Lyricist Talib Kweli is on board to play the voice of Trane, the lead character
in Atari’s new video game, "Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure,"
Atari, Inc. announced yesterday (Jan. 11).
An urban revolutionary,
Trane is an outcast and rebel who wishes to prove his credibility in the tyrannical
city of New Radius.
"There is
no better artist to help challenge the video game status quo and personify Trane
than Talib," Marc Ecko, Executive Creative Director for "Getting Up,"
said in a statement. "We are excited to be adding his respected talent
to our video game."
Ecko, an urban
clothing designer and proclaimed ex-graffiti artist, supplies the characters
and story line for the video game, which professes to pay tribute to graffiti
culture.
With stealth and
street fighting skills, game players scale the perilous city as they inform
the masses through revolutionary means.
"Because a
video game has a hip-hop soundtrack doesn’t automatically make it a true representation
of urban life," Ecko said. "The urban reality is about making your
voice heard."
"Getting Up:
Contents Under Pressure" is scheduled for release in September 2005 for
PlayStation 2 gaming systems.
