials as a way to hopefully give them more exposure and us a fresh sound.”

The expectations are there every year for the new NBA 2K title. Even without the real NBA season, Hunt and Snyder have done their best to keep us occupied in NBA 2K12 with fresh new artists, beats and tracks.

“It’s really just being a part of the fabric of basketball, and to really tell the entire story of basketball,” said Snyder. “To do that, you need to pay homage to where it’s been, where it is right now and where it’s going.”