Jigga Man makes his way to NBA Live 07

by Blake Snow { Oct 5th 2006 at 8:30PM }

EA, Reebok, Champs Sports, and presumably Rock-A-Fella Records announced a cross-promotional deal today that allows NBA Live 07 gamers the ability to unlock rapper Jay-Z as a playable in-game character. How's that for enterprise synergy? GameDaily has the skinny: "Those that buy the new Reebok S. Carter Basketball IV shoe at Champs Sports [available 10/11/06] will receive a code to unlock Jay-Z's character for use in the game. Jay-Z's in-game avatar will have the speed of Allen Iverson, the 'ups' of Baron Davis and the sharpshooter aim of Peja Stojakovic."

Now that's what I call a player mashup (dibs on digital Hova).

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Martin @ Oct 5th 2006 8:33PM

Cant wait untill his new albumn drops!

metalliska @ Oct 5th 2006 8:39PM

ugh. Most overrated rapper evar.
Weird Al would own his ass if they put him in the game.

flyguy @ Oct 5th 2006 8:42PM

Is this a desperate attempt by EA to get back their lost "street cred"? Cross-promotion seems to happen with every damn game EA comes out with.

Regardless, I too can't wait until his new album drops.

Drop A Load @ Oct 5th 2006 8:42PM

He hasn't been good since 98' and NBA Live has been sucking longer than him.

flyguy @ Oct 5th 2006 8:43PM

Dorks listen to Weird Al. Not a very educated opinion on my part, but it's true.

Matt @ Oct 5th 2006 8:43PM

What the fuck do rappers have to do with games? Even if he is in a game, duh, how is that news-worthy? I'm sorry, but this crap just angers me greatly. It's along the same lines as when you walk in a Gamestop or EB and see that EBTV shit with "Oh my god you can meet X rapper at X rapper-related bullshit even, where we can just barely tie it into videogames. Shit, the only way this relates to a game is that the rapper LIKES games" great.

Bored @ Oct 5th 2006 8:44PM

I wonder how long before that code makes it through the tubes of the interwebs.

Steve Roger @ Oct 5th 2006 8:53PM

Jay Z is a Wannabe, simple as that. Further, I am sure that he is not being paid much bling bling to do his awful thing.

K @ Oct 5th 2006 9:00PM

I'm a great appreciator of hip hop and all that, but what business (except business) does Jay-Z have in an NBA game playing basketball? Cross-promote by having exclusive songs, not by creating fake stats for a rapper.

Wulkar @ Oct 5th 2006 8:59PM

That guy is staring at me.

Xavier @ Oct 5th 2006 9:00PM

The term "playable character" shouldn't be used in regards to NBA Live '07. Nothing is "playable" about that game.

nonpareil @ Oct 5th 2006 9:46PM

Yeah, or uh, wait till gamefaqs drops the code.

jojo29 @ Oct 6th 2006 11:27AM

Jay-Z has always sucked. He preaches that all rappers rap about are "guns, killing peeps, and how many bullets ive taken" when all he raps is money and how much women he pimps.

LaughingTarget @ Oct 5th 2006 9:18PM

I've always wondered why rappers and basketball always seem to go together. Anyone remember Rapjam Volume 1?

Doom3 @ Oct 5th 2006 9:28PM

Man thats lame... but I'ma hustler I'ma - I'ma hustle homie or Every day I'm hustlin- Every day I'm hustlin

Sick
I hopoe Jay did not get paid for this... cuz No one will care...

Really to tell you the truth Live is hurting... Every one with street cred I know isn't going to pay 300 plus dollars on an xbox to play live when all it has extra is sweat...LOL and the same controls...

Now if ea figures out a way to translate your real jump shot into the wii mote then they will have a winner or just make it so you can do a real cross over... I know thats asking alot but how ever does those things first will rule video game basketball games.

Now if any one should have been in this game it should have been Biggie or tu pac... Jigga just ain't big enough.

I also wonder how long it will take x-hibit to put an Ps3 in a car and watch it catch on fire? The xbox may make it but rims don't allow alot of shock absorption.

Doom3 @ Oct 5th 2006 9:58PM

Jay-Z has always sucked. He preaches that all rappers rap about are "guns, killing peeps, and how many bullets ive taken" when all he raps is money and how much women he pimps.

Damn jojo29 your miss informed arn't you? Is this from some interview or some thing? Never heard him say that much I can't claim to listen to him that much any more. He's never been shot even though LOL killa cam wants to shoot hi it seems. Really no one believes he's killed any one... now "hustlin yeah mos definitly he has"

Oyeah LOL target they go together becuase they both have money and girls...LOL Or hoez...LOL Just like how skateboarding and rock(i think) went together...

Never seen this rap jam thing but if it is a video then you should know that basket ball and rap are much cooler when played at the same time... if this is a game thing it's just some lame guy trying to make money. If you can drible trying playing some old tical and trying to ball it a totally different experience...LOL You don't need any drugs ethier.. but if you suck you'll just frieghten your self...LOL

Pat @ Oct 5th 2006 9:40PM

Steve Roger,

The man is now CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of (if not THE) largest hip hop music labels in the world and part owner of the New Jersey Nets. His net worth was estimated to be at least $320 million (link is at bottom). I'm sure that gets him more than enough "bling bling". Enough to be as far from being a "wanna be" as you can get. And that fact you're using an archaic word like "bling bling" which was hot for maybe a couple of years back in the late 90s shows that you're completely ignorant of the man and the hip hop culture in general. You're merely a bigot with no valuable opinion at all.

By the way, as a fan of Jay-Z's music, I have to say that this is hardly worth getting riled up over. It's worthless and doesn't harm anyone. They're not shoving his image or his music down your throat - you only get the code if you BUY HIS SHOE for chrissakes. So if you get this code legitimately then you're obviously a fan of his in the first place. If anything, it's just a reason to be mad at EA for further commercializing their games. But as seen in the rest of the days news (Marketplace extras), they've done far worse.

Here's the link anyway: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/profile/story/8898314/the_book_of_jay

Embassy @ Oct 5th 2006 9:46PM

1st of all jojo..and doom....i can tell u dont listen to too much jay-z at ALL..and jojo especially...sound slike your talking about 50 cent..not jay-z...and how is jay not big enough when in the hiphop community hes considered the greatest rapper alive...??...some even say the greatest ever.

so dotn speak on things u seem to know little to nothing about please.

and umm..hiphop has been a part of NBA games since NBA live 95...and even b4 that with the nba jam series...so why all the fuss now..???..it goes all th eway back the street ballin days and up to now with and-1...hipop and street ball have always influenced each other...and eventually hiphop found its way to th eleague through the players who came up playing street ball in our urban cities.

also dont forget jay owns a minority share of the NJ nets...which by 2010-ish will be the brooklyn nets...so jay is apart of the b-ball.

Ringworm @ Oct 5th 2006 9:54PM

Rap colliding with Videogames is pathetic and I hope it's not a sign of things to come with every other genre besides sports.

Missy @ Oct 5th 2006 10:05PM

I like Jay-Z!

Kevin @ Oct 5th 2006 10:13PM

Jay-Z is horrible. Got is ass kicked by Nas.

K @ Oct 5th 2006 10:30PM

@Kevin:

"Jay-Z is horrible. Got is ass kicked by Nas."

And yet, he's now Nas' boss...

I'd say even if you think Jay-Z lost the battle, he won the war.

Doom3 @ Oct 5th 2006 10:38PM

Wow some Jay z fans cool. Thats cool Jay-z owning any thing says nothing to me... And makes this NBA thing tie in thing sound soficticated too right. The guy needs Daimon DASh for real. He is a hustler and this is lame like most hustler related crap. I loved Jay-zs black albumn but that doesn't make me not say damn man this is dumb...LOL Now if any thing they would let you unlock some new tracks he's been secrectly making. It's great cuz it tries to get people to buy his shoes but why not release a frigin album with the code in it? I mean the freshes J's and the old school J's are killing jay-zs shoes...LOL You can hear em screaming rape on the shelf...LOL
This is lame business wise unless jay-z is just trying to get the public eye ready for some thing else. This is baby steps yeah he's goning to make money but really even none hip hop people here even think it's lame and your trying to tell me it's not is boarder line gay really. I'm sure there are more people who would rather see another rapper in this game cuz every one think he is old and not the best rapper ever...Yeah he sold well but every one else was dead even BIGPun. Yeah in your circle he's still nice, maybe but he got his whole style from the south and if you listen to his first album which hardly any one bought he shows some real skill. And no one gave him props for that... And if he would have never brought the southern style of flowing to the north you would have to wonder if ATL would be so on top of the game right now. If any thing NY are the only cats hating J...LOL I mean even NY is claiming they want to bring NY back... Papoose would eat jigga alive yet NY cats or jigga fans will still claim he is the best...LOL Well Pap has called him out a few times... hell go you tube it... How come jay doesn't get at him? Oyeah I though according to you pop hiphop nerds that 50 cent was the best? Get it str8 kid...

It's nice to see some Jigga fanboys on here but your not convicing a head ok... Rap is about skill not how much money he has really or if he is CEO...has nothing to do with it... (oyeah for any one other than this rap nerd reading this thats the other reason rap and hip hop go together, they are both respected skills) And don't use the tired ass you hatin bull shit cuz your gonna shout ya age up in here wit all that bullshit. If your a real hip hop head then you know any one with skill is praised... I said he got skill the best not really is what he doing Lame yes...LOL So if he did a gay porn you'd be into that too huh? Go buy his shoes you frigin robot... Lame ass business ventures has nothing to do with skill and kids wanting to play as him in an NBA live game ...LOL Oyeah I wanna see you rocking some carters at a club and see won't you get laughed at...LOL Go tucking in ya fake chain kid and get off my D I C so go get my O K... ight peace

And man don't be up in here defending lame cuz you "think" i'm not black...LOL Nothing you said justified why this is "cool dude"...LOL Discrediting My opinion by saying I know nothing about Jay-z is real smart...LOL I mean I guess thats why I think it's dumb cuz I'm not a follower, or a fan... So every if your defending jay for some other reason stop... He's rich give him money I'm sure he would rather you do that than defend lame ass "tie ins". Oyeah I got news dude he doesn't run rap it only pays him ya know... the real Rick Ross runs rap....LOL

Doom3 @ Oct 5th 2006 10:50PM

LOL what war? LOL it's like your trying to say they where battling to see who was going to be CEO of def jam....LOL There both rich and the only reason why Jay-z is on def jam is to make R simmons more money and get more talent. Jay has always been on the business side of things even when NAS was raping on stage with him watchin and wanting to be there. Yeah he's on def jam but when is Def jam going to take the crown from ATL?

Wow and him owning a minority share of the nets make it ok taht this is still lame...LOL I just saying who wants to see him on a court? If so why da hell isn't any other celebs in the game..lol cuz it's lame...LOL

He but this was cool to see who's into rap up on here... Not going to turn this into a hiphop message board...LOL Don't think Joystick could handle that.

Infil @ Oct 5th 2006 10:52PM

I have nothing worthwhile to add to this "discussion" except to say that I have never seen so many "LOL"s (in caps, no less) in a Joystiq post as #23 Doom3. I count 12.

Embassy @ Oct 5th 2006 10:59PM

yeh doom 3 i dont understand half of the shit in your posts...

regardless..i dont see the big deal about this...a rapper in a video game..woppty doo..werent will smith and jazzy jeff in nba jam in 1995..??..why wasnt that a big deal but this is..??..hell the heiroglyphics wer ein nba 2k5...who cares...hiphop and b-ball go hand and hand these days...and have been for years.

and please..lets not start the Jay-z Vs Nas thing again..i had enough of that in 2002.

Matt @ Oct 5th 2006 11:48PM

Wow, I think with this post and the comments that follow it, Joystiq just got a little more... "urban".

Art Vandelay @ Oct 5th 2006 11:13PM

They could have Jay Z. He aint got nothin on 2k and FLAVA FLAAAAAAA!

Doom3 @ Oct 5th 2006 11:30PM

Thank you Embassy for illustrating how lame Jay-z is for being in NBA game...LOL

@Infil
Oh sorry I really was laughing the whole time.
And thank you for reading.

You say:
"smith and jazzy jeff in nba jam in 1995..??..why wasnt that a big deal but this is..??..hell the heiroglyphics wer ein nba 2k5..." Now you see I like the heirglyphics but even if they where in this game I would have said the same... Now if they are releasin new tracks thur the game then that would be sick. But this is lame... and a bad attempt to sell his shoes... which are lame... Now if the game was on here it would make more since because he did actualy play college ball.

LOL man is this funny shit Thats why I love this site...LOL It really is so lame it's funny... If you can't see it's lame then cool. I got a real good laugh out of it.

Ok I can play dumb too embassy I can't read ethier...LOL and I dare not check my typos for a post to you... I could also care less about the Nas vs jay-z thing the whole beef thing is getting lame too only royce or cassidy are really ready to go to jail over a battle...LOL Or "Beef"

Yeah it's a good idea not to read my post cus I did inslut you a few times in there. So lets do a concert to show Joystick we are beyond that... Really you should have just let me say it's lame instead of saying "i can tell u dont listen to too much jay-z at ALL" I mean what you expect me to do? Trying to sound like you know more than me will make you look stupid... I knew all of that and more and would rather him redesing his shoes like kobe did and start writing some more bars...

Hey but if you love the guy that much then cool... You should say that like missy did up there... Me i'm not feeling that... business wise , or game play wise... It's so lame it doesn't matter. At all but people claiming I don't know what I'm talking have to be checked you should know that Embassy. Plus too it's my opinion...LOL Now if I was truely uninformed then I would have changed my mind...LOL but I'm not.

Usually people would get mad at joystick for posting this but I though it was funny. Real funny stuff...

Pat @ Oct 5th 2006 11:52PM

If by urban you mean completely immature, then absolutely. It horrifies me that a couple of these idiots are going to represent the image of rap or hip-hop to those unfamiliar with it.

Art Vandelay @ Oct 5th 2006 11:53PM

Jay Z has skills dont get me wrong but hes is only where he is now because everybody else in the game was gone. Pac, B.I.G., Pun, Big L. He came out with a few catchy lyrics and took advantage of the oppourtunity he was given. Nas was around but he was too busy putting everybody else on. In NY we respect Jay Z cause he came up and is a major player in the game right now but most poeple would rather hear Nas or Jadakiss flow (unless you're from Brooklyn that is). Yeah they dont sell as many albums but that dont mean nothing. All that says is that your music has become part of pop culture. Nothing wrong with that.

As for me I keep it simple. Nas, Jada, AZ, Gang Starr, The Beatnuts and one of the best and underrated of all time in my eyes Big Pun. Ofcourse Pac and B.I.G. but that should go without saying.

clo1_2000 @ Oct 5th 2006 11:58PM

As someone who has liked rap since the 80s, I am upset by this move. Jay Z has marketing power that few current rappers can sport and him endorsing this craptacular game just to make money is disgusting. Jay Z, you have officially "sold out" to the man.

Scott @ Oct 6th 2006 12:11AM

Jay-Z pwns Beyonce

Therefore...

Jay-Z pwns us all!

bill pullman @ Oct 6th 2006 12:31AM

"Rap colliding with Videogames is pathetic and I hope it's not a sign of things to come with every other genre besides sports."

NAILED IT.

Matt @ Oct 6th 2006 12:51AM

Art Vandelay... ahaha.

Pat @ Oct 6th 2006 1:13AM

Ringworm and Bill Pullman:

Rap and videogames is pathetic, but I'm guessing rock and videogames is just badass as hell, right? And Britney's Dance Beat and Karaoke Revolution, that's cool too. But to hell with everything if that damned gangsta rap comes near my polygons!

Complete and utter bigots.

PhantomVI @ Oct 6th 2006 1:30AM

If they were to use MF Doom, or say, any other rapper with actual talent, then maybe I'd be interested in their tired and broken game.
Seriously, debating the merit of Jay-Z is like arguing about the artistic impact of Ashlee Simpson.

jojo29 @ Oct 6th 2006 11:28AM

st of all jojo..and doom....i can tell u dont listen to too much jay-z at ALL..and jojo especially...sound slike your talking about 50 cent..not jay-z...and how is jay not big enough when in the hiphop community hes considered the greatest rapper alive...??...some even say the greatest ever.

so dotn speak on things u seem to know little to nothing about please.

and umm..hiphop has been a part of NBA games since NBA live 95...and even b4 that with the nba jam series...so why all the fuss now..???..it goes all th eway back the street ballin days and up to now with and-1...hipop and street ball have always influenced each other...and eventually hiphop found its way to th eleague through the players who came up playing street ball in our urban cities.

also dont forget jay owns a minority share of the NJ nets...which by 2010-ish will be the brooklyn nets...so jay is apart of the b-ball.

Being worth a lot of money and owning shit DOES NOT make you good. Heck by your logic Bill Gates can become the greatest rapper ever if he entered the genre.

Also i do know a bit about hip hop. I personally DO NOT like Jay Z's style and CANNOT figure out why people (like you) worship this guy. There are far better hip hop artists than him ( not 50 cent btw) in terms of lyrics and delivery. His lyrics are DECENT at best and his delivery IMO just plain sucks, especially if you compare him to artists like Del Tron, Common, Eminem, Tupac, Biggie, etc.. thats not including Outkast, Jurrasic Five, Hieroglyphics, and countless others. SUre Jay Z owns half of Def Jam, he also backstabbed Damon Dash doing it( btw Damon Dash helped on Tupac's All Eyez on Me album)

ill trooper @ Oct 6th 2006 2:11AM

You haters are NUTS! You probably backpackin' it or you don't like rap at all, but he is an excellent MC... And no, he doesn't need Damon Dash. That's like saying you like hearing Puffy say 'ThasRight!' in between Biggie's verses. Jay-Z is not my favorite (which changes regularly for me, I'd say EPMD, Nas on illmatic, Guru, Mos Def, Jadakiss, Doom... Papoose is killing it right now) but he's brutally amazing none the less...

'Put me anywhere on God's green earth and I will triple my worth'

He's really someone you have to open up to listen to... I understand, I didn't used to check for him, I know it's difficult to equate 'maximum success' with 'skills' and I didn't want to see that for a while either, but it's worth it, his lyrics are verrry ill. No need to hate. He has enough skills for you if you bother listening.

Bob A. Booey @ Mar 29th 2007 6:10PM

Howard Stern's balls!

Triffin @ Oct 6th 2006 4:18AM

I thought I was gonna be slick by being the first to mention Del, but I took a look and jojo29 beat me to the punch.

Anyways, if they had any class, Sonic Team would put Sega-fanboy and PSO-player Deltron (aka Del Tha Funky Homosapien) in Phantasy Star Universe.

That'd do a lot more for me than an overblown CEO rapper cross promoting himelf in an EA game.

gin @ Oct 6th 2006 4:40AM

I'M THE BLACKEST POSTER IN THIS THREAD

achillbreeze @ Oct 7th 2006 5:11AM

i love live. the 2k series blows goats. simple as that. shot-stick? you cant cross-over very easy and the drop-step is no where to be seen. i love having control over my dribble.

ill trooper @ Oct 6th 2006 7:21AM

...except whiter

TRUTH @ Oct 6th 2006 9:30AM

NAS is better!

dsub @ Oct 6th 2006 4:23PM

the gamers ask for a better game...and we get Jay-Z as a playable character...thanks EA.

I'm beginning to think they are marketing this game towards a certain demographic a bit more than they are gamers. I think EA knows hardcore video game fans know their games suck, so they might as well market them to those who don't know any better and just buy everything EA because it's endorsed by loud-mouthed Chad Johnson or includes rappers as playable characters. Whatever. This is why EA games continue to sell better than 2K games. In a sense, with EA's basketball game there really is no challenge to it at all. Your player can easily go the length of the court moving through five defenders and dunk over three of them time and time again. With 2K6 you actually have to play smart and pass the ball. I literally beat the Lakers once in NBA Live 06 by only shooting with Lebron James as the Cavaliers for the entire game. The final score was 120-82, and it was on Pro. That's just what some people want I guess. No challenge, all crazy dunks.

EA's basketball game is almost getting closer to an NBA Jam style of arcady sports game than it is a more realistic simulation, the only problem is, I'd prefer to play NBA Jam any day over NBA Live!.

Jc @ Oct 6th 2006 10:33AM

How lame can you get. JAY Z sucks. What's next Snopp Dog, Dr Dre, or how about Ice Cube. They should have MC Hammer with his hammer pants. Ozzy would be cool. Rob Zombie would be freaking sweet. Best of all how about Sonic the hedgehog. Any body but Jay Z. I'm sorry to all his fans out there I just can't stand his ass.

Nelson @ Oct 6th 2006 11:19AM

Why are people so offended that jay is in the name hes got a connection to basketball seeing as he owns the nets and this is good promotion for his album the way people are acting is as if they are forcing you to play as him heres a simple solution if you dont want to play as him dont buy the trainers or enter the code. it just shows how much influence hes got in that he is approached by HP, TNT & now EA to promote their things. and on the topic over jays rapping ive gotta say jay is the best rapper alive theirs no question about that.