25 Games Featuring Hip-Hop Stars As Playable Characters

Intro

As we've chronicled in the past, video games often make their way into the lyrics of famous rappers. But rappers find their way back into games as playable characters, as well, whether they're the stars of the show or just hidden secrets for the die-hards to discover.

While many of these games put hip-hop icons in highly unrealistic situations – like holding their own against NBA pros or gunning down hundreds of foes in the Middle East – it's always entertaining to see these noted artists take on new roles. Curious who's been in what? Here are 25 games that let you take the role of famed hip-hop stars.

Rap Jam: Volume One Featuring: Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Naughty by Nature, Onyx, Cool

Rap Jam: Volume One

Featuring: Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Naughty by Nature, Onyx, Coolio, Warren G, Yo-Yo, House of Pain

While its subtitle didn't prove a fortuitous bit of foreshadowing (a sequel was never made), this Super Nintendo street basketball game did pack a large number of rappers from its time when it launched in 1995.

Among the playable characters were Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature, and Warren G. And Rap Jam supported the SNES multiplayer adapter, letting more than two players plug in for a hip-hop hoops showdown.

Shaq-Fu Featuring: Shaquille O'Neal

Shaq-Fu

Featuring: Shaquille O'Neal

Call it a stretch, but Shaq has both platinum and gold albums to his name, with his discography boasting appearances from noted hip-hop legends. But Shaq-Fu deserves no such accolades, as this silly 2D fighter is widely reviled as one of the weakest games of the 16-bit generation.

Shaq was the only real-life character alongside fictional and fantastical warriors, and the end result was nothing short of ridiculous.

Knockout Kings 2000 Featuring: Jermaine Dupri, Q-Tip

Knockout Kings 2000

Featuring: Jermaine Dupri, Q-Tip

EA's boxing franchise would eventually transform into the acclaimed Fight Night, but when it existed in the PlayStation days, it carried the Knockout Kings moniker. And the 2000 iteration delivered a handful of secret characters, notably Jermaine Dupri and Q-Tip, as well as hoops legend Tim Duncan, actor Marlon Wayans, and even Complex founder Marc Ecko. Can Dupri really hold up in the ring against Muhammad Ali in his prime? Dig through the used game bins for this one to find out.

Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style Featuring: The Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style

Featuring: The Wu-Tang Clan

Between Wu-Tang Forever and The W, the Wu-Tang Clan collaborated with Activision on Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, a fighting game that served as an unofficial successor to Thrill Kill – a title canceled for its gratuitous violence.

Like that fighter, Shaolin Style let four players – including members like Method Man, RZA, and Ghostface Killah – duke it out in gory arena battles, plus a special edition came with a Wu logo-shaped controller. It's a terrible gamepad, but definitely a sweet collector's item.

NBA 2K1 Featuring: Redman

NBA 2K1

Featuring: Redman

Method Man's close associate Redman didn't earn a spot in Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, but he did make a surprise appearance in the 2000 release of NBA 2K1 for Dreamcast. Redman shows up on the hidden Mo Cap team in Sega's simulation, and while he'll start the game on the bench, he can be called in to hang with the pros on the hardwood. Luckily for Redman, video game sports leagues don't drug-test their virtual players.

Def Jam Vendetta Featuring: Ludacris, Method Man, DMX, Scarface, Ghostface Killah, Redman, N.O.R.E.,

Def Jam Vendetta

Featuring: Ludacris, Method Man, DMX, Scarface, Ghostface Killah, Redman, N.O.R.E., Joe Budden, WC, Keith Murray, Capone, Funkmaster Flex

This pairing of pro wrestling and Def Jam's hip-hop roster spawned unexpected dividends back in 2003, as the game captured the pick-up-and-play mechanics of past WWF and WCW favorites with a whole new aesthetic. While the story mode made you play as one of a few fictional characters, you'd face off against and could ultimately unlock several stars, including Ludacris, Method Man, DMX, Ghostface Killah, N.O.R.E., and even Funkmaster Flex.

Fight Night Round 2 Featuring: Fabolous

Fight Night Round 2

Featuring: Fabolous

Before making the leap to next-generation consoles (with the stunning Fight Night Round 3), EA's boxing brand shipped a stellar sequel for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. Rapper Fabolous – who also contributed a song to the soundtrack – can be unlocked as a heavyweight fighter by entering the create-a-boxer feature and typing in "GETFAB" as the first name, which makes him available as a playable character in various modes.

MTV Celebrity Deathmatch Featuring: Busta Rhymes

MTV Celebrity Deathmatch

Featuring: Busta Rhymes

Like the stop-motion animated series that spawned it, MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch game paired up a wide array of personalities to duke it out in violent, over-the-top battles. Released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSone, and PC, it brought together folks as diverse as Mr. T, Marilyn Manson, Dennis Rodman, and Anna Nicole Smith – along with Busta Rhymes, one of the most animated characters in hip-hop as it is. Despite the eclectic roster, the game is widely considered an awful throwaway release.

True Crime: Streets of LA Featuring: Snoop Dogg

True Crime: Streets of LA

Featuring: Snoop Dogg

After Grand Theft Auto III defined the open-world action genre, most major publishers sought to recreate its success with their own entries – and True Crime: Streets of LA was Activision's less-than-stellar 2003 attempt to recast the experience from the role of a cop.

But if you didn't like the lead character, you could unlock and play as Snoop Dogg, who rolls in a purple convertible and can blast enemies around Los Angeles with the best of them. Snoop's single "Dance Wit Me" is also on the game's soundtrack.

NBA Street Vol. 2 Featuring: Nelly, The St. Lunatics, Just Blaze, DJ Bobbito Garcia

NBA Street Vol. 2

Featuring: Nelly, The St. Lunatics, Just Blaze, DJ Bobbito Garcia

The sequel to EA's much-loved multiplatform street hoops game put Michael Jordan on the cover – a move that'd work out well for NBA 2K11 several years later – but also included a few hip-hop stars as unlockable players.

Nelly and the St. Lunatics can be used on the court, along with DJ Bobbito Garcia (who also voices the game's announcer) and famed producer Just Blaze. Naturally, Nelly and Blaze both have songs on the soundtrack, and this kind of quid pro quo can be seen on multiple games on this list.

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland Featuring: Lil Jon

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

Featuring: Lil Jon

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland was sort of an odd entry in the famed skateboarding series, as it followed the spotty Tony Hawk's Underground 2 and was the last of the older games before the franchise started fresh on current consoles with Tony Hawk's Project 8.

Not only did the game introduce BMX bikes for the first and only time, but it also included jovial rapper and producer Lil Jon as an unlockable playable character. Let's just say that American Wasteland wasn't designed with the clearest vision in mind.

Fear & Respect Featuring: Snoop Dogg

Fear & Respect

Featuring: Snoop Dogg

Announced in 2004, Fear & Respect was intended to feature Snoop Dogg's voice and likeness in the form of a fictional character in South Central, with film director John Singleton calling the shots on the project.

However, Midway pulled the plug before it was released, citing diminishing returns on the open-world action market amidst the publisher's own mounting difficulties. While this game never shipped, it was a large project for some time and even got its own Game Informer cover when announced.

Def Jam: Fight for NY Featuring: Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Sticky Fingaz, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Redma

Def Jam: Fight for NY

Featuring: Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Sticky Fingaz, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Redman, Ice-T, WC, Ludacris, Lil' Kim, Bubba Sparxxx, Capone, David Banner, Elephant Man, Erick Sermon, Fam-Lay, Flavor Flav, Freeway, Ghostface Killah, Havoc, Joe Budden, Lil' Flip, Mack 10, Memphis Bleek, Noreaga, Prodigy, Scarface, Sean Paul, Slick Rick, Warren G, Xzibit

The second Def Jam game served up a darker and more streamlined fighting experience, and the roster of hip-hop brawlers is absolutely bursting on this PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and PSP release. Included in the pack are fighters like Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Lil' Kim, Ludacris, Method Man, Warren G, Sean Paul, Flavor Flav, and Freeway. Even Jacob the Jeweler gets to rumble in this plus-sized showdown.

NBA Ballers: Phenom Featuring: Ludacris, Chingy, Jin

NBA Ballers: Phenom

Featuring: Ludacris, Chingy, Jin

Midway's NBA Ballers: Phenom tried to merge on-court action with a story mode and a look at the glitzy lifestyle of rich basketball stars, though it didn't execute the formula with the same level of success as the original Ballers entry. Still, alongside licensed pros including Chauncey Billups, Stephon Marbury, and Allen Iverson, the PlayStation 2 and Xbox entry featured playable rappers like Ludacris, Chingy, and Jin.

50 Cent: Bulletproof Featuring: 50 Cent

50 Cent: Bulletproof

Featuring: 50 Cent

50 Cent built his rap persona on the back of the horrific experience of being shot eight times before hitting it big, but in Bulletproof – his first game – he's the one taking shots in a third-person shooter.

Bulletproof also includes Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and Young Buck – as well as Eminem and Dr. Dre in cameos – but many critics slammed the violent affair for it mediocre and uninspired gameplay. A G-Unit version for PSP followed in 2006 with a new top-down perspective, but with only marginally better results.

DJ Hero Featuring: Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff

DJ Hero

Featuring: Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff

While this hip-hop and dance-focused rhythm game wasn't quite as successful as Guitar Hero, it did provide a slick peripheral-based experience using an included plastic turntable controller.

Jay-Z and Eminem lent their names and songs for a special edition of the game, but don't appear as playable characters. However, you can take the role of famous turntablists like Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip, and DJ Jazzy Jeff as you blend together popular licensed tracks.

NBA Ballers: Chosen One Featuring: Chuck D

NBA Ballers: Chosen One

Featuring: Chuck D

As noted before, the NBA Ballers series had something of a mixed run on last generation consoles, and Chosen One marked its middling last gasp on the current crop of systems.

While the Dwight Howard-fronted game couldn't save Midway from bankruptcy, it did feature dozens of current and classic pro hoopsters – and surprisingly, Public Enemy's Chuck D. Not only did Chuck appear as a hidden character, but he also calls the play-by-play action on the court.

Def Jam Rapstar Featuring: More than 30 artists, including Kanye West, 2pac, Snoop Dogg, Outkast, Li

Def Jam Rapstar

Featuring: More than 30 artists, including Kanye West, 2pac, Snoop Dogg, Outkast, Lil Wayne, Drake, Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang Clan, Nelly, LL Cool J, Nas, and Run-D.M.C.

Singing games exploded a few years back, and 2010's Def Jam Rapstar was the hip-hop response to the phenomenon, letting you show your skills on the mic as the beat and video from one of dozens of hot tracks played on.

Hits like Kanye West's "Gold Digger," Snoop Dogg's "Gin & Juice," and Drake's "Best I Ever Had" are included on the disc, plus loads of additional tracks can be downloaded and purchased. Sadly, the game's community website recently went down, so some features may be lost for good.

NBA 2K10 Featuring: Kanye West, The Game, Twista, David Banner, Asher Roth, Pitbull

NBA 2K10

Featuring: Kanye West, The Game, Twista, David Banner, Asher Roth, Pitbull

2K Sports' NBA 2K franchise is the best pro sports simulation series around these days, and 2K10 offered up a thick package, including a meaty franchise mode and a My Player option starring custom players.

It also featured an NBA Blacktop street hoops mode, which mixed up various pro players with celebrities and rappers, including playable versions of Kanye West, The Game, Twista, David Banner, Asher Roth, and Pitbull.

Yoostar on MTV Featuring: Snoop Dogg, Diddy, 50 Cent

Yoostar on MTV

Featuring: Snoop Dogg, Diddy, 50 Cent

This just-released Xbox 360 game uses the Kinect hardware to capture your image and insert it into clips from MTV's numerous reality and comedy offerings, including Jersey Shore, The State, and The Hills – but it also includes a selection of hit music videos from over the years.

Simply stand in front of the Kinect and you can appear in videos by Snoop Dogg, Diddy, or 50 Cent, then share the hilarious video clips that result.

NBA Jam Featuring: Beastie Boys, J. Cole, 9th Wonder

NBA Jam

Featuring: Beastie Boys, J. Cole, 9th Wonder

NBA Jam took arcades and home consoles by storm in the early 90s, delivering a loose two-on-two basketball experience that emphasized speed and dunks – and after a long layover, EA Sports revived the game on current platforms last year.

As in the older games, the new NBA Jam includes numerous hidden characters (like notable politicians), with the roster including the Beastie Boys, along with J. Cole and producer 9th Wonder.

DJ Hero 2 Featuring: RZA

DJ Hero 2

Featuring: RZA

The second DJ Hero game may ultimately be the last – fingers crossed that it's not – and it took a more pop-centric route than the original, eschewing lesser-known classic tracks for more hit singles and electronic fare.

Still, DJ Hero 2 has some serious hip-hop cred thanks to the inclusion of the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA as a playable character (he also contributed a couple mixes), who arrives alongside avatars like David Guetta and Deadmau5.

NBA 2K11

NBA 2K11

Featuring: Drake, Snoop Dogg, Bow Wow, Promise, Buckshot, Skyzoo, Sean Price

Last year's NBA 2K entry was arguably the greatest to date, thanks to the inclusion of legend Michael Jordan via the Jordan Challenge mode, which let you play through some of his sparkling career moments.

And sure enough, the NBA Blacktop mode offers up another helping of playable hip-hop stars, with big names like Drake and Snoop Dogg flanked by the likes of Bow Wow, Promise, Buckshot, Skyzoo, and Sean Price.

Def Jam Icon

Def Jam Icon

Featuring: Big Boi, Ludacris, T.I., Method Man, E-40, Sticky Fingaz, Funkmaster Flex, The Game, Young Jeezy, Fat Joe, Lil Jon, Sean Paul, Redman, Russell Simmons, Paul Wall, Bun B, Ghostface Killah, Kano, Mike Jones

The last Def Jam fighting game moved away from the earlier entries' wrestling roots with a glossy tale of a hip-hop star on the rise – and all the odd fistfights that erupt at gas stations and penthouses along the way.

Def Jam Icon didn't play as sharp as it looked, but it did include a rad feature in which the backgrounds would bounce along to the licensed songs. And expectedly, the meaty roster included the likes of T.I., The Game, Big Boi, Bun B, Paul Wall, and Young Jeezy, among many others.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

Featuring: 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, DJ Whoo Kid

What's not to love about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand? Unlike the tepid Bulletproof, Blood on the Sand manages to be both patently ridiculous and ridiculously awesome, casting the titular rapper and his G-Unit comrades in a co-op shooter that's much like Gears of War.

The premise? When 50 gets stiffed on payment following a show in the Middle East, he packs heat and takes down hundreds of enemies in search of a diamond-encrusted skull. It's almost too bewildering to believe, but Blood on the Sand is both real and honestly recommended as an entertaining popcorn shooter.