The NBA postseason is upon us and The Lox, Rick Ross, and Fat Joe have linked with DraftKings for a new playoff-inspired track, “The Game.” 

The track, produced by Set Free Richardson, Buda & Grandz, Mike Kuz, and DraftKings. Jadakiss opens the song with lines like, “Soar as high as you can, don’t ever stop flyin’/There’s heaven in winnin’ and hell in not tryin’.” The black-and-white video is a highlight reel of primetime ballers on the court, as bursts of lyrics from Kiss, Joe, Ross, and Styles P are interspersed throughout. 

As Boardroom reports, fans can expect to hear “The Game” played during commercial breaks of ESPN’s telecasts throughout the NBA postseason, and the track is part of a larger effort to “strengthen the relationship among the hip-hop industry, modern urban culture, and hoops.” The effort has been ongoing — this past season DraftKings and Free (DJ, founder of The Compound, and creator of the AND1 Mixtape) linked to initiate discussions around basketball and also produced original content and activations, including The Starting Five: Live From the Compound series. The series features Richardson, Jadakiss, designer Don C and other celebs and pro ballers discussing fashion, art, music, gaming, and sports betting.

The connection between the NBA and Hip-Hop remains strong. Back in early February, Lil Wayne became a playable character on NB2K3. He’s available to play in MyTeam mode, and soared into the lineup with an 89 percent rating (even better than MVP Russell Westbrook’s, whose rating is 81). Later that month, when LeBron James broke the all-time scoring record, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to take the title, Jay-Z paid tribute to the legend during the NBA 2023 All-Star Game.

“Being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time, you know, that’s excellence,” he said during the three-minute clip which also featured his songs “What More Can I Say” and “Show Me What You Got.” “Long after you’ve gone, people, they’re looking at your name. That’s what greatness is. There are not many you can compare LeBron to. 19-time All-Star, a remarkable feat. The all-time scorer, all-time. I mean, what can you say? I’ve known LeBron since he was in high school. There was a lot of talk about how amazing he was. We were convinced this guy was super special. He’s been through plenty of iterations of the game, and in each era, he’s been the best. The chosen one, that’s it.”