Def Jam Rapstar dropping in NA October 5

If there's one benefit of the rhythm game genre's implosion last year, it's that publishers have been broadening their tastes to accommodate more musical styles. For Konami, the latest extension in its rhythm game business is Def Jam Rapstar, a hip-hop-centric karaoke game featuring tunes from the likes of 2 Pac, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, and Notorious B.I.G.

Today, Konami publicized the game's release party, announcing that Def Jam Rapstar will be available in North America on October 5. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game will come bundled with the game and a wired mic for $69.99, while the Wii package costs $59.99. The game will arrive for the same platforms in Europe on November 2, though pricing information has not yet been revealed.

Def Jam Rapstar is the maiden effort from 4mm Games, a publishing and development label founded in part by two original leaders of Rockstar Games. Ghostbusters: The Video Game studio Terminal Reality as well as Def Jam Interactive also contributed to the game, where aspiring emcees can sing along with more than 40 hip-hop tracks. The game also features a Freestyle mode, in which gamers can drop their own rhymes over tracks laid down by a variety of hip-hop producers.

Along with a release date, Konami announced a handful of additional tunes included on-disc. Highlights include Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day," Outkast's "So Fresh, So Clean," and Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It." A list of just-announced tracks and Freestyle mode beats can be found below.

Artist - Song
Biz Markie - "Just a Friend"
Drake - "Best I Ever Had"
Ice Cube - "It Was a Good Day"
Outkast - "So Fresh, So Clean"
Pete Rock and CL Smooth - "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"
Redman and Method Man - "Da Rockwilder"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"

Producer - Track
DJ Premier - "JJ's Beat"
Just Blaze - "On the One"