NBA Ballers: Chosen One just got a heaping helping of street cred, as Midway announces prominent roles in the game for super producer Just Blaze and Public Enemy front man and co-founder Chuck D. Chuck (can I call him Chuck?) will star as the announcer and studio-host for the titular Chosen One tournament, as well as providing the play-by-play commentary during games. Meanwhile Blaze, who has produced over 20 top 10 albums from the likes of Usher, Kanye West, and Jay-Z, will be producing the entire score for the game, which promises to interact with the gameplay rather than simply play in the background. Maybe the inclusion of Chuck D and Blaze will help me stave off all of those Last Dragon scenes that pop into my head every time I read NBA Ballers: Chosen One. Probably not.

Music Icon Chuck D and Super-Producer Just Blaze Lend Talents to NBA Ballers®: Chosen One™

Chuck D to Provide In-Game Commentary for Next Installment of Midway's Popular Basketball Franchise.

Just Blaze Producing Theatrical-Style Score.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, today announced that music icon Chuck D and super-producer Just Blaze will both have prominent roles in NBA Ballers®: Chosen One™, the next installment in the popular NBA Ballers franchise that is scheduled to ship for the Xbox 360™ and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in Spring 2008.

Chuck D, the famed front man and founder of Public Enemy, will serve as announcer and studio-host for the Chosen One tournament, and also provide play-by-play commentary throughout the game.

"The talents of Chuck D and Just Blaze will greatly enhance the NBA Ballers: Chosen One experience, as players live the fantasy lifestyle of an NBA Superstar," said George Gomez executive producer, Midway Amusement Games. "Chuck D is one of the most recognizable voices in music history, while Just Blaze has produced multiple chart-topping hits. Together they'll ensure that NBA Ballers: Chosen One will feature a sound to match the game's amazing graphics and gameplay."

Just Blaze, who has produced tracks for best-selling artists such as Jay-Z, Usher, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, T.I. and many more, will produce the entire instrumental score for NBA Ballers: Chosen One.

The Just Blaze-produced score for NBA Ballers: Chosen One marks a bold departure from the current norm in sports video game soundtracks. Instead of a random compilation of tracks from various artists, the soundtrack will instead interact with the gameplay, much like a cinematic score, and will be a noticeable change from the typical use of licensed music in games.

Tags: basketball | midway | nba ballers: chosen one | sports