From Big K.R.I.T. to Phil Collins, the soundtrack of NBA 2K14 has an eclectic array of music to get you pumped for a session of virtual athletics.
Per Samit Sarkar of Polygon, LeBron James was brought in to executive produce the game, much like Jay-Z did for NBA 2K13. Both men left their imprint on the game’s presentation by selecting the soundtrack and other details.
There is a heavy hip-hop influence in NBA 2K14’s sounds, but James also shows some respect to other genres. For example, he tabbed Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” for inclusion. The song is timeless, and it is one of Mike Tyson’s personal favorites, per The Hangover.
You can hear and see the classic Collins’ track infused with next-generation basketball visuals in the Playstation 4 trailer featured below.
Though Jay-Z gave way to King James as the game’s executive producer this year, his presence can still be felt. James included his track “The Ruler is Back” to keep Shawn Carter in the game.
The Black Keys are obviously one of James’ favorites, too. The band from James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio are the only artists with more than one song on the soundtrack—although Pharrell Williams is featured on two tracks. The Black Keys bless the soundtrack with “Elevator” and “Howlin for You.”
Ever seen the Beats by Dre commercial that shows James working out to Imagine Dragons’ track, “Radioactive?” Apparently, there is some truth to James’ affinity for that ultra-hype track. The song is also part of the soundtrack.
By now, I should be tired of that record, but I’m not. It still makes you wanna move or pump your fist when you hear it. James’ selections have great variety—just like his world-class game. Here’s a look at the full list of tracks for the current-generation and next-generation versions of the game.
- Big K.R.I.T., "Cool 2 be Southern"
- Cris Cab, "Paradise (On Earth)"
- Coldplay, "Lost!"
- Daft Punk (feat. Pharrell Williams), "Get Lucky"
- Drake, "Started From The Bottom"
- Eminem, "Not Afraid"
- Fly Union, "Long Run"
- Gorillaz, "Clint Eastwood"
- Imagine Dragons, "Radioactive"
- Jada Kiss (feat. Ayanna Irish), "Can't Stop Me"
- Jay Z, "The Ruler's Back"
- John Legend (feat. Rick Ross), "Who Do We Think We Are"
- Kanye West, "All Of The Lights"
- Kendrick Lamar, "Now Or Never"
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Ray Dalton), "Can't Hold Us"
- Nas (feat. Puff Daddy), "Hate Me Now"
- Phil Collins, "In The Air Tonight"
- Robin Thicke (feat. Pharrell), "Blurred Lines"
- The Black Keys, "Elevator"
- The Black Keys, "Howlin For You"
NBA 2K14 is already available for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. It will be available for Playstation 4 and Xbox One on Nov. 15 and Nov. 22, respectively.
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