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Last week myself and Fresh Cuts engineer (and resident rapper) CD Spinz finally got a chance to play Def Jam Rapstar, the eagerly anticipated Hip-Hop console release from 4mm Games.
Before we get into that though, for the uninitiated, a brief history: the Def Jam brand is fairly colossal - it began life back in 1984 as a record label, releasing debut singles from then-unknowns LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys. Fast-forward two and a half decades and Def Jam Recordings has become a legendary cornerstone in Hip-Hop’s history, whilst the Def Jam brand has expanded, providing us with poetry, comedy and a couple of genuinely awesome rap-themed beat-em-ups. And Def Jam Icon… the less said about that the better.
Now a bit of a confession – prior to jumping on the mic during our sneak peak at Rapstar last week, I’d never played a karaoke game. I’d never even played Guitar Hero or Rock Band. In fact, my only experience with any music game was ten minutes on DJ Hero in HMV (sidenote – unsurprisingly I was awesome). It wasn’t that I was too shy to play these games, it was more that they just held no appeal to me. Singstar ABBA? Nah, you can miss me with that. Guitar Hero Metallica? I don’t have the hair for it.
So it was with a combination of curiosity and apprehension that I first greeted initial talk of a new Hip-Hop karaoke game coming from the Def Jam stable. It could be great, but it could just as easily be awful – a shambolic and cheesy misappropriation of Hip-Hop culture. As time went on and more information about it came out, some of those initial fears were dispelled and I became more excited about getting my hands on Def Jam Rapstar. And having spent some time with the game, I can honestly say that excitement was warranted.
This game is fun. It’s ground-breaking, refreshing, interesting, and could potentially birth Hip-Hop’s next superstar, but more importantly, it’s genuinely enjoyable. The game’s unique selling point is that gamers can upload 30second long video clips of themselves performing to the internet and potentially go viral. The game supposedly comes to life with this community feature, allowing aspiring rappers around the world to compete, and harnessing social networks to raise their profile and popularity. It’s a genius idea, and one I look forward to seeing in action, but I don’t think it’s what will sell the game.
Rapstar is going to move units because its core gameplay (the karaoke) is slick, well executed and perfect party material. The breadth of songs available is remarkable, and the makers have done well finding a balance between obvious crowd-pleasers (for example Kanye West’s Gold Digger) and Hip-Hop classics (Onyx’s Slam for one). There’s a distinct lack of Jay-Z and Eminem, but I’m hoping that will be rectified by the game’s release in November, and the inclusion of UK artists was a smart move. My first pick, without much consideration, was Tinie Tempah’s smash Pass Out and as the UK scene grows in strength, more and more fans will want to play these kind of homegrown hits.
I could go on, but I’ve rambled on quite enough for now. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations, here’s news of a little treat we’ve got coming for you guys. This week myself, my Fresh Cuts co-host Chinners, and our aforementioned engineer-slash-rapper CD Spinz will be heading back to Def Jam Rapstar headquarters to battle it out for supremacy and bragging rights. Check out the forthcoming video footage of that major event very soon, to see a lot more of the game, and see us all make fools of ourselves on camera!
Oh, there’s fresher videos than this one here, but I love it so…
And because I’m nice, here’s an actual look at the game, and a few words from the legendary Uncle Rush (that’s Russell Simmons to you).
Keep the 30th September free, all will be revealed pretty, pretty soon……………..
