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We never thought we'd see the day: Not just one, but five hip hop stars are down with social gaming. Rappers like [Eminem][2], [50 Cent][3] and even the [Wu-Tang Clan][4] have come out with their own Facebook games. Of course, [Jay-Z][5] is the most recent to join the ranks of rapper on Facebook's Canvas with Happy Giant Media's Empire.
We can't exactly pinpoint why rap artists are interested in riding the social gaming wave, but we're sure it has something to do with diversification. (You know, almost like the kind that [Wu-Tang tries to push][6]?) Well, gathering five famous hip hop stars' Facebook games is much easier than getting to the bottom of the cause, so without further delay...
[ Streets (Wu-Tang Clan)][4]
Ghostface Killah and Draw Something maker [OMGPOP][7] recently collaborated on the studio's last Facebook game, Streets. Featuring DJ Drama, Raekwon, GZA and more, Streets takes the CityVille model and puts an urban spin on it. OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter said that it's "the realist game ever on Facebook. Think Denzel Washington in American Gangster." That's hardcore.
[ New Boyz: The World][8]
Once upon a time, rap duo New Boyz decided to tread new ground in brand extension with [Funtactix][9]: Facebook games. Today, that game is no more, leading to nothing but a broken link. But in its prime, New Boyz: The World was a fan's dream world, with the two stars interacting with fans in real time and granting them access to exclusive content. Ahead of its time, perhaps.
[ Bad Meets Evil (Eminem)][2]
And the award for the most violent Facebook game goes to... When Eminem agreed to have a social game made in his honor, he must have made it a deal-breaker with Grab Games for the Facebook game to be as lewd and savage as possible. Want to stab a guy repeatedly in the street? Then this is the game for you. Oh, and it has all of Eminem's music in it, so that's a plus.
[ 50 Cent's Blackjack][3]
[ Game Show Network][10] and developer Disruptor Beam opted to do something a little different when creating a social game about one of the most divisive name's in hop hop: make a game that fans of his music might actually gravitate to. On the flip side of the same coin, said fans of 50 Cent's music won't actually get to hear the guy's tunes in the game. A bummer, we know.
[ Empire (Jay-Z)][5]
This is the most recent rapper to enter the Facebook gaming fold with developer Happy Giant Media. Designed to take players through Jay-Z's life from the streets of Brooklyn to his life of fame and fortune today, Empire places players in those locations in a style familiar to the FarmVille crowd. Throw in Jay-Z's music through Spotify and you've got yourself a potential winner.
**Are you a fan of any of these hip hop-themed social games? Which rapper do you hope takes the plunge next? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][11]**
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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/04/empirefacebook.jpg
[2]: http://blog.games.com/2011/07/06/eminem-facebook-game-bad-meets-evil/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/2012/04/09/50-cent-blackjack-facebook-game/
[4]: http://blog.games.com/2012/03/20/the-street-ghostface-killah-facebook-game/
[5]: http://blog.games.com/2012/04/24/jay-z-empire-facebook-preview/
[6]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLUWinJI1DM
[7]: http://blog.games.com/tag/omgpop
[8]: http://blog.games.com/2011/05/02/new-boyz-the-world-facebook/
[9]: http://blog.games.com/tag/funtactix
[10]: http://blog.games.com/tag/gsn
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