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When Hip Hop Meets Video Games - Jay-Z's already got his hands in rap, books, clothing and sports, but he isn't done expanding his portfolio. Hov recently signed on as executive producer of NBA 2K13, the next yearly installment in the iconic basketball video game franchise. "This has been a unique opportunity to collaborate with 2K Sports and be a part of one of the best sports video games in history," Jay-Z said in a statement. "NBA 2K13 will be the next evolution in sports and basketball culture, and I'm ready to usher in the new era of the franchise." But Hov's new job is just the latest example of hip-hop and the gaming industry joining forces. Click on for other examples of rap/video game mash-ups.  (Photo: from left Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Moet Rose)

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Def Jam Vendetta - This 2003 game combined rap with pro wrestling, with artists on the Def Jam roster, including DMX, Redman and Ludacris, going toe to toe in the ring. It led to two sequels, 2004's Def Jam: Fight for NY and 2007's Def Jam: Icon. (Photo: Courtesy of EA Games)

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Smif-N-Wessun, "Super Brooklyn" - Brooklyn duo Smif-N-Wessun, aka the Cocoa Brovaz, sampled liberally from the music for iconic game Super Mario Bros. for this 1999 underground hit. They never released it officially due to sample clearance issues, but the buzz from the song led to a deal with Rawkus Records.  (Photo: Courtesy of Facebook)

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PaRappa the Rapper - This bizarre 1997 PlayStation game featured a rapping dog that the player controls through buttons pressed in a specific rhythm. Players with skills would cop for the coveted "U Rappin' Cool" rating; sucker MCs were called out for "Rappin' Awful." (Photo: Courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment

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DJ Hero - This 2009 spin-off of the hit game Guitar Hero came with custom turntable controllers and playable avatars including DJ Shadow, Z-Trip, DJ AM, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Daft Punk. (Photo: Courtesy of Exient Entertainment)

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Charles Hamilton - Harlem rapper Charles Hamilton, who was signed to Interscope a few years ago before falling off the deep end, was obsessed with Sonic the Hedgehog, the title character of the blockbuster Sega franchise, taking it on as an alias/alter-ego of sorts. His 2008 mixtape Sonic the Hamilton was packed with video-game references.  (Photo: Amanda Edwards/WireImage)

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Many video games have incorporated hip hop culture, but few more so than the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and its 2004 installment Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in particular. Based loosely on late '80s/early-'90s South Central Los Angeles — the notorious backdrop for rappers like N.W.A. and Ice-T and movies like Boyz n tha Hood — the game featured gang references, a rap-heavy soundtrack, the voices of rappers Ice-T, Chuck D, Frost, MC Eiht and The Game, and a subplot in which players help an associate establish a hip hop career. (Photo: Courtesy of Rock Star Games)

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Beanie Sigel, "Mac Man" - Beanie's 2000 debut album The Truth featured this corner favorite, which sampled sound effects from Ms. Pac Man and featured clever metaphors that compared video games to the drug game.  (Photo: Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic)

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Lil Flip, "Game Over (Flip)" - A few years after Beanie's breakthrough, Flip took it back to the Pac on this 2003 hit, which also sampled Ms. Pac Man. This time, however, game-maker Namco sued Flip for $10 million, claiming the sample was uncleared. The case was eventually settled for an undisclosed sum.  (Photo: Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

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Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure - This 2006 game from Ecko/Complex mogul Marc Ecko is based on the world of graffiti and street art, with a playable graf artist and a hip hop-heavy soundtrack. (Photo: Courtesy of Atari)

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Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style - This 1999 Playstation fighting game was based on everyone's favorite Staten Island rap crew, with players controlling puglistic versions of Ghostface, RZA, Ol Dirty Bastard and the rest of the Wu. (Photo: Courtesy of Activision)