NBA 2K12 News Post

2K's Own Signature Style

12:04 PM - November 11, 2011 by RaychelSnr

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.

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# 1 VDusen04 @ 11/11/11 12:25 PM

I've really enjoyed the route 2K has always decided to take in regards to their soundtracks. Whereas other sports titles have often chosen to go either the "What's Hot and Popular Now" route or the "Classic Jock Jams Everyone's Heard 18,000 Times" route, 2K has consistently looked to bring forth exposure to lesser known (albeit still talented) bands and artists. As a result, their theory worked out quite well in my regard. The constant flow of underground artists kept the game's sound about as fresh it can be throughout a large portion of the gaming year.

Through the years, 2K Sports has keyed me in on dozens of artists I likely never would have heard of otherwise (or at least never gotten around to listening to, even if I had heard of them): Aesop Rock, RJD2, MGMT, Ratatat, Blockhead, Friendly Fires, Little Brother, Miike Snow, Matisyahu, the list goes on. And to be clear, I haven't loved everything 2K's thrown together. I don't recall being particularly fond of the 2K11 soundtrack. But overall, I much prefer their soundtrack route over that of their sporting competitors.

# 2 RustedWalleye @ 11/11/11 01:21 PM

Over the years I would almost instantaneously turn off the soundtracks for any title. The 2k series especially the last two years is the first time not only have I left the soundtracks to play, but I even keep the volume up. They fit very well, even when the style isn't always what I listen to. They have done a great job putting soundtracks you can listen to even while playing.

# 3 mlp111 @ 11/11/11 01:45 PM

I continue to instantly turn off sound track, IMO it straight up sucks, so I personally don't listen to it

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.460139,-90.701201

# 4 Gramps91 @ 11/11/11 02:01 PM

Honestly the soundtrack on 2k11 was my favorite I loved Fail Safe. If 2k wants to be more diverse they should have less rap and hip-hop. Just my opinion.

# 5 SouthBeach @ 11/11/11 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eaterofworlds888


	Honestly the soundtrack on 2k11 was my favorite I loved Fail Safe. If 2k wants to be more diverse they should have less rap and hip-hop. Just my opinion.

I see what you mean. And my response may be a bit touchy, so don't take offense to it.

But from a marketing standpoint, I can see why 2K has mostly included hip hop vs other genres of music(think NHL games). As much as "we" may want to turn a blind eye to why it's mostly hip hop, the fact of the matter is that the majority of people that play basketball typically come from the same background that enjoys hip hop.

Not to say that including other genres would decrease sales, but more so that including more genres wouldn't necessarily have much of an effect on its diversity because I would assume that consumers love 2K's series for the games they produce, not the soundtrack.

# 6 Gramps91 @ 11/11/11 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthBeach


	I see what you mean. And my response may be a bit touchy, so don't take offense to it. But from a marketing standpoint, I can see why 2K has mostly included hip hop vs other genres of music(think NHL games). As much as "we" may want to turn a blind eye to why it's mostly hip hop, the fact of the matter is that the majority of people that play basketball typically come from the same background that enjoys hip hop. Not to say that including other genres would decrease sales, but more so that including more genres wouldn't necessarily have much of an effect on its diversity because I would assume that consumers love 2K's series for the games they produce, not the soundtrack.

yea I agree, I know the reason they pick mostly hip-hop is because of the background of people, but I'm just basketball nut who really doesn't like hip-hop at all. But yea I like 2k basketball so much that the soundtrack is of little significance

# 7 tril @ 11/11/11 03:19 PM

2k has always done an excellent job with their soundtracks.
2K has hipped me to alot of artists outside the realm of hiphop. Ive actually purchased cd's after hearing an artist from 2k.
Those that think that 2k's soundtracks are only hiphop, must not listen to all the music selections in a 2k game.
great job 2k

# 8 NoTiCe_O @ 11/11/11 03:44 PM

"I GO HARD IN THE PAINT, NO MATTER WIN OR LOSE!"

Classic.

# 9 qnzballa5 @ 11/11/11 03:45 PM

I hope this doesnt turn into a race thing. Im black but i have friends of all races cuz race doesnt matter to me. Now with all that said i have to be honest..

Of course 2k has to have majority hip hop n to be real theres actually to much rock stuff, n underground artists that are weak. If yall gonna get some good underground hip hop artists then do your research. Get some papoose, cory gunz in there.. For hip hop get some better artist, yall was on the right track with cassidy n drake. Royce n em is good. Get some jadakiss, Jay z tho i know will be hard to get. Eh even lil wayne, more busta rhymes, fabolous, lupe, Jcole most definetly,Big Sean, Lloyd banks,Andre3000, Nas..Mickey Factz.. Underground Loaded lux, Hollow Da Don, Goodz,, Charlie Clipse, Fred da godson..

Im just sayin we dont complain when wwe games, nhl,mlb, driving games have majority poP/Rock. N its understandable.. But when it comes to basketball alot ask y are there hip hop??? Lol its cuz most of the NBA players,Basketball players grew up on that. Just being real so deal with it. Just hate seeing a post saying there should be less hip hop in a basketball game soundtrack.. Pffffft

# 10 VDusen04 @ 11/11/11 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qnzballa5


	I hope this doesnt turn into a race thing. Im black but i have friends of all races cuz race doesnt matter to me. Now with all that said i have to be honest.. Of course 2k has to have majority hip hop n to be real theres actually to much rock stuff, n underground artists that are weak. If yall gonna get some good underground hip hop artists then do your research. Get some papoose, cory gunz in there.. For hip hop get some better artist, yall was on the right track with cassidy n drake. Royce n em is good. Get some jadakiss, Jay z tho i know will be hard to get. Eh even lil wayne, more busta rhymes, fabolous, lupe, Jcole most definetly,Big Sean, Lloyd banks,Andre3000, Nas..Mickey Factz.. Underground Loaded lux, Hollow Da Don, Goodz,, Charlie Clipse, Fred da godson.. Im just sayin we dont complain when wwe games, nhl,mlb, driving games have majority poP/Rock. N its understandable.. But when it comes to basketball alot ask y are there hip hop??? Lol its cuz most of the NBA players,Basketball players grew up on that. Just being real so deal with it. Just hate seeing a post saying there should be less hip hop in a basketball game soundtrack.. Pffffft

I respect your opinion, but one of the things I've appreciated about 2K is their willingness to offer music outside of the mainstream. If the soundtrack were loaded with all the artists mentioned, I feel it'd be overwhelmed with too much of the same popular stuff we've all already heard ad nauseum. That was one of the primary issues I had with Madden Football soundtracks of the early 2000's.

The truth is, obviously, we're all going to disagree on what music should be included, because we all have varied tastes. For instance, you say you think 2K's underground artists are weak. I say, I like a lot of them I've come across. If Cory Gunz were on the soundtrack, I personally wouldn't be thrilled with such a selection. I'd deal with it, but I wouldn't say it's a foregone conclusion that he'd be deemed a better underground choice from anyone else. For whatever it's worth, I hadn't heard of Lupe Fiasco until he found his way onto NBA 2K7. It was a solid discovery that may have never happened were 2K to just fill out their track list with established icons.

I'd actually prefer if all sports games created soundtracks like NBA2K does. I don't think NBA games should be exclusively rap just like I don't think MLB games should be exclusively summer pop rock (I'm talking to you MVP Baseball 2005). For years it's seemed like a foregone conclusion for others to say, "Well, let's be honest, most of the people who like basketball are people who love hip-hop." I'd dispute that claim. There's a lot more musical diversity out there amongst basketball fans than one would initially be led to believe.

With 2K's musical diversity, they provide the listener with choices. If the soundtrack were 95% current hard-core rap, and a listener happened to not be a fan of that genre, they're screwed. As it stands now, I can weed out the tracks I don't like (Ron Artest's "Champion", Kanye West's "Amazing") and still have plenty of other choices to hold my interest.

# 11 triangleoffense @ 11/11/11 04:07 PM

Thanks to NBA2K, I've discovered the Souls of Mischief/Hieroglyphics...

# 12 VDusen04 @ 11/11/11 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triangleoffense


	Thanks to NBA2K, I've discovered the Souls of Mischief/Hieroglyphics...

I'd discovered that crew a few years prior, largely in part due to the Deltron release in 2000. Them being featured in 2K5 was the pinnacle of awesomeness for me. Does anyone remember how they had an officialy Hiero court and custom Hiero team, with Del rocking the bandana? Good times. . .

# 13 rockchisler @ 11/11/11 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eaterofworlds888


	Honestly the soundtrack on 2k11 was my favorite I loved Fail Safe. If 2k wants to be more diverse they should have less rap and hip-hop. Just my opinion.

But you have to think That Hip Hop and Basketball go together, It would not fly if they had Dire Straits or Billy Squier playing in the background..Just like I don't want to hear Kanye or Jay Z while playing NHL 12.....Look I'm all for Diversity I just hate that the first game EVERYBODY talks about that needs diverse music is Basketball..But people mad quiet on NHL needing diversity. If You don't like Hip Hop Fine, but You cannot deny the IMPACT it has on hoops......

# 14 Slava Medvadenko @ 11/11/11 06:16 PM

I've consistently liked roughly 1/2 of 2k's tracks every year, which is a much better ratio than any sports game I've played. That being said, if I have to listen to "Rock Hood" again... thankfully, we can turn off individual songs.

I would like custom menu music next year. Even if I like certain songs on the menu, I don't like them so much after the thousandth time I hear them, and I end up eventually turning off the menu music.

# 15 rockchisler @ 11/11/11 06:23 PM

I think the 2k Soundtrack as far as hot music has fallen off a lil, There are some really good songs there but not like when it was on ps2 with really good underground music but the best was the nba2k6 soundtrack with Little Brother, The Roots, Redman, Jean Grae That was absolutely the best they have had.

# 16 VDusen04 @ 11/11/11 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockchisler


	But you have to think That Hip Hop and Basketball go together, It would not fly if they had Dire Straits or Billy Squier playing in the background..Just like I don't want to hear Kanye or Jay Z while playing NHL 12.....Look I'm all for Diversity I just hate that the first game EVERYBODY talks about that needs diverse music is Basketball..But people mad quiet on NHL needing diversity. If You don't like Hip Hop Fine, but You cannot deny the IMPACT it has on hoops......

Even if hip-hop has had a strong impact on basketball, it doesn't mean to me that we must then pay homage by playing mostly hip-hop on soundtracks. Jazz could be argued to have had a bigger impact on the game, yet we don't see folks clamoring for more jazz due to its impact on the game.

Speaking for myself, I want music on my games I enjoy at some level. And I'm not sure I agree people don't believe NHL soundtracks need diversity. I didn't like NHL 2K's soundtrack. But they offered custom menu music. So you know what I played? Hip-hip, rap, rock, and The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. You're right though, I'd hate Dire Straits on an NBA soundtrack, because I don't enjoy that type of music whatsoever.

In my case, often rap seems so tied to basketball largely because people think it's supposed to be. Undoubtedly, many basketball players listen to rap. We all don't though. But oftentimes, it seems the only music someone wants to put on a mixtape is in fact, rap. Personally, I love a lot of hip-hop/rap basketball mixes, but I also enjoy when certain rock songs are mixed in. To me, it works just as well:

And it's true, folks may not enjoy basketball clips set to Nine Inch Nails or the Offspring. But that doesn't mean it's a foregone conclusion these highlights will automatically work better set to Lil' Wayne.

# 17 DJ @ 11/12/11 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockchisler


	But you have to think That Hip Hop and Basketball go together, It would not fly if they had Dire Straits or Billy Squier playing in the background..Just like I don't want to hear Kanye or Jay Z while playing NHL 12.....Look I'm all for Diversity I just hate that the first game EVERYBODY talks about that needs diverse music is Basketball..But people mad quiet on NHL needing diversity. If You don't like Hip Hop Fine, but You cannot deny the IMPACT it has on hoops......

Squier doesn't work for basketball? If iPods were around when MJ played, you know he'd have this song on the playlist

Just kidding, obviously.

Basketball is a big reason why I got into hip-hop in the late-80's, early-90's. Still, I'm not opposed to some hard rock (my personal choice) mixed in with hip-hop, when it comes to music for a basketball game.

# 18 maladude @ 11/15/11 06:27 AM

Every year there's always ONE popular song and 20 unheard of tracks on the soundtrack... and 80% of them aren't that good... Besides "Fastlane", the track with Cyhi are the only 2 songs I have shuffling right now... If anything, 2K, please implement custom menu music next year...

# 19 IpodKingCarter @ 11/15/11 11:13 PM

AYO JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW, THIS 1.03 PATCH THAT CAME OUT FOR PS3 MESSED UP MY SHOE ENDORSEMENT!!!!

NBA 2K12 My Player - How Get Assists & Score When Driving To The Rim Feat. My Athletic PG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsuIi7PbmAg

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2K's Own Signature Style