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NBA 2K13
U2 will be rocking arenas in a whole new way this fall.
The band's "Elevate" will make an appearance in "NBA 2k13," the latest installment of the popular basketball gaming franchise -- as part of a soundtrack curated by the game's executive producer, Jay-Z.
"I'm not sure if they've ever been in a video game," 2K Sport's vice-president of marketing, Jason Argent, told Billboard.com. (The band came close in 2001, when the track made the soundtrack of "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" -- the game's big-screen adaptation.)
Jay brought a number of diverse artists to the game soundtrack, ranging from indie rock (Phoenix, Dirty Projectors) to electro (Daft Punk, Justice) to hip-hop, with classics such as Nas' "The World is Yours" and Eric B. and Rakim's "I Ain't No Joke" sharing time with a number of hits from Hov himself. The Throne collaborator Kanye West makes several appearances, with "Amazing," "We Major" and recent track "Mercy" -- and Coldplay adds to the arena-rock contingent with "Viva La Vida." It's the latest curatorial project for the MC, who is also directing the Philadelphia Made in America festival this September.
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But according to Argent, Jay's involvement extended well beyond the music.
"Jay is completely obsessed with authenticity," he said. "So right off the bat, he said 'Look, I love this franchise and I love this game, but if you want me to be involved, I need to be truly involved. I want to actually help make this game."
The hip-hop mogul gave input on what Argent dubbed "what happens off the court," making his mark on intro and outro videos, game menus and more. Just don't look for a digital Jay sitting in the stands, cheering on his Brooklyn Nets.
"We wanted him to truly be involved from a behind-the-scenes production standpoint," Argent said. "[With] his involvement within the league, he brought such a level of understanding to what we were trying to accomplish… I think the final product will reflect that level of excitement that he had."
The game is due Oct. 2 from 2K Sports. See the "NBA 2K13" track list below.