Zynga Collaborates With Dr. Dre For First Music Partnership

Social game developer Zynga announced its first in-game music partnership, a deal with rap artist Dr. Dre to debut a music video from his upcoming Detox album and branded virtual goods in Mafia Wars. As part of the promotion, Mafia Wars will begin streaming the music video from Detox's first single, "Kush" (featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon), for free. Players will also be able to watch an exclusive Dr. Dre video message, enter a contest to win headphones and the album, and purchase the single via an in-game iTunes link. Mafia Wars will feature Dr. Dre-inspired content such as music and limited edition virtual goods in a "Hustlin' wit Dre" section of the game. In that area, players will be able to collect headphones, vintage cars, weapons, and more. There's no word yet on whether his World Class Wreckin' Cru red suit will appear in the game. This campaign follows another Mafia Wars event Zynga promoted heavily with Dr. Dre's rapping partner Snoop Dogg in August. That partnership, however, did not feature the artist's music and instead centered around the disastrous livestreaming of Snoop Dogg as he blew up an armored truck to promote Mafia Wars Las Vegas. "Dre is a cultural icon that has inspired generations of music lovers," says Zynga CEO and founder Mark Pincus, who may or may not have spent the early '90s cruising the local strip while blasting The Chronic in his jeep at full volume. Pincus added, "We're huge music fans at Zynga and we know the players within Mafia Wars will love the chance to discover incredible music content while playing with their friends."