Firstly, one needs to understand what is "Madden NFL". Madden NFL is an American Football video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It is an instalment of the long-running Madden NFL series (Wikipedia). Moreover, it features Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as the cover athlete (Wikipedia). Therefore, to announce the video game, released on August 28 2020, they included different musicians. These include Rick Ross, Childish Major, Earth Gang, and Lute, only to mention a few. The reason behind the release of this video game was a way of celebrating the football season, the spirit of the game and the future of hip-hop culture like never before (EA Sports Website).
Various hip-hop artists are featured in the soundtrack, however, in this article, I will focus on two artists, EarthGang and Lute.
EARTHGANG - "Powered Up"
EarthGang released a song titled, Powered Up on 14 August 2020. Why was the song featured on the Madden 21 Soundtrack? One needs to understand the relevance of the title of the song. It can be divided into two, "powered" and "up". The term "powered" means having great strength or power (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Furthermore, "up" means to be in a high position or place (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Therefore it means having the strength to succeed hence the football game. It probably explains why in the song, EarthGang said words such as, "My n***a what the deal is? / I just came here to kill sh*t". There are other words such as, "I'ma, I'ma teach you how to fly without ? Fear, doubt, jets, regret."
The way it seems, the track seems to serve as empowering the football player, Lamar Jackson to win the football. There is even a music lyric video probably showing Lamar Jackson winning the football game. To add on, the beat especially the drums playing in the background matches perfectly for this Madden 21 Soundtrack. Olu's vocals and repetition of the words, "powered up" makes this track even more intriguing. The genre of the track is hip-hop/ rap. Therefore, that is why Powered Up by EarthGang was included in the Madden 21 Soundtrack.
Lute feat. Blakk Soul - "Get It and Go"
Lute released a track titled Get It and Go featuring Blakk Soul on 14 August 2020. What is the meaning behind the song? If one looks at the song lyrics, it means working hard to achieve something or not giving up until one achieves their goal. For instance, in the lyrics, Lute said, "Came from the bottom, rose through the cracks."
The way it seems, Lute seems to reflect on his past life and how he has gained success in the rap game. However, why is it relevant to the Madden 21 Soundtrack? For instance, the song lyrics such as," I could never take a loss, I ain't set up for defeat" or even these words "I've been grindin' lately, this my season." It could be interpreted as Lamar Jackson refusing to accept defeat in the football video game. Instead, he makes sure that he wins the football game hence he "gets it and goes." He wins the game no matter what.
The sound effects depicted in the song "Get It and Go" sort of have an old-school feeling. It acts as an anthem about obtaining success. It seems perfect for highlighting Lamar Jackson's character in the video game who wins the football game.
In a nutshell, the songs, "Powered Up" and "Get It and Go" has proven to be relevant for the soundtrack, "Madden 21 Soundtrack" because the song lyrics and the beat fit the theme of the soundtrack. It also seems to give Dreamville Records the recognition it deserves in the music scene.
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