Kotaku: Rap

In Case You Skipped Final Fantasy XIII, Here's a Breakdancing Recap Rap

Mike Fahey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

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Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes with a multi-chapter, fully voiced summary of the plot of its predecessor, which is extremely convenient for fans that decided to pass up XIII in favor of not getting involved in a giant argument. It does not feature pixel breakdancing or any sort of lyrical rampage. This one does. More »

This Rap Video Was Made by Game Artists

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:00:00 EST

Rapper Sole, who we've featured once or twice here on Kotaku before, has a new video out with his Skyrider Band (pictured above), and it's one that might be right inside a gamer's wheelhouse. More »

A Resplendently Dorky Hip-Hop Tribute to Mass Effect

Kirk Hamilton — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST

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However you define "Nerdcore," I'd say that once a guy is dropping rhymes about the ins and outs of Mass Effect, he probably qualifies. But let's not get caught up in labels—these tracks, which premiered over at Destructoid, are a goofy good time. More »

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Soundtrack's Descent Into Self-Parody is Audio Metaphor for Series

Mike Fahey — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:20:00 EST

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Oh hey, there's a new Chocobo song in Final Fantasy XIII-2! I do so love hearing the new arrangements of Nobuo Uematsu's whimsical theme that arrive with each new iteration of the series. Let's give it a listen! Oh. Oh god. More »

Plants Vs. Zombies Composer Tries Her Hand at Magic: The Gathering Rap

Mike Fahey — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EDT

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It's an indie game geeksplosion as the woman behind the Plants Vs. Zombies music teams up with the programmer for Xbox Live Arcade's Spelunky to rap about their shared love of Magic: The Gathering. More »

This Secret of Mana Rap Will Make You Wistful

Evan Narcisse — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:40:00 EDT

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There's nothing like old-school JRPGs to make you nostalgic, and this rap about the plucky lads from Potos tuugsa at the old heartstrings. But, what this really needs is a video. Can't be too hard to mock up SNES-era graphics along with this track, right? More »

Check Out The Real Driver San Francisco Car In This Rap Video

Max Abrams — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:40:00 EDT

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Yelawolf, an Alabama rapper signed to Eminem's Shady Records, loves muscle cars. So he must be pretty excited to drive around a real life model of Driver San Francisco's yellow and black Dodge Challenger. More »

This Portal Rap Song May Have Read Your Dirty Mind

Mike Fahey — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:40:00 EDT

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Dorkly's "Wish I Had a Portal Gun" is a rough and clumsy little rap tune that inevitably travels to that NSFW place many a player's mind has discovered when imagining what they'd do if they got their hands on a little Aperture Science tech. More »

Pot Man And The Video Game Characters A Rapper Identifies With

Mike Fahey — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:20:00 EST

Are Mega Man's battle chips the same thing as a rapper's weed and alcohol? Houston-area rapper A.D.D. talks about the video game characters that inspire him, name-checking Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear, and Tomba. Tomba? More »

Final Fantasy Rap Levels Up

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:30:00 EST

Here's a song about Aeris, that (SPOILERS!) dead chick from Final Fantasy VII. It's awesome. More »

The First 27 Downloadable Def Jam Rapstar Tracks

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EDT

Def Jam Rapstar, like most modern music games, has downloadable songs. Def Jam Rapstar, unlike any other modern music game, lets you download Paid in Full or Passin' Me By. Rap classic, $2 a pop. Here's the official list: More »

Def Jam Rapstar's Stronger Commercial

Brian Crecente — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:40:00 EDT

Shot in Brooklyn, New York, this television commercial for Def Jam RapStar was produced by Anthony Mandler, late of Jay Z, Drake and John Mayer video fame, and includes cameos by hip-hop artists Maino and Nipsey Hu$$le. More »

Nelly, Public Enemy And Diddy To Co-Exist On Def Jam Rapstar's Soundtrack

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EDT

A bunch of new tracks confirmed for Def Jam Rapstar today guarantee that you'll be able to spend part of your fall rapping along to Public Enemy at their best and Nas at his most obnoxious. More »

151 Pokemon Used As Sexual Innuendo

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT

A rap about knockin' boots, but with Pocket Monsters for the dirty bits. More »

Maintain The Link With Your Fellow Nerds

Owen Good — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EDT

Rapper YTCracker on Tuesday put out his latest nerdcore salute - "The Link" - featuring chiptunes in the mix and a 8-bit-style music video directed and animated by Dr. Octoroc. More »

This Might Be My Favourite Video Game Song Ever

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:30:00 EDT

There's a lot to choose from, I know, but this - called simply "The Video Game Song" - is probably my all-time favourite...video game song. More »

Curses Don't Count, But Courage Does In The Next Rap Game

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:00:00 EDT

I chickened out. I wanted a rap video game. I argued that we're overdue for a great one. I got a chance to play one. I got a chance to rap. Too many people around. I declined. More »

Twenty Years Of Video Games: The Rap

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:00:00 EDT

It's twenty years of video gaming, brought to you by a British man and a beat. More »

I Guess This Goes With The Whole "Old-School" Theme

Mike Fahey — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:20:00 EDT

The fifth and final vignette for 3D Dot Game Heroes is even more embarrassing when you realize this is what we accepted as advertising in the late 80's. More »

Weed + Rap + Chrono Trigger

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:30:00 EDT

Many rappers rhyme about marijuana. But how many of them do it to the Chrono Trigger soundtrack? More »

Rapping About Super Smash Bros. Brawl Is Almost A Trend

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:40:00 EDT

People are rapping about the Wii's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Here's one from 2010. (Rapper D Ciano: "This Is How I Smash Brothers, When I Brawl.") Below you'll find another from 2009. Three would be a trend, right? More »

Still Searching For A Great Rap Video Game

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:00:06 EDT

The news this morning that Konami will publish Def Jam Rapstar raises hope among the hip-hop-minded among us that maybe, finally, the world will get its first — or second, you may argue — great rap game. More »

Mega Ran Raps Up Mega Man 10

Mike Fahey — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST

Did you know that rapper Random, AKA Mega Ran, crafted a single dedicated to Capcom's recently released Mega Man 10? Well you do now, and you've got the new music video to prove it. More »

Are You a Bad Enough Dude to Listen to This with Speakers On?

Owen Good — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST

This hardcore Bad Dudes rap is one of three game homages put out so far by the group Action Adventure World, all of which are chock-a-block full of filth-flarn-filth. That means I'm a-watchin'! More »

Gamer, Rapper Game's New Tattoo

Brian Crecente — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

Rapper Game's future tattoo, The Evolution of Gaming, as seen on Rap-Up.com. Thanks mvab10. More »

Retro Meets Rap In Pato Pooh's "Follow Me"

Mike Fahey — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:20:00 EDT

Swedish hip hop artist Pato Pooh leaves no 8-bit game untouched in this amazing video for his latest track "Follow Me." More »

CCP's Music Video Completely Wins Everything

Mike Fahey — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

EVE Online developer CCP's global posse mounts up for this EVE Fanfest video, which explains the only way to follow the company to the top - harden the f*** up. More »

You Could Try To Turn Rock Band Into Rap Band (Or Klezmer Band)

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:00:38 EDT

During the demo Harmonix gave me of its new Rock Band Network, I started imagining things: Lots of rap songs in Rock Band. Opera arias in Rock Band. Suddenly it all seems possible for those who want to try it. More »

Don't Copy That Floppy: The Next Generation

Mike Fahey — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:40:00 EDT

MC Double Def DP's 1992 hit "Don't Copy That Floppy" is getting a modern-day update, once again unleashing the industry's number one weapon against software piracy - rap music. More »

E3 Gate Crasher: Ghetto Vader - Let Him In?

Noah R — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:35:21 EDT

Ghetto Vader here came all the way from The Bronx to crash E3 even though he doesn't have an invite. Should we let him in? More »

NBA Ballers Chooses Chuck D And Just Blaze

Mike Fahey — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:20:13 EST

NBA Ballers: Chosen One just got a heaping helping of street cred, as Midway announces prominent roles in the game for super producer Just Blaze and Public Enemy front man and co-founder Chuck D. Chuck (can I call him Chuck?) will star as the announcer and studio-host for the titular Chosen One tournament, as well as providing the play-by-play commentary during games. Meanwhile Blaze, who has produced over 20 top 10 albums from the likes of Usher, Kanye West, and Jay-Z, will be producing the entire score for the game, which promises to interact with the gameplay rather than simply play in the background. Maybe the inclusion of Chuck D and Blaze will help me stave off all of those Last Dragon scenes that pop into my head every time I read NBA Ballers: Chosen One. Probably not. More »

Infinity Ward - It's Deep And It's Hard, Bitch

Mike Fahey — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:40:53 EST

I finished the single player mode of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare last night on the PS3, and instead of getting up for a celebratory dish of ice cream, I sat through the credits. I'm glad I did, as it introduced me to the Call of Duty 4 rap anthem, Deep and Hard, which contains the line, "This the third installment, Infinity Ward shit, don't soil your drawers cause it's deep and it's hard, bitch." Poetry! I decided to record the event for you folks to enjoy. Before you say it, yes, my camera is shit. We've established this. I need this song on my iPod immediately. More »

Capcom Gets Down With Random

Mike Fahey — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:40:38 EDT

Philadelphia-born rapper Random loves him some Mega Man, so much so that he created an entire album called Mega Ran, in which he takes old-school Mega Man music and spices it up with lyrics to create some truly awesome tracks. He'll be appearing at the San Diego Comic Con next weekend live in concert, and Capcom's Scarlett has posted an interview with the artist detailing his fruitful obsession with the blue bomber. Pearls of wisdom your life can't be without.

Mega Man's plight is very similar to my own. In every Mega Man game, he faces totally insurmountable odds, giant robot armies coming from every which way. that's sorta' like me. As an educator, an artist, a producer, there generally is always an obstacle trying to prevent me from achieving a goal.

I know how he feels. As a member of the gaming press who often has to struggle to find the truth, I can totally relate to getting shot at by giant frog robots. Hit up the link to learn more that you ever needed to know about Random and Mega Ran. More »

Clip: Gears of Rap

Brian Crecente — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:00:52 EDT

This hot little ditty about Gears of War sounds like something Kriss-Kross recorded in a subway bathroom. But it is about Gears, so I'm posting it dammit. More »

Clip: Funky Fresh Link's Awakening Rap Commercial

fdemarco — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 21:00:00 EDT

The first Zelda rap commercial has nothing on this one. This guy lays it all down with his phat beats and early 90's rhyming skillz making the skinny white nerds from the original look like Vanilla Ice. More »

Games Are The New Rock 'n' Roll

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:22:43 EST

Rock 'n' Roll. Video games. Kindred Spirits. Parents and politicians have targeted both, blaming them for society's ills. That's not the only thing they have in common. Hit titles like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero or Lumines show how profitable marrying games and music can be. Rocker Dave Navarro sums it up: More »

Snoop Dogg Gangsta Game Canned

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 03:22:07 EDT

Fear & Respect was an "innovative action adventure game" that was to be a collaboration between Boyz N The Hood director John Singleton and rapper Snoop Dogg. In short, it was Midway's Grand Theft Auto. The game has since been canned. More »

Loading-Ready-Run: Gaming, Powegloves and Crappy Rap

brownlee — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:00:23 EDT

Wherever pallid middle-aged nerds gather in Vancouver's basements to strap on Powergloves ("It's just so bad.") and exercise their rapmaster incompetence, we're there. Loading-Ready-Run's flowless rap tribute to gamin culture, l337. Florian Eckhardt More »