Def Jam Rapstar

Grab the mic and prove you got swagger in this hip-hop-focused music game from 4mm Games and Terminal Reality.

Overview

Def Jam Rapstar is a music/rhythm game from 4mm Games and Terminal Reality released in 2010. The game gives players the ability to rap along with a wide variety of hip hop tracks spanning three decades and including some of the genre's most famous artists.

Gameplay

Def Jam Rapstar requires a microphone (bundled with the game) and a controller for navigation. The music video for each song (or, in a few cases where no video is available, a simple volume meter visualizer) appears in a box in the center of the screen while the lyrics are displayed below. A bouncing ball touches each syllable in rhythm, much like some karaoke machines or sing-along videos. Sections that require singing display pitch lines much like Rock Band or Lips, and the player is graded on their tonality as well as rhythm.

In Career Mode, there are five stages to be played through, each increasing in difficulty and containing unique score, timing, or other challenges where new songs can be unlocked. A Party mode is available to allow quickplay of unlocked songs (all but a few songs are unlocked from the start of the game), and playlists can be created and performed. The game supports two microphones for Duets and Rap Battles. A Freestyle mode is also available, and gives players an instrumental beat to strut their stuff over.

The game features support for the Xbox 360 Kinect and Playstation Eye cameras, allowing users to record video of their performances (limited to 30 seconds), store them locally, and upload them to the community for viewing by others with the game or on the official website. As the player progresses through the game, new video and audio effects, filters, stickers and more can be unlocked.

Def Jam Rapstar features radio edits of each song in order to stay within a "T" ESRB rating, but while the harshest of profanities are removed, references to drugs, alcohol, and violence are left intact. The bouncing ball still hits the empty syllables where the profanity used to be, and players are not penalized for speaking the censored words into the microphone.

Community

Before the lawsuits, Def Jam Rapstar featured an online community where players could prove their swagger. The community was accessible both in-game and on the web at defjamrapstar.com. Players could upload videos from their console or from their PC. Once uploaded, their video could be viewed by the community and voted on, giving the player community recognition.

Players could also battle other players by uploading a video of their own performing the same song, and the community voted on which of the two performances they felt was the best.

The community website was changing and evolving since launch with new functionality coming online on a regular basis. It no longer exists

Lawsuits

Konami, Autumn Games, 4mm Games, and Terminal Reality faced two lawsuits in 2012 over the release and distribution of Def Jam Rapstar.

In March 2012, EMI, which controls the rights to multiple songs in the game, sued 4mm and Terminal Reality for copyright infringement on parts of songs in the game, totaling $8.1 million dollars. As many rap songs sample from other songs, EMI's lawsuit focused on the songs sampled in the game, suing, for instance over 30% of Lil' Waynes "Got Money."

In May 2012, City National Bank sued Konami and Autumn games for fraud. The bank charged that the companies lied to secure $14 million in credit, claiming that the game would sell over 2.5 million copies and would raise $1 million to "pay down the loan" but never did. CNB sought the debt never paid and $9 million for fraud, breach of contract, and more.

While no settlement or result of the suits can be found at this time, Rapstar's website is shut down, its DLC songs are no longer available, and the game's community features are no longer accessible.

On Disc Song List

US Song List

2pac - "I Get Around"
50 Cent - "I Get Money"
A Tribe Called Quest - "Scenario"
Beastie Boys - "Brass Monkey"
Big Pun feat. Joe - "Still Not A Player"
Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"
Busta Rhymes - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See"
Diddy (featuring The Notorious B.I.G, Lil' Kim & The Lox) - "It's All About The Benjamins (Remix)"
DJ Khaled (featuring Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Baby & Lil Wayne) - "We Takin' Over"
DMX - "Ruff Ryder's Anthem"
Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Nuthin' But A G Thang"
Drake - "Best I Ever Had"
Fat Joe featuring Terror Squad - "Lean Back"
Ice Cube - "Today Was A Good Day"
Ja Rule featuring Ashanti - "Always on Time"
Jim Jones - "We Fly High"
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
Kanye West - "Stronger"
Lil Jon - "Get Low"
Lil Wayne - "A Milli"
LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Ludacris - "Stand Up"
Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige - "You're All I Need/I'll Be There For You"
Method Man & Redman - "Da Rockwilder"
Nas feat. Diddy - "Hate Me Now"
Nelly - "Hot In Herre"
Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa
Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
Onyx - "Slam"
Outkast - "So Fresh & So Clean"
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth - "T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You)"
Public Enemy - "Can't Truss It"
Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"
Rob Base - It Takes Two
Run D.M.C. - "Run's House"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
Slick Rick - "Children's Story"
Snoop Dogg - "Gin and Juice"
Soulja Boy Tell’em - "Turn My Swag On"
T.I. feat. Rihanna - "Live Your Life"
Twista feat. Kanye West and Jamie Foxx - "Slow Jamz"
Wu Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West - "Put On"
Young Joc - "It's Going Down"

UK Song List

2 Pac - "I Get Around"
50 Cent - "I Get Money"
A Tribe Called Quest - "Scenario"
Bashy - "Black Boys"
Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"
Busta Rhymes - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See"
Chipmunk - "Chip Diddy Chip"
Devlin - "Giant"
Diddy (ft. The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, & The Lox) - "It's All About The Benjamins (Remix"
Dizzee Rascal - "Fix Up, Look Sharp"
DMX - "Ruff Ryder's Anthem"
Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg - "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang"
Drake - "Best I Ever Had"
Fat Joe featuring Terror Squad - "Lean Back"
Ja Rule featuring Ashanti - "Always On Time"
Jim Jones - "We Fly High"
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
Lil Jon - "Get Low"
Lil Wayne - "A Milli"
LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Ludacris - "Stand Up"
Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) - "You're All I Need / I'll Be There For You"
N-Dubz - I Need You
Nas (Featuring Diddy) - "Hate Me Now"
Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
Nelly - "Hot in Herre"
Onyx - "Slam"
Outkast - "So Fresh, So Clean"
Pete Rock and CL Smooth - "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
Public Enemy - "Fight the Power"
Roots Manuva - Witness The Fitness
Run D.M.C. - "Run's House"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
So Solid Crew - 21 Seconds
T.I. featuring Rihanna - "Live Your Life"
Tinchy Stryder feat. N-Dubz - "Number 1"
Tinie Tempah - "Pass Out"
Wiley - "50/50"
Wu Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."

Germany Song List

2 Pac - "I Get Around"
50 Cent - "I Get Money"
Absolute Beginner - "Hammerhart"
Azad - "Prison Break Anthem"
Biz Markie - "Just a Friend"
Busta Rhymes - Put Your Hand's Where My Eyes Can See"
Curse - "Und Was Ist Jetzt"
Das Bo - "Türlich Türlich"
Deichkind - "Bon Voyage"
Diddy (Featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, & The Lox) - "It's All About The Benjamins (Remix)"
DMX - "Ruff Ryder's Anthem"
Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg - "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang"
Drake - "Best I Ever Had"
Fat Joe featuring Terror Squad - "Lean Back"
Ja Rule featuring Ashanti - "Always On Time"
Jim Jones - "We Fly High"
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
Kool Savas - "Futurama"
Lil Jon - "Get Low"
Lil Wayne - "A Milli"
LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Ludacris - "Stand Up"
Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) - "You're All I Need / I'll Be There For You"
Method Man & Redman - "Da Rockwilder"
Nas (Featuring Diddy) - "Hate Me Now"
Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
Nelly - "Hot in Herre"
Onyx - "Slam"
Outkast - "So Fresh, So Clean"
Pete Rock and CL Smooth - "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
Peter Fox - "Schwarz Zu Blau"
Public Enemy - "Fight the Power"
Run D.M.C. - "Run's House"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
T.I. featuring Rihanna - "Live Your Life"
Wu Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West - "Put On"

France Song List

2pac - "I Get Around"
50 Cent - "I Get Money"
A Tribe Called Quest - "Scenario"
Busta Rhymes - Put Your Hand's Where My Eyes Can See"
Diddy (Featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, & The Lox) - "It's All About The Benjamins (Remix)"
Disiz la Peste - "Jpete Les Plombs"
DMX - "Ruff Ryder's Anthem"
Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg - "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang"
Drake - "Best I Ever Had"
Fat Joe featuring Terror Squad - "Lean Back"
Ja Rule featuring Ashanti - "Always On Time"
Jim Jones - "We Fly High"
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
Kery James - "Banlieusards"
Lil Jon - "Get Low"
Lil Wayne - "A Milli"
LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Ludacris - "Stand Up"
Method Man (Featuring Mary J. Blige) - "You're All I Need / I'll Be There For You"
Method Man & Redman - "Da Rockwilder"
Nas (Featuring Diddy) - "Hate Me Now"
Ness Beal - "Rap de Tess"
Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
NTM featuring Lord Ko - "Ma Benz"
Onyx - "Slam"
Outkast - "So Fresh, So Clean"
Oxmo Puccino - "Mama Love"
Pete Rock and CL Smooth - "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"
Psy 4 De La Rime - "Le Monde Est Stone"
Public Enemy - "Fight the Power"
Run D.M.C. - "Runs House"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
Sefyu - "Molotov 4"
Wu Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
Young Joc - "Its Goin' Down"