NBA 2K

Quavo Is Now A Playable Character In NBA 2K22 But He’s Not Happy About His Player Rating

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In addition to being one-third of Atlanta rap trio Migos, Quavo is becoming increasingly well known for his love of basketball. He’s participated in the NBA’s All-Star celebrity game multiple times, winning the MVP award for the game in 2018, and helped launch Bleacher Report’s inaugural All-Star adjacent two-on-two game last year alongside 2 Chainz, Jack Harlow, and Lil Baby. Now, not only is he participating in the celebrity game again this year, but he’s also going to play in actual NBA games — NBA video games, that is.

Quavo was announced as the latest playable character in NBA 2K22, which is out now via 2K Games. The rapper made the announcement in an Instagram post showing off his character model during gameplay, and from the clips provided, it’s a frighteningly good likeness, right down to Quavo’s signature, iced-out glasses frames — which he would probably never wear in a real game. However, judging from the caption he added, it seems he has one major quibble with his in-game presentation.

“@ronnie2k why are u one point away from being rated the same as me?” he wondered, tagging 2K Games’ infamous digital marketing director Ronnie Singh, who was also added to the game as a playable character. “Who Rated Me??” Of course, players always tag Ronnie with qualms about their in-game player ratings, something the social media star made clear is always tongue-in-cheek and orchestrated to hype the game up (he, of course, probably has a lot of say in how he’s rated in-game, despite being far from NBA-ready). So, it really wouldn’t be official without some light griping from the game’s newest star, would it?

Check out Quavo’s announcement and in-game likeness below.

‘NBA 2K22’ Will Have Seasonal Soundtrack Updates To Introduce New Artists To Players

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2K

The 2K franchise has always made it a point to deliver a unique music experience. From LeBron James and Jay-Z creating their own soundtracks to 2K21 having more than 100 songs, the series likes to do something different every year. With NBA 2K22 the folks at 2K will once again try something new.

2K22 will not only feature a consistently evolving soundtrack with seasonal updates, but it will have a greater focus on putting rising artists in the spotlight for fans. While there will still be stars like Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and Freddie Gibbs, it will also feature a variety of new names with the hope of making NBA 2K a venue to discover new music. Some of the artists include:

  • Boldy James
  • Griselda (Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher)
  • Louis Cole
  • Yves Tumor
  • Blxst
  • Smino
  • ACADEMY
  • Thundercat
  • Princess Nokia
  • Megan Thee Stallion
  • Night Lovell
  • Bartees Strange
  • Park Hye Jin
  • Nosaj Thing
  • Insightful
  • Jordan Lyles
  • Lion Babe
  • A.B. Original
  • Masego

“We brought in United Masters as a partner and really wanted to shift the focus to being a platform for music discovery,” David Kelley, Senior Manager, Partnerships & Licensing at 2K told Dime. “I think over the last, you know, 20 or so years that the game has been out and has been published, it’s been really important to have those prestige artists. Of course, we’ll always have them.”

The soundtrack will receive new updates on the first Friday of every new season, which will not only give fans something to look forward to, but will help keep the soundtrack fresh so it never gets too repetitive.

With how many people play the NBA 2K franchise worldwide, this is a great opportunity for people to discover new music they may have not gotten the opportunity to hear beforehand. We’ll be able to listen to the entire soundtrack when the game releases on Sept. 1, 2021.

From Call of Duty To NBA 2K, Bankrol Hayden Never Forgets How Video Games Helped Him

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ATLANTIC RECORDS

With hits like “Cabo” and “Brothers,” 19-year-old Bankrol Hayden is making his name known, but despite the time and effort that goes into finding and then building on early success, Bankrol still has love for his time spent gaming with his friends back in the day and for what gaming has meant for him in his life. That’s part of why he’s set to be one of the key talents driving Xbox and Atlantic Records’ unveil of the Green Room, a streaming crossover event happening tonight at 6PM ET on Atlantic’s YouTube channel.

Hayden is set to be a member of one of the 10 squads playing Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (additional guests include Seth Curry, A Boogie, and Vikkstar) for bragging rights and a share of a $10,000 prize pool. Uproxx spoke with Bankrol about the event, his training, and what song he’d put on the NBA2K soundtrack if he had the chance.

Talk to me about why you wanted to be involved with the launch of the series.

Bankrol Hayden: Yeah, it’s really cool. Honestly, I was excited when they told me about it, especially because GaryV is on it. I’ve always been a big fan of his. Also, I’ve just been playing video games since I was a kid. So it was good news when I got to hear that.

How much Call of Duty do you play?

I’m going to be honest, when I was little I played a lot of Call Of Duty: Black Ops, Black Ops Two. But I don’t play much Call Of Duty [now]. I’m actually getting into training right now. I don’t play that much to be real with you, bro. I play more 2K and Madden, I play a lot of GTA. I still play the OG Call Of Duty [games] and shit with my boys when I go back home. I used to go on zombies and go crazy. Nuketown. [In Modern Warfare 3] we used to be taking out the juggernauts. Now that bro brought that back to my memory, it would be every level you would get a new gun or something, but we would be taking out like three or four juggernauts every round. That shit was lit. This was before Black Ops Two, Black Ops One. Yeah, this is way back. But man, I’m really excited for the event. It’s going to be a great time. We’re going to have a blast.

So when you are playing, is it more of a relaxed, hang with friends thing, or just an escape from the world?

It just gets my mind off stuff. I used to be in the hospital and when I was going through surgeries and I was like, I’ve got a back surgery tomorrow, I would be like, okay, playing Fortnite is taking my mind off all that. Or playing Call Of Duty, playing 2K with my boys, with a headset on. That’s always kind of what video games did for me. But as I’m moving into my rap career, I’ve got to be focusing. I’ve got to watch how much time I spend on the game. So I actually put it away. It’s in my closet right now.

I like that. That means you’re really focused.

It was draining for me because I had it in my living room bro, and I was like, you know what? We are here to make music. That’s why we are in LA. But it’s still good and I like it. That shit really helps people’s minds.

When you’re playing 2K, who’s your team?

Man, bro, I liked playing 2K Blacktop, bro. That’s my favorite thing. You gotta watch what I did with Faze Blaze. I beat him in 2K. I like playing that stuff, but my team is going to be the Warriors because that’s where I’m from, out there in the bay.

Are they going back to the playoffs next year?

We’re going back to the playoffs with Klay [Thompson].

How do you feel about Giannis Antetokounmpo winning a championship?

Bro, that shit is inspiring, bro. Just seeing bro win, all the videos of him wanting it before, and now he’s here, it’s respectable. He deserved it.

What song of yours do you feel would be best on a 2K soundtrack?

I’m going to say “Costa Rica” with Kid Laroi remix. That shit would go crazy, I feel like. Or “Drop a Tear,” Lil Baby with me.

What was it like doing a song with Lil Baby?

Shoot man, it was a cool experience. We shot it in a church in Atlanta and all those people had great vibes. It was cool people and it was good, man. It was a good experience. It was crazy. Because I’m a big fan a Lil Baby. So I was like, man, this is surreal.

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