2K Games has unveiled their latest NBA 2K23 cover athlete: J. Cole.
Dreamville’s head honcho has been tapped to grace the game’s limited DREAMER Edition cover, which arrives in November 2022. The multi-platinum recording artist and producer will join this year’s coveted cover athletes featuring Michael Jordan, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Devin Booker.
2K Games has also selected Cole as the Executive Producer for this year’s soundtrack. The Off-Season emcee is set to put a personal touch on the tracklist, as he leads up to his upcoming album release. Furthermore, Dreamville and Interscope Records will be curating one of the upcoming NBA 2K23 Seasons with details to be announced at a later date.
“NBA 2K has long been a place to discover new musical talent through their game and continues to be a gold standard for showcasing all things basketball culture,” said J. Cole. “It’s been an amazing journey to not only appear on a cover of this year’s game, but to be part of the MyCAREER storyline, soundtrack and bring the DREAMER brand into NBA 2K. There’s also more to come, so watch out for all things Dreamville and DREAMER brand drops during Seasons and for Bas and Elite in this year’s MyCAREER story.”
“The sheer scale, depth and talent featured in this year’s MyCAREER creates an unparalleled experience within NBA 2K23,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy at NBA 2K. “At the top of that list of talent is our first cover star who truly sits at the intersection of basketball and music. Bringing a visionary like J. Cole and DREAMER into the creative process for both the game and the soundtrack showcases the pillar of culture that NBA 2K23 has become.”
NBA 2K23‘s forthcoming soundtrack is looking to be one of the most diverse music collections in the game’s history. The former Rwanda BBC athlete’s soundtrack will be a “global, diverse masterpiece,” featuring a collection from artists worldwide.
At launch, the soundtrack will consist of 36 tracks by 36 artists, including “Wants and Needs (feat. Lil Baby)” by Drake, “Megan’s Piano” by Megan Thee Stallion, “Surround Sound (feat. 21 Savage & Baby Tate)” by JID, and “The Matrix” by Ski Mask the Slump God, and more. Three new tracks will drop every Friday, adding to an already stacked and diverse soundtrack. J. Cole’s curation will lend itself to a multitude of artists, record label partnerships, and integrations throughout the game’s popular Seasons.
NBA 2K23 is also celebrating the intersection of music and basketball culture with their all-new MyCAREER experience on Next Gen, which includes the largest and most involved storyline in the franchise’s history. The story kicks off after the NBA Draft and challenges players to balance their performance in the NBA while navigating their off-court career through music, fashion, and business.
Aside from the many characters and cameos, MyCAREER will feature Dreamville musicians Elite and Bas as they help players befriend J. Cole and capture the hearts and minds of The City.*
Players can access the DREAMER Edition in November exclusively at GameStop. The coveted edition and Next Gen MyCAREER experience will be available in the U.S. and Canada for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms. NBA 2K23 is set to release on Sept. 9, 2022, with pre-orders now available.
Watch NBA 2K23: MyCAREER’s trailer below.