NBA 2K24 Soundtrack Revealed Featuring Lil Wayne, J. Cole and More to Honor Hip-Hop

NBA 2K is joining in on the celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

2K announced on Tuesday that the upcoming release of NBA 2K24 will feature a soundtrack that "pays homage to the hip-hop genre by featuring an extensive tracklist, composed of prominent producers, lyrical icons, and the next generation of artists."

Artists featured in the game include Lil Wayne ("Kobe Bryant"), J. Cole & Smino ("90 Proof"), Lil Uzi Vert ("Just Wanna Rock"), Kodak Black ("Walk"), Ice Spice ("In Ha Mood"), Steve Lacy ("Bad Habit") and many more.

In addition to the names that will be featured when the game launches, Def Jam Recordings will offer up a combination of classic tracks to modern hits and new releases with its Season 1 update.

"This DJ (feat. O.G.L.B.)" by Warren G, "Hustlin" by Rick Ross will be included in the update, along with "GOATED. (feat. Denzel Curry)" by Armani White, "2 Certified" by Hit-Boy & Avelino and fresh songs from Haiti Babii, SwaVay, Navy Blue, Connie Diiamond and Jex Nwalor.

Mark Campbell, University of Toronto professor of music and culture, recently explained to Kyle Hightower and Alanis Thames of the Associated Press how the NBA and hip-hop have been connected to each other for five decades:

"I think the relationship between basketball and hip-hop, they seem kind of symbiotic. They both allow for individual expression within a team dynamic. What makes them unique is that a lot of times what's memorable about basketball is not how many wins a team made, but it is about how Dr. J (Julius Erving) went around the rim, or how an individual player created poetry in motion...how they made the body do interesting and dynamic and new things."

The 50th anniversary of hip-hop also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the NBA 2K series. The original game dropped in November 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast with Allen Iverson on the cover.

Iverson graced the cover for each of the first five games in the series. This year's cover athlete is Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will be on the cover of the WNBA edition of the game.

NBA 2K24 will drop on Sept. 8 for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms.