Gaming

All-4-One Remade ‘I Swear’ For An Xbox All-Access Music Video

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Xbox has never been a stranger to getting famous musicians involved with their brand to promote their products. Around Christmas, places like Twitter are usually full of Usher wishing a Merry Christmas to Xbox, for example. Their latest attempt to involve music as a promotional tool, though, is one of the weirdest advertisements you will ever see.

R&B group All-4-One has went and made a music video for Xbox. In a bizarre remix/homage of their hit song “I Swear,” this is “It’s All There (I Swear),” which shows how essentially everything a gamer could ever want is right there on Xbox. Yes, this is real, and it’s one of the stranger music videos you will ever see. That said, “I Swear” is a heat rock no matter what year it ism so this song is way better than it has any right to be.

Also, the music video featured an ESRB rating and I can’t figure out if they were legally required to do that or if it was just a fun detail.

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It goes without saying, but more companies should consider silly ideas like this because they’re fun and allow all of us to smile and laugh together. These are video games, they don’t have to be serious and Xbox seems to understand that better than most.

Saweetie Connects With Esports Organization Gen. G To Host Education Workshops For Asian Americans

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Saweetie is stepping up to lend a helping hand to her Asian American community. The rapper, who is of Filipino descent, announced that she is teaming up with Gen. G, the leading esports company that connects the United States to Asia, for a string of workshops. The Icy Baby Workshops begin next week and see the rapper learning skills and covering topics that include gaming, cooking, music, lifestyle, and fashion, and beauty.

According to Revolt, Saweetie’s overall goal is to bring awareness to both AAPI entrepreneurs and her Icy Baby Foundation, her non-profit that aims to inspire “Black, brown and other underserved youth through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and technology training.” Saweetie also spoke about the workshops in a press release.

“Now is the time to come together and support each other as we fight to end Asian Hate,” she said. “I am excited to partner with Gen. G to connect with our fans in new and inventive ways to have real conversations about making positive changes in our community.”

Gina Chung Lee, VP of Brand for Gen. G, also spoke about the new endeavor as well.

“So many Asian Americans are in the forefront of gaming, music and fashion but rarely get the spotlight that they deserve. It’s great to partner with an advocate and entrepreneur like Saweetie,” she said in the press release. “As an AAPI woman growing up, there wasn’t always mainstream representation and celebration. It’s very meaningful to be able to shape and empower the next generation of leaders across all digital platforms and create cool content while doing so.”

The workshops will begin on June 14 with the launch of her new Twitch channel. The first lesson will see her beside Twitch chef Triciaisabirdy and DJ Bella Fiasco as they dive into a discussion about food. On June 16, she will discuss fashion and beauty and the next day her conversation will be focused on gaming.

Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

J. Cole Is Apparently Now A ‘Call Of Duty’ Fan Thanks To Young Thug And Gunna

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This past Wednesday, Call Of Duty shared a new trailer for Warzone 3, their free-to-play battle royale game. Its first two seasons thrived during the 2020 pandemic as it grew to be massively popular among gamers, and excitement for the new season only escalated with the new trailer.

The promo video featured a number of musicians, athletes, and entertainment names like Young Thug who blows up a building after hopping on a helicopter piloted by Gunna. There’s also Jack Harlow and comedian Druski parachuting from the sky and that’s just half of it. Saweetie, Swae Lee, Dennis Schröder, Jack Grealish, Mookie Betts, and others star in the trailer. It turns out that the thrilling video had a big influence on J. Cole, who is now a big fan of the game.

Screenshot From HipHpDX

The rapper’s manager and Dreamville record label co-founder, Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad shared a text message thread between himself and J. Cole detailing his first foray into the game.

“Yo I’m bout to hit this call of duty for the first time… With Tminus and mez” the rapper says, adding, “What’s goooood.” Ib laughs at Cole’s message and the rapper replies, “Thug and Gunna inspired me.” Ib can’t help but laugh at Cole’s excitement with Call Of Duty: Warzone 3. “You really hyped off that commercial,” Ib says. “I’m dying (laughing emojis).”

You can check out the screenshot of the messages between Cole and Ib above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The ‘Call Of Duty: Warzone’ Season 3 Trailer Features Everyone From Young Thug To Mookie Betts

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No video game took over in 2020 more than Call of Duty: Warzone, as the free-to-play battle royale became massively popular as it dropped right at the start of pandemic restrictions hitting in March and people finding themselves having to find ways to pass the time at home. A year later and Warzone is still plugging along and entering Season 3, which will see updated maps, weapons, and gear hit after they nuked Verdansk Island to end Season 2.

To celebrate the start of Season 3, the game brought together a number of their biggest celebrity players from the world of sports, music, and entertainment for a ridiculous two-minute trailer that was released on Thursday morning — along with a call to drop in to Verdansk84. The trailer, which you can watch in its absurd entirety above, opens with Young Thug leaping out of a building and grabbing onto a helicopter piloted by Gunna, who then blows up the building that Thug presumably rigged with charges. Jack Harlow, Saweetie, Swae Lee, and others from the music world are featured, along with Dennis Schröder, Jack Grealish, and Mookie Betts from the sports world — with Betts hitting a grenade out of the air with his rifle like a baseball.

In case there were any wonder if Call of Duty was still raking in cash thanks to Warzone, this trailer and all the celebrity cameos should provide the answer, but if it gets people to drop back in, that’s all they care about.

DMX’s Death Had Gamers Reminiscing About His Legendary Role In ‘Def Jam Vendetta’

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Twitter

The death of rapper DMX at age 50 on Friday was a sad day for music fans who loved his work. As musicians and fans mourned his loss and the legacy he leaves behind, many fans pointed to one of the more unique parts of his work outside of the recording studio. Namely, his legendary role in 2003 video game Def Jam Vendetta.

The game, an EA Sports BIG classic, was gratuitous and absurd — a wrestling/fighting game hybrid that used street fighting as a vehicle for Def Jam artists to get their own video game. But the voiceovers from the actual artists, and the very violent gameplay, made it a fan favorite among fighting game enthusiasts. It even spawned a sequel the next year: Def Jam: Fight For NY.

His special move — an absurd combination of flips, kicks and using his feet to snap an opponent’s neck — was a favorite among players. Which is why many shared clips of the fighting game along with well wishes and sad nostalgia for his work on social media.

In the wake of his death, many shared the video of him actually breaking down the move in real life, too.

There was also mention of his post-victory catch phrase, which is hilariously fitting as well.

Others simply got nostalgic about their childhoods, many of which both included DMX’s music and his presence in a PlayStation 2 and Gamecube classic.

Somebody Played The ‘Montero’ Video On A Game Boy Advance And Lil Nas X Is Blown Away

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Wikimedia Commons / Lil Nas X / Derrick Rossignol

Lil Nas X and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” have been everywhere lately, and now, that includes the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo’s handheld video game console that was discontinued over a decade ago.

A Twitter user known as pynnion shared a 36-second video of some of the “Montero” video playing on a Game Boy Advance system and wrote, “My mom took my phone so I’m watching the call me by your name music video on my gameboy @LilNasX.” The rapper was amazed by what he saw, as he shared the post and tweeted, “how is this real.”

As pynnion noted, this was achieved by using specialized software to convert the original video into a file format the Game Boy Advance can read and then putting the converted file on a “flash cart,” which is essentially a blank Game Boy Advance game cartridge that users can load their own game files onto. Presumably, the video format used is the same one Nintendo used back when they used to make Game Boy Advance Video cartridges that contained movies and episodes of TV shows. Somebody else did this recently when they converted Tenet for Game Boy Advance playback.

Watch “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” playing on a Game Boy Advance above.

Lil Nas X Shakes His Jiggly Butt In The New Video Game ‘Twerk Hero’

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YouTube

Lil Nas X is diversifying his empire. Aside from music, he recently released a best-selling children’s book, C Is For Country. Now he’s getting into video games, as he has released a new one based on his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video, called Twerk Hero.

In the browser game, the player controls a 3D model of Lil Nas X, facing backwards with his hands on his knees, in full twerk position. The player is instructed to “grab the booty and hit the incoming temptations,” and when players drag Lil Nas X’s rear end around, there are some impressive jiggle physics at play as his butt hits incoming quad-directional indicators, much like Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution.

“Montero” has generated a ton of attention, enough to where it just debuted in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Lil Nas X’s second No. 1 single following “Old Town Road.” He also got parodied on Saturday Night Live, where he was portrayed giving a lap dance to God. His “Satan shoes” also led to some controversy, as Nike took legal action against the maker of the limited edition shoes, to which Lil Nas X has a characteristic reaction.

Play Twerk Hero here.

Rod Wave Launches A Video Game In Support Of His ‘Soulfly’ Single ‘Street Runner’

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Rod Wave is about to release his third album Soulfly, but before it arrives, he’s delivered a unique treat to fans. Following the release of “Street Runner,” the lead single from his upcoming full-length effort, the Florida native has teamed up with Krool Toys for a collaborative project tied to the track that delivers an arcade-inspired game.

Rod also spoke about the new song and game, saying it’s “a personal song about the sacrifices I made to pursue this career that I have now all while never forgetting about the family and loved ones I’m doing it for. This video game brings my story to life beyond the music.”

In a statement to Complex, Stefan of Krool Toys explained the inspiration behind the game: “When building out this game we really wanted to give people the feeling of being back in an arcade getting behind one of those old school sit-down racing games, as well as incorporate some elements from Rod’s home of Florida.”

Street Runner can be played through Krool Toys here. Rod is also offering a chance to win a one-of-one Street Runner Game Boy box, as well as a customized Game Boy Advance, which one can enter in here.

As for Soulfly, the album will arrive on March 26 and feature 19 songs, with a sole guest appearance from Chicago rapper Polo G.

Post Malone Covered A Hootie And The Blowfish Classic For His ‘Pokémon’ Partnership

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The Pokémon franchise is commemorating its 25th anniversary this year; While Pokémon Red and Blue, the first games released in the US, came out stateside in 1998, the original Japanese games, Red and Green, were released in 1996. Anyway, part of the celebration has included collaborating with Post Malone on a couple things. Malone is performing a virtual concert for Pokémon Day this weekend, but ahead of that, he has released a new cover tied to the partnership: a rendition of the Hootie And The Blowfish classic “Only Wanna Be With You.”

Malone keeps the cover mostly stylistically faithful to the original version, and even though the song doesn’t have any clear preexisting connection to Pokémon, Malone has turned in a fun recording nonetheless. He slightly tweaked the lyrics, shifting the focus of one line from the Miami Dolphins to his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, as he sings, “I’m such a baby ’cause the Cowboys make me cry.” Longtime Pokémon fans may have also noticed that the song has a sample from the second-generation Game Boy/Game Boy Color games Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, specifically the music that plays in Ecruteak City.

Darius Rucker, who of course sang and co-wrote the ’90s classic, is over the moon about Malone’s rendition, tweeting of it this morning, “The smile in my face will not leave for a long time. This is awesome. My bro @PostMalone bringing it. Hell yes man!!!!!!!!!”

Listen to Malone’s rendition of “Only Wanna Be With You” above.

Metallica’s Twitch Concert Audio Was Apparently Replaced With 8-Bit Music To Avoid Copyright Issues

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Metallica played a concert to kick off BlizzCon on Twitch, but apparently not everyone got to actually hear the music they were playing at the online event. The first day of the annual Blizzard event streamed on Twitch on Friday night, and with it came a special performance by Metallica. But the actual audio that played on some channels got caught up in one of the music issues that often plagues streaming content.

On Friday, Twitter lit up with videos from the performance where, instead of Metallica classics, nondescript 8-bit music seemed to be playing instead.

And it wasn’t a dub; multiple people shared clips of varying length where Metallica is clearly on the Twitch channel but some other music is playing. Though that moment spread online like wildfire, it apparently wasn’t what happened on the main Blizzard Twitch page. Rather, it was the front page of Twitch Gaming which had to replace the music.

Still, it’s an interesting bit of irony at the complicated state of Twitch and the music copyright issues that often plague the platform. And as many people pointed out, DCMA takedowns are an issue in internet content creation that came directly from Metallica’s decades-old fight with Napster that set the tone for music copyrights.

No one seemed to have any sympathy for Metallica here, mostly because they’ve dealt with these sorts of issues in the past. Anyone who has streamed a video game that has original music in it has likely encountered takedown or muting issues, and game makers have had to introduce music elimination options to help streamers prevent their content from getting taken down.

It’s unlikely the moment will change much of anything, but it certainly felt like things came full circle on Friday night.